Bedtime can often leave parents feeling exhausted. Creating a solid bedtime routine can turn a hectic evening into a peaceful time to bond with your child. Here are some tips and tricks to make bedtime a little easier.
Satisfy your child's hunger
Has your child ever called you from their bed with the usual slew of ailments like "I'm Hungry. I need water." Sure, this could be a delaying tactic, but considering a nutritious snack before you start a bedtime routine can help eliminate these requests.
Let them relax and play in the bath
Bathtime is a fantastic opportunity to bond with your child and give them the time necessary to wind down before bed. Consider introducing some calming instrumental music or meditation. Use this time to discuss the day, feelings, or whatever comes up. Bathtime doesn't always have to be just about bodily hygiene. It can be a great time to introduce mental hygiene from a young age. And don't forget play! Play is the cornerstone of learning for children of all ages and will help get a little bit of that extra energy out before bed.
Floss and Brush Teeth
We all know how important flossing and brushing is, but not all kids enjoy this part of the bedtime routine. For resistant kids flossing and brushing while their hands are busy playing in the tub can be helpful. Before or after you floss and brush their teeth, let them have some control. Kids want to learn how to do everything adults do, so it can be helpful to hand over some control to them in this department. Teaching kids at an early age to have autonomy over their own bodies proves to provide many benefits later in life.
Storytime
The benefits of reading aloud to your children are numerous. From developing literacy, cognitive skills, emotional intelligence, and more. Research has even shown that reading to kids at home is the difference of more than a million words by Kindergarten! Make it fun by using character voices or even adding in little hand puppets or gestures.
Bedtime is Bonding Time
It's typical for families of all varieties to struggle to find time to sit down and just be. Raising young children can be a hectic balancing act at times, but bedtime can be one of the best times to bond with your children. Whether it's cuddling together in bed, singing songs, or telling stories, your child will just be so happy to be spending this time with you!
