A bedtime story for children

A bedtime story for children to help them to look forward to bedtime.

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A bedtime story for children

Bedtime can be just as hard on parents as it for children. Kids who don't want to go to bed can come up with reason after reason, and devise very creative stalling techniques - all of which can wear on a parent's nerves.

It is important for children of all ages to have a scheduled, set bedtime that is very seldom strayed from. The following tips should help you get your child to bed with as little hassle as possible.

When to start?

Start preparing for bedtime right after dinner. School aged children should be encouraged to do homework as soon as they get home from school - this way it doesn't get lost, forgotten, and it can't be used as an excuse to not go to bed. Try to always have homework done before dinner so the time after dinner can be used to make the adjustment to bedtime.

What to do?

It is harder for children to go to sleep if they are wound up so start winding them down with quiet, non-strenuous activities. They can pick out their clothes for the next day, which also saves time in the morning. Use this time to ask your child about how their day was. Ask about what they did at school. If there is any homework left, now is the time to get it done! Light chores can also be done during this time.

Depending on how many children you have, you should start the transition to bed at least one hour before you want your kids actually in bed ready to fall asleep. The more children you have, the earlier you need to start, and always start with the youngest first.

Announcing bath time will eventually become a signal to your children that it is time to get ready for bed. Once again, it is important to keep this at the same time every night. With the time it takes for the child to get ready for a bath or shower, actually take it, and then get dried off, pajamas on, teeth brushed, you should expect at least a half an hour.

It is also necessary to recognize the importance of pajamas. Some kids have a bad habit of wanting to go to bed in normal day clothes - this does NOT help them make a transition to bedtime, but instead reinforces the aspects of staying awake. Make sure your children have plenty of comfortable pairs of pajamas or nightgowns.

Once they are all clean it's time to move the show to their room. Help your child get comfortable in bed. Make sure any needed pillows, blankets or stuffed animals are there and ready. Turn on a night light if necessary.

Younger children loved to be read to, and this often helps a child go right to sleep. Don't spend more than a half an hour ready though, the child may become bored and fidgety instead of calming down. Older children can read to themselves and should be encouraged to take 20 minutes at the end of the day to read. Not only does it help relax them, it never hurts to give reading skills a workout.

Once the children are in bed, remind them that is where they are supposed to stay! No more, "one more drink", because then it will be "I have to go potty". Teach your children to get everything taken care of first. Once they are in bed, they need to be there to stay.

All routines take a while to adjust to and settled into. Give it some time and remain consistent. Soon enough your bedtime woes will be a thing of the past.

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