Stay Away from these 4 Bedtime Mistakes

By
Amanda C
-
Photo by Picsea on Unsplash

Is bedtime challenging for your kids each and every night? It might be because you’re making these 4 bedtime mistakes which are very common:

Not Sticking to or Having a bedtime routine

It’s important for children to have a bedtime routine that’s regular. This means that they go to bed the same time each and every night. If you don’t have one, create a routine for bedtime and you’ll see the difference.

I am often asked about our bedtime routine. Routine itself is so important in a child's life as it provides a sense of stability and safety. 😌😌😌 Here is an example of our bedtime routine, but keep in mind that every family's life is different and you may need to adjust it to accommodate your needs: 🍽️ 5:15/5:30pm Dinner time 🛀 6:00/6:15pm Bath time ✨ 6:30pm Cream & Pajamas/Blow dry hair on shampoo days(every other day) 😬 6:40pm Brush teeth 📚6:45pm Reading books with both kids 😴 6:55pm Ryder goes and picks out books for himself while I put Chase to sleep 🎶 7-7:15pm Ryder gets 3 books and 2 bedtime songs (sometimes his bedtime gets pushed to 7:30 on days when daddy comes home early). 📷 @mekinasaylor ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #routine #bedtimemusic #bedtimeroutine #routines #nighttimecuddles #nighttimeroutine #bedtime #toddlerbed #toddlerbedtime #itsbedtime #booksbeforebed #bedtimestory #bedtimestories #beforebed #kidsbedtime #nightroutine #nightlyroutine #nightlyreading #readingtime #nighttimereading #bedtimesong #lullaby #bathtime #bathtimebaby #toddlerlife #lifewithtoddlers #toddlermama #toddlermom #momoftwo

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Not Encouraging Enough Physical Activities

A lot of kids can’t fall asleep at night because they still have excess energy. They don’t play or exercise enough throughout the day so they’re bouncing around during bedtime!

Rewarding Kids for Not Sleeping

When children can’t sleep at bedtime, parents tend to “reward” them by allowing them to watch television or perform other activities which are actually fun for them. Because of this, children are then reinforced to stay awake so the fun can continue.

Inconsistency of rules

Finally, some parents set rules but aren’t consistent when it comes to enforcing them. When you tell your child that bedtime is in 10 minutes, follow through. Not sticking to your own rules makes the kids feel like they’re in charge and they’re allowed to sleep when they want to.