Bedtime and toddlers mix as well as oil and vinegar most nights.  Bedtime can be a time of frustration for many parents as toddlers escape their bed and sneak out of their rooms multiple times. Below you’ll find some helpful tips to get your child to sleep in their own bed without waging World War III:

Create a Routine: Kids feel safe with routines.  Having a schedule they are familiar with lets them know what they can expect on a daily basis.  Don’t rush the bedtime process as it is important to help them wind down and relax.  After dinner have active play time to burn off excess energy.  Consider using an egg timer to ring when it is time to head to the bath.  Use bath time to transition them to a calmer state and prepare them for bed.  Allow each child to select a book to read and gather together on a bed to snuggle and read.  Include their favorite stuffed toy or blanket to be part of the bedtime ritual. After story time give kisses and hugs before tucking them in and turning out the light.

Be Strong: Toddlers  will find a myriad of excuses to get out of bed. It’s important to be strong and not give in to their wishes.  Each time they wander into the hallway, escort them back to bed and firmly say goodnight and tuck them in.  It is important to continue the process with a firm calm voice until they stay in bed for the night.

Confront their fears: Children will sometimes get out of bed due to being afraid. Fear of the dark usually starts when kids are old enough to conjure up their own imagination.  Normally, this fear will hit kids between the ages of 2 or 3. At this age, they can imagine things but they don’t yet have the cognitive ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality.  So it’s easy for a shadow of tree branches blowing in the wind to turn into a scary monster.  Once lights go out, it’s easy for a child’s imagination to run wild.  To help alleviate their fear of the dark, talk through what they are feeling and help them process what they actually see.  Redirect their focus with a happy song or story.

Reduce Stimulation: Too much television can be over stimulating for small children, especially before bedtime. Limit the amount of time kids spend watching television as well as the types of programs they tune into. Shut off the TV early and focus on family time.  Leave them with happy thoughts to ponder as they relax and fall asleep.

Review Sleep Schedules: If you’re having a continuous problem with getting your child to sleep at bedtime, review their sleep schedule.  Your child might not be tired enough to sleep. Try setting a regular time to rise each day between 6:00 and 7:00 AM; schedule naps from 10:00 – 11:00 and again from 3:00 – 4:00. Set bedtime at 8:00 PM; and see if consistency makes a difference.  If your child has a high energy level, you may need to plan for more activity throughout the day to wear them out.

Bedtime shouldn’t be just one more check on your daily “To-Do” list.  Make this time special by creating your own bedtime rituals that help your kids feel safe and secure and ready to fall asleep.  Dress them in comfy pajamas, let them sleep with their favorite toy or blanket and reduce stimulation before bedtime.  Sleep training with a toddler is a like a marathon, be ready to endure multiple false starts before they finally make it to the finish line!

About Vivienne Van Eijkelenborg & Difrax:
Vivienne Van Eijkelenborg offers her tips to expectant and new parents. Vivienne is the owner of Difrax, a Dutch baby products company that pioneered a pacifier system designed to accommodate each stage of baby’s development as well as the smart s-bottle designed to reduce colic when feeding. Difrax offers innovative, stylish, and trendy products that make the lives of babies and their parents as convenient and as pleasant as possible.

See the complete Difrax pacifier system at www.difraxusa.com. You can also follow them on Twitter and “like” them on Facebook. 

The post No More Bedtime Battles appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Parents of toddlers know all too well that when you tell a child it’s bedtime they’ll likely use their newly found independence to get out of bed several times before actually going to sleep. It can be frustrating as a parent to put your child to bed multiple times every night. Well I’m here to help. With six kids of my own, I’ve learned a few tricks that have helped me in the past.

Make a Routine: The routine rules in my household, and a bedtime routine is just as important as any other. For my wife and I, our routine is as follows: 15 minutes prior to beginning the bedtime routine I’ll acknowledge the time to my children. When those 15 minutes are up we will head for the bathtub to begin the wind down. After bath time each child will get to pick out a book, and we will read the books together before finding our favorite stuffed animal getting in bed and saying goodnight. I then turn the reading lamp off and shut the door.

Don’t Give In: I, as most parents, have experienced my toddler getting out of bed after I put him to sleep. When this happens it’s important not to give in. Tell your child it’s bedtime and take him back to his bed, say goodnight and tuck him in. You’ll need to continue repeating this process until your child actually does go to sleep.

Have a Discussion: In some cases your child might be getting out of bed because something is scaring him or he isn’t feeling well. Kids won’t always come right out and say these things, so it’s important to talk with your child in order to determine if there’s some other reason as to why they don’t want to stay in their bedroom and sleep after bedtime.

Review Naptime Schedules: If you’re having a continuous problem with getting your child to sleep at bedtime maybe you need to review their naptime schedule because your child might not be tired enough to sleep. In my house, my boys wake up at 6:00 AM; they take a nap from 10:00 – 11:00 and again from 3:00 – 4:00. Their bedtime is 8:00 PM; this nap schedule has worked well for us, but depending on your child’s age and energy levels you might need to alter this to work better for you and your child.

Teaching your child to go to bed at bedtime can be a tough lesson. Stick with it, and you’ll get there eventually. 

Sincerely,

Daddy Nickell

Robert Nickell, aka Daddy Nickell, father of 6, offers his “5 cents” worth of advice to expectant and new parents.  Daddy Nickell is the founder of Daddyscrubs.com, delivery room duds and daddy gear for dads, and the Daddyscrubs.com blog where he covers topics about parenting and the latest baby and kids gear, all from a Dad’s perspective.

The post No, It’s Actually Bedtime appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.