1. Happy Bedtime, Happy Family
Establishing bedtime routines for your baby, toddler and school-aged children is important for the sanity of the entire family. The parents have to set the rules or guidelines for their children depending upon the age. It's important that the parents work together and support one another to stay firm on the bedtime routines.
2. Rock-A-Bye Baby
Getting a new baby to sleep can be challenging at best, so work from day one to establish a bedtime routine. Give your baby a warm soothing bath, massage her skin with lotions and dress her in sleepers. Rock your baby gently with dimmed lights and soft music. Your goal is to be able to lay your baby in the crib snuggled in for the night. If she wakes during the night, keep the lights dim and don't take her out of her room. She will eventually learn it's night time and time for sleeping.
3. Tick Tock, It's Time for Bed
Toddlers have started to figure out how to work Mom and Dad. Start your bedtime routine about an hour before you would like them to be in bed. Turn off the TV. Let them unwind in a nice warm bath, followed by brushing their teeth and slipping on clean pajamas. Dim the lights and quietly read them a book, maybe two, in their rooms. They need to stay in their rooms after reading the book and go directly to bed. Tuck them in, kiss them goodnight and leave a small night light on. Repeat the process each night until it becomes the bedtime routine.
4. It's Time for Bed--No Excuses
School-age children usually have homework on school nights, so there's more to juggle when it's time for bed. Try to have them finish their homework while dinner is being prepared so that afterwards is family time. At the agreed time, turn off the TV. Stay firm on your bedtime routines and don't let them argue with you. Head them off to bathe, shower and brush their teeth. Join them on their bed to read a book or have them read to you. Keep everything calm, the lights low and soon you'll have a bedtime routine. Older children may have later bedtimes than the younger ones, so the family has to work at staggered bedtime routines.
5. All in the Happy Family
Families thrive on schedules and routines. Having a bedtime routine helps everyone in the family. Your child sleeps better and comes to look forward to that parent-and-child time to read a book or just talk about the day. The bedtime routine becomes an important part of his day and yours, as he looks forward to it instead of bedtime being a battle.
