Bedtime with a toddler – that’s all I have to say and I can feel your pain! Believe me, I know the struggle is real!! Bedtime for Alina has always been a challenge and some days I would be at my whits end ready to pull my hair out with how stressed out it was. When she would willingly go to bed without a fight, I remember Daniel and I would be so happy we didn’t have to fight her. If your toddler is anything like mine was, they will fight tooth and nail to”stay up longer”. Once we started putting these tips + tricks that I am about to share with you into effect – bedtime has drastically changed.
I know we all look to each other for any sort of tips that could help make our parenting life a little easier so I am going to share what helped us.
Bedtime Shower/Bath
Everyday when I pick Alina up from school, she has about an inch of sunscreen and sand all over her body. She is absolutely filthy and I could not imagine letting her go to bed like that til the morning. I also go to work really early in the morning, so showering a tired and grouchy toddler at the crack of dawn does not sound like the business. So of course an evening shower helps get her relaxed and prepped for bed.
Timer
This is the most crucial tip of all of them!! You can use your phones timer, an egg timer, a watch, anything!! We have a Amazon Echo so we ask Alexa to place a timer for Alina after she gets out of the shower. So we will usually set like a five minute timer because she’s four and doesn’t have time reading skills yet haha! Of course this is gonna cause me conflict later, but I will utilize it while I can. When you set the timer make sure you tell your kiddo(s) that once they hear the timer go off it is bedtime no questions asked. Alina has done quite well with this and will only give a kick back once in a while.
Bedtime Story
Once the timer goes off and she knows it’s time for bed, we let her go and pick out 1-2 books to read. Daniel and I take turns reading her bedtime story nightly which helps when I have a ton of homework to get done. Reading to your kids is so important and we make sure we do it every single day! After her story is done, she knows she has to go to bed. Even if she is not too tired yet, she knows she has to stay in her bed. Sometimes I’ll pass by and she’s quietly whispering to her stuffed animals or doing whatever crazy things she desires as long as she stays in bed.
These have helped relieve some nighttime stress for us and I hope you guys try them out and see if it works for you. We honestly felt like we had tried everything until this routine came about to us after trial and error and we are so happy with the results. It’s all about finding what works for you. Please let me know your thoughts on these tips + tricks or any other bedtime suggestions that have helped you guys!
xoxo Renee Michelle