Bedtime and children: why is it so difficult sometimes? If you are a dual-earning income household, both parents are probably exhausted by the end of the day. Once dinner is done, spending time with your kids, bathing, bedtime story, and hopefully bed. Isn’t that the norm?
Some children fight bedtime tooth and nail. One more story, one more sip of water, have to use the potty, and so on you get the picture. On the other hand, you get them to sleep, and you are barely dozing off when they are standing beside your bed wide-awake! It may seem easier said than done, but every night should not be a battle of wills between the parents and the children to get them tucked in bed for the night. Here are a few ideas that parents can try in hopes of a good nights sleep.
Children resist bedtime for various reasons. One of them may be that they are afraid of the dark or are feeling insecurities about being alone. Don’t ask your child if they are ready for bed because the answer you will get will always be an emphatic no. Develop a nighttime plan that works for your family. Set a non-negotiable bedtime, keep rituals the same (teddy bear, favorite blanket), establish a bedtime routine, discuss their anxieties, and reinforce their cooperation.
Use both words and actions to follow through along with positive feedback for their cooperation when it comes to bedtime. It is also vitally important to implement your entire plan all at once. Change is difficult for most children, and routine gives them the security and stability that they desire and need.
Keep the plan simplistic, and take into consideration your families usually schedule. It is important to set a plan that is a pattern that can be followed. If you feel it may be difficult to accommodate nightly, change it before implementing it. Be flexible, but be diligent about how the routine ends. Do your best not to allow stalling tactics or be persuaded for just one more story, sip or potty break. Lastly, consistency is the key to success.