Bedtime Routines

Kids love predictability, and having a solid bedtime routine is so important. Routines create comfort and stability. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, really whatever works for your family. The same bedtime routine should happen every.single.night. As a parent, you may start to feel like you are losing your mind. In reality, it will help your child feel confident and they will enjoy the predictability.

In our house, it looks like this:
Brush teeth
Shower
Lotion & PJ’s
Books
Potty
Get into bed
Kisses
Goodnight

Finding yourself in a power struggle with your toddler around bedtime? What works even better for older kiddos is to give them some choices in the bedtime routine. Let them make the small decisions while you continue to guide the overall routine. Here is a modified routine and what that might look like. Again - as parents, you make the big decisions while giving the kiddos some control over the small decisions. Here are some examples from our own bedtime routine:

Brush teeth - “Do you want the Elsa toothbrush or the Marshall toothbrush?”
Shower
Lotion & PJ’s - “Do you want the striped pajamas for the animal pajamas?”
Books - “We’re going to read 3 books. Which 3 books would you like to read tonight?” (For younger kiddos, let them pick from just a few choices. Too many options can be overwhelming).
Potty
Get into bed
Kisses
Goodnight

A shortened version of the routine should happen before naps, too!

If you need some help coming up with a solid bedtime routine, I would love to help! Email me at nikki@nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com or visit www.nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com/pricing for detailed plan information.