Jason McIntyre asked:
As parents, it’s one of the most important baby steps towards establishing consistency for your child. A good bedtime routine will provide them with comfort, plenty of sleep and most importantly, quality time each evening with you!
The comfort will come from your child knowing exactly what to expect at the end of each day. This comfort will reduce stress and create a more easy going and predictable evening each night. I can’t stress how positive an impact this will have in the moment, and for years to come. Be patient as you introduce the new routine and be prepared for some negative feedback at first. Remember that children, from newborns to teenagers, will test each new routine you put in place. Stay with it. Be consistent in your message and eventually, the child will follow your lead.
Establish a bedtime that makes sense for the age of your child and also for your daily responsibilities. No child through age 12 should be going to bed any later than 9pm. Likewise, if you work until 6:30pm each night, don’t plan your child’s bedtime for right when you get home. Choose a time frame that will work for you and allow you and your child the time needed to follow your routine each evening.
The consistency of a regular bedtime routine, will create the base for working on other common parenting topics, such as bathing, toileting and oral hygiene.
Make sure your bedtime routine includes daily tasks such as bathing, brushing teeth & using the toilet. These daily tasks will become routine and habit (and save you loads of arguments as your child gets older!) For infants, try to change them in the same place, put them down for naps and bedtime with the same music/CD and use the same words and tones of voice each time. Infants need routine and consistency as a way establishing trust with you.
Sleep for our children in today’s society has been overlooked. A tired child will be more likely to perform poorly in school, be more likely to not have interest in physical activities (thus our problem with obese children) and be more likely to get into arguments and fights in school (affecting their social-emotional development) Sleep is the key that no one talks about, but is at the heart of many childhood issues.
Typical bedtimes for newborns and younger babies is around 6:30 to 7pm. Kids ages 1 to 3 typically will go to bed around 7 to 7:30pm. Children ages 4 to 7 will have an average bedtime of around 7:30 to 8pm and kids ages 8 to 12 should be in bed no later than 9pm. These are averages and every child is different. The general rule is that the younger you are, the more sleep you require, but on school nights, unless they are in high school, all kids should be in bed by 9pm, for the sleep they need.
The last part of the equation is the most rewarding and important. Spend time with your child one-on-one every night right before they go to bed. You are the one they want to see. You are the one they want to be with. Select activities that you both can do together. The more intimate the activity, the better.
Reading is probably the most popular and beneficial activity parents try to incorporate into their children’s bedtime routines. Sitting or laying in bed with your child and reading to them is soothing, calming and relaxing. It will also start the process for your child learning to read. As they grow, you can turn it around and have them read to you. Other activities that aren’t quite as beneficial, but will still accomplish the goal are: a television show that you both watch together each night (obviously for older kids…talk about what was happening in the show during commercials) and board games (my 9 year old loves to beat me at math trivia…I’m awful at math!)
Parenting is one of the most important jobs any of us can have and one of the most mis-understood. We are building humans. If you were constructing a skyscraper, you wouldn’t start building without first pouring a foundation. Don’t fail your child by not creating those important daily routines for them. Use the tips and strategies I have outlined above and create a consistent bedtime routine for your child.
Megan
As parents, it’s one of the most important baby steps towards establishing consistency for your child. A good bedtime routine will provide them with comfort, plenty of sleep and most importantly, quality time each evening with you!
The comfort will come from your child knowing exactly what to expect at the end of each day. This comfort will reduce stress and create a more easy going and predictable evening each night. I can’t stress how positive an impact this will have in the moment, and for years to come. Be patient as you introduce the new routine and be prepared for some negative feedback at first. Remember that children, from newborns to teenagers, will test each new routine you put in place. Stay with it. Be consistent in your message and eventually, the child will follow your lead.
Establish a bedtime that makes sense for the age of your child and also for your daily responsibilities. No child through age 12 should be going to bed any later than 9pm. Likewise, if you work until 6:30pm each night, don’t plan your child’s bedtime for right when you get home. Choose a time frame that will work for you and allow you and your child the time needed to follow your routine each evening.
The consistency of a regular bedtime routine, will create the base for working on other common parenting topics, such as bathing, toileting and oral hygiene.
Make sure your bedtime routine includes daily tasks such as bathing, brushing teeth & using the toilet. These daily tasks will become routine and habit (and save you loads of arguments as your child gets older!) For infants, try to change them in the same place, put them down for naps and bedtime with the same music/CD and use the same words and tones of voice each time. Infants need routine and consistency as a way establishing trust with you.
Sleep for our children in today’s society has been overlooked. A tired child will be more likely to perform poorly in school, be more likely to not have interest in physical activities (thus our problem with obese children) and be more likely to get into arguments and fights in school (affecting their social-emotional development) Sleep is the key that no one talks about, but is at the heart of many childhood issues.
Typical bedtimes for newborns and younger babies is around 6:30 to 7pm. Kids ages 1 to 3 typically will go to bed around 7 to 7:30pm. Children ages 4 to 7 will have an average bedtime of around 7:30 to 8pm and kids ages 8 to 12 should be in bed no later than 9pm. These are averages and every child is different. The general rule is that the younger you are, the more sleep you require, but on school nights, unless they are in high school, all kids should be in bed by 9pm, for the sleep they need.
The last part of the equation is the most rewarding and important. Spend time with your child one-on-one every night right before they go to bed. You are the one they want to see. You are the one they want to be with. Select activities that you both can do together. The more intimate the activity, the better.
Reading is probably the most popular and beneficial activity parents try to incorporate into their children’s bedtime routines. Sitting or laying in bed with your child and reading to them is soothing, calming and relaxing. It will also start the process for your child learning to read. As they grow, you can turn it around and have them read to you. Other activities that aren’t quite as beneficial, but will still accomplish the goal are: a television show that you both watch together each night (obviously for older kids…talk about what was happening in the show during commercials) and board games (my 9 year old loves to beat me at math trivia…I’m awful at math!)
Parenting is one of the most important jobs any of us can have and one of the most mis-understood. We are building humans. If you were constructing a skyscraper, you wouldn’t start building without first pouring a foundation. Don’t fail your child by not creating those important daily routines for them. Use the tips and strategies I have outlined above and create a consistent bedtime routine for your child.
Megan