IT IS essential that our children get a good night's sleep in order to function effectively the next day, as well as giving us as parents some child-free time.
It is not uncommon for parents and children to encounter problems at bedtime, especially after illness and a change in family circumstances, such as moving house. Here are a few tips for minimising problems at bedtime:
- Establish an achievable bedtime routine i.e. have a drink, go to the toilet, brush teeth, read a story/talk about their day, lights out, sleep
- Prepare your child ahead of time i.e. “Bedtime in ten minutes”
- Take your child to bed
- Say good night and leave.
If your child gets out of bed:
- Stay calm, ignore all protests and return your child to their bed
- Keep dialogue to the minimum and have a set response at this time i.e. “I’m going to put you back into your bed now, go to sleep, good night”
- Reward your child in the morning for staying in bed and do something nice together such as feeding the ducks/go to the park.
It is essential that you talk to your child about their bedtime routine in advance and that any rule breaking such as getting out of bed is dealt with calmly and consistently. An instruction given in anger won’t be received effectively by your child as the message they will receive is that Daddy/Mummy is angry.
All family members must follow the same routine in order for this to be a success.
See www.parentandbabycoach.co.uk
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