This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Upparent.
I don’t know about you, but back to school season can throw me for a loop! Most of you know this, but this was our first summer on a teacher’s schedule, so our kids got EXTREMELY out of routine. Now, I am a Type A mama through and through, but we had so many fun events and vacations planned this summer that routine just got thrown out the window. While our bedtime “routine” stayed the same throughout the summer, bedtime did not. Recently, I saw a fun poll while browsing Upparent that showed how long a typical “bedtime” routine lasted, that really sparked this post idea to share our bed routine in hopes to help others this back to school season.
I know that navigating parenting can be complicated, and Upparent is an amazing online destination for parents seeking advice or inspiration from other parents about products, local events, activities, you name it! It is super easy to use and has family-friendly content that is easily searchable for an extremely personalized experience. Plus, it is such a dynamic resource for parents because it is ever evolving as community members add their own recommendations, vote and comment.
Now that school is coming back in season and we are settling into our routine, I wanted to share our bedtime routine checklist as a fun printable! We have always used this same routine each night, so no matter the “time” or “place,” our kids know this means it’s time to close their eyes and get some sleep.
(right click to save and print printable)
Clean Up Toys
First things first, we clean up all the toys. Each family member helps clean up and we all work as a team. I read an article a few years ago that talked about teaching your child how to pick up that has really had an impact on my parenting. It talked about verbally and physically teaching your child what “cleaning up” really means. So, we don’t just say “clean up your room”, but tell them how, such as “put your barbie’s clothes back on”, “place them on the shelf”, “put all the blocks in the bag”. By doing this, we are teaching them “how” to clean.
Bathtime
Bath time for us is the last “hoorah”. It is filled with fun, laughter and occasionally a dance party in the tub (safely of course). Basically, we get the babies clean, but let them exert their last bit of energy as well.
Lotion
Lotion is great for babies’ skin, but I also firmly believe in hitting all babies’ senses before bedtime. They hear the same things, feel the same things, smell the same things, they associate it with sleep. From day one, we have had the same routine with our kids, used the same lotion, etc. and they have really responded well to it!
Pajamas
Next, we put on pajamas and continue the process of getting ready for bed. Brooke loves to pick her pajamas out now, while Little Kevin couldn’t care less.
Brush Hair and Teeth
After this, we brush their hair and their teeth. Both of them LOVE to brush their own teeth as well. We brush their teeth first, then they get a minute to brush their own teeth. This part is also really fun for them because my parents bought them glow in the dark toothbrushes that they LOVE!
Read a Book
Next, we read a book. Some nights, we let them pick which one they want and some nights we read two or three, but we always read at least one. They have their favorite book that we read every night together and it is great family time. All four of us sit on a bed in Little Kevin’s room to read.
Go Potty
Next, we lay Little Kevin down, then take Brooke potty. She has been potty trained during the day for a while now, but still wears pull ups at night.
Lights Out
Instead of going through the monotonous task of asking your kids whether or not they’ve completed all the steps of their bedtime routines, print and display this cute checklist and get them into the habit of running through it on their own.
Finding the right routine for your family can be hard. Knowing how long to make the routine is difficult. And honestly, parenting just brings up so many questions. While I lean on friends and family for support, I also love reading sites like Upparent for local, seasonal and evergreen resources for families. Upparent is an exciting new start up that is helping to gather many parenting conversations in one place! They have great recommendations about things to do, places to go, products to try and even the average length of a bedtime routine! All of this information is gathered into convenient lists and polls for a great reader-friendly experience. And Upparent is giving away some great prizes; check it out below!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Upparent.