Having a Good Bed Time Routine with Your Kids

It seems that a lot of parents have lost the concept of children having a reasonable bed time. Many people you talk to about parenting explain all the reasons why their child doesn't have a set bed time. As if having one is a bad thing.

Some parents I have encountered seem to hold this belief because of their own upbringing. Others don't remember having a bed time at all and use this as a reason to not set a bed time for their own children. I have myself found that a good bed time and bed time routine can drastically change your child's attitude.

There is a huge difference between a child that gets enough sleep at night and one who doesn't. The grumpy little whiny guy running around all day is just not my idea of fun. When they wake up and somehow two hours later are already wanting to nap is a good indicator to me that they are not getting the sleep they need at night.

Most of us had a scheduled routine with our parents that we went through nightly. A lot of the time these methods still work great today. For others we do need to make some adjustments and have a new routine with our own little ones.

Your best bet is usually to have a scheduled time for dinner and have the routine start from that time. If you can have dinner ready to go every night at the same time, when it comes to bed time the routine for that will be about the same time also. Kids will not always say they are ready for dinner at the same time every night. Then again we are the moms and dads so sometimes we just have to be the enforcer.

When dinner time is set for say 6pm and from there you have about the same thing going on every day the bed time will inevitably be more reliable. After dinner you can choose whether it is time for homework, or baths, or even a little TV time. That is all up to you.

The closer it gets to bed time you will always want to warn your child. This will help the routine not be a surprise when it starts. Usually a good starting point is a fifteen minute warning that bed time will be starting. From there you can count down in increments until it is time to sit down and start relaxing.

Relaxation time with the kids is important for children and parents alike. Children need that time to sit down and get ready for bed instead of just running into their room upset. If you happen to have a child that isn't a bed wetter this is a great time to give them a cup of milk before bed time. The milk will actually help them relax. When they have had a good day a treat may even be in order.

Either way you go with it whether it is a TV show or a bed time story the kids will enjoy it. They will have some bonding time right before bed that can help them feel more at ease. If you have multiple children it is great to sit between them and read a story to them. Making the little voices and sound effects is a great release too.

A lot of parents have slipped out of these bed time routines with the kids. The truth is just like family dinners help with bonding, bed time can be a great time for this also. In a matter of 15 to 30 minutes a night you will find your kids happier during the day, sleeping better at night, and the best part, loving you for a few extra minutes a day. Who can't handle one more hug from their kids a day?