got this email made me initially laugh but makes sense.
Bedtime Battles
?And they lived happily ever after?The End.? Bedtime story read? Check! Water glass filled and secured? Check, Check! No monsters under the bed? Check! Good night hugs and kisses? Check! With the bedtime checklist complete, you can finally settle in for some peace and relaxation. That is, until you hear the wide awake chorus of, ?I have to go to the bathroom!? ?I?m hungry!? ?I?m not tired!?
Has bedtime become a nightmare for you? Read on for tips to make bedtime a sweet dream routine for both you and your kids
Bedtime Battles
The clock strikes ten and your energetic little one sits beside you wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. You are exhausted, why isn?t she? When you begin dreading bedtime as much as your kids do, you know you have a problem. Still, when it?s 2 a.m. and your sleepless child stands at the foot of your bed with tears, pleas, and a litany of excuses, how can you resist turning down the sheets and letting her crawl in with you? Sleep-deprived yourself, the simplest solution seems to be avoiding the arguments and scooting over. However, the next morning, everyone pays the price.
Thinking the late night bed times and wee-hour bed swaps have got to go, but have no idea how to change habits? JumpStart parents pipe in with some simple tips and tricks to help your kids sleep happily ever after night after night?in their own bed!
Establish a sweet dream routine- One Jumpstart mom suggests creating a "Bedtime Chart" to help your child visualize the pajama process. Create a large poster with illustrations of each step involved in sleepy time. Items to include on the list might be: putting on PJs, having a pre-sleep snack, brushing teeth, reading a bedtime story, using the restroom, switching on the night-light, time for cuddling and kisses, and lastly, sweet dreaming. The chart might use stickers or checkmarks as an incentive for completing each step. Be sure to post the chart in your child?s bedroom at eye-level so the steps soon become a sweet dream routine.
Let your child be the decorator- Taking pride in his slumber space is one of the first steps to ensuring your little one will stay put all night long. You may want to consider letting him help decorate or maybe even pick out special bedding or a theme for his room. You and your child can work together to arrange the furniture and hang pictures to make the space unique and special just for him. The more your child likes his room, the more apt he is to stay there- even into the wee morning hours.
Be creative and make bedtime fun- Spice up the sleepy routine bedtime often brings by thinking outside the box to keep your kids inside their beds. Airplane and piggyback rides will have your kids lining up for the next departure. Final destination? Their bed, of course! If you have an anxious little one who worries about monsters and the boogie man, whip up some ?monster or safe sleep spray? to spray around the bedroom before the lights go out. Sing a silly song together while you tuck in and turn out the lights. Lightly rub your child?s back or draw letters or numbers on it for her to guess while she drifts off to dreamland.
Okay, so now that you?ve gotten her into bed on time, how to you make sure she stays there?
First, it?s important to consider: What's really happening?
Take into account the reason behind your child?s late night escapes and solve the problem based on this reason. For example, maybe your child isn't tired and is ready for a later bedtime, maybe she's hungry and needs to eat a larger dinner or a light pre-bedtime snack, maybe she hasn't had enough time with you and is longing for some "cuddle time," or maybe there?s something on her mind that needs to be discussed before she settles down for the night. Once you diagnose the problem, the solution will definitely be in sight.
Be Clear and Concise- When you don?t have a plan for them, they?ll surely have a plan for you! Established bedtime routines and rules will eliminate the negotiation process kids often try to start. If you and your child are clear about how bedtime works, it will work that way without any issues or questions asked.
That's the Ticket! If you have a child whose head fills up with questions, excuses, or fears as soon as it hits the pillow, maybe this will be the ticket to keeping him tucked in. When you put your child to bed, give him a set (most parents recommend no more than three) of ?Get-Out-Of-Bed-Free? cards. These cards, easily constructed out of tag board or cardboard, will limit the number of excuses and times he?ll leave his bed. Let him know that each time he gets out of bed, no matter what the reason, he?ll need a ticket. A drink of water, a potty predicament, a question, etc. will cost him one card. When all of the tickets are gone, he?s out of luck and needs to stay in bed. Getting out of bed when all the cards are gone, results in NO cards the next night.
Follow these suggestions to increase the sleep around your house and restful nights will be in sight!