BEDTIME ROUTINE FOR TODDLERS
August 21, 2011
For some parents putting their kids to bed at night is a hard job. The children usually still wander around the house or want to play games when we ask them to go to bed. They try to ensure everybody at home to stay awake or watch late TV together. Reading any books that are particularly suitable for bedtime will be a soothing way to help your kids get used to the bedtime routine. Take turn with your spouse to read them their favorite stories. No matter which book you put out at bedtime, read it in a soothing voice will help them calm. However, be careful not to choose an action or adventure story during bedtime, it will just put your child aside worries before sleep.
Once you already set up a pattern every night for your toddlers, try to stick to that routine consistently even when you are not at home by taking turns with your spouse. It can make them easier to settle down even in unfamiliar surroundings. Moreover, he will be excited to look forward for it and fall asleep easily as soon as he gets to bed.
Bedtime is a nice chance for toddlers and their parents to spend some time talking each other. Discuss and share everything that happened in the day. The earlier you establish this habit, the better he gets a night sleep so he will be fresh to start his day when he wakes up in the next morning. As he needs much sleep, a toddler usually spends more than 10 hours a day for night sleep or nap in order to strengthen his immune system. Besides, it is a great time for him to improve his language skill by learning new vocabularies and intelligence and by listening the logical sequences from the stories you read.
Below are the strategies to develop a bedtime habit and these can be applied to your child since he was 6 months old:
1. Set a nightly bedtime ritual.
Bedtime for toddlers varies, depends on a daily schedule you usually practice this at home. Normally it may be around 9 – 10 p.m. A regular bedtime will surely help toddlers to relax and calm down, in return, get them in our control without having a hard struggle every night.
2. Practice your child to be able to sleep on his own.
It is very important to make them grow up independently when he falls asleep by himself every night, although many toddlers are afraid of the dark specially when you turn the room lights off. And it is all right to give them cuddle and gentle kiss or comfort them for a while. You can say good night to them and leave their favorite toys in their room to help them work through their anxieties or fears. Also you can get them used to pray. If your kid looks sad or unhappy as he sees you walk out the door after you tuck him in, keep the lights on and tell him you will be back to check on him in a few minutes.
3. Play lullaby or soft classical music then leave it after you get out of the room. Soft music can also soothe the toddlers, with the added benefit of drowning out the outside noise.