Both of our kids love bedtime. That is a funny statement, but we have engrained the same routine into our kids from day one and they have thrived in sleep training. Brooke was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks and Baby Kevin at 4 weeks. They love routine and they know it well. 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. Because of this, they both recognize when they are tired as well and enjoy getting to go to sleep. While this works extremely well for “us”, I firmly believe that you have to find what works for “your” family. This might look different for you, but I highly recommend a routine. Our sleep training routine:
Clean Up Toys
First things first, we clean up all the toys around the house. Each family member helps clean up and we all work as a team to get the job done. 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 teach them how to clean up, 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. Both of our kids know that each toy has a “home” and the toy needs to be at “home” to rest as well.
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 and Baby Kevin love to pick out their own pajamas and have so much fun with it.
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 they have little electric toothbrushes that they enjoy.
Read the Bible + Prayers
Next, we read their bible before bed. They have the cutest kid bibles that are so interactive and age appropriate. They have a blast acting out the story and both have them almost memorized since we do this each night. We then say the same prayer together as a family. Each of them also has this prayer memorized because we do it every night.
Lights Out
Next, its kisses and hugs and lights out!
Then, Kevin and I finish cleaning the kitchen or doing whatever else we need to do for the night. I just love our sleep routine and it is something we really value as a family. It is a special bonding time for us and also helps set the tone for them to get a goods nights sleep. This post is a part of “Mom Talk Tuesday”, and I share a little more about it below!
More about: Mom Talk Tuesday
When you become a mom, no one really talks about the community of support you will have. While I firmly believe that you are not a perfect parent, but the perfect parent for your child – I also believe in seeking help from other moms along the way. There are times in parenting when you need opinions, you need ideas, you need to learn and I am so excited to announce that the last Tuesday of each month, I will be participating in “Mom Talk Tuesday”. Each of the hosts and guest hosts will share about a topic related to motherhood or parenting in hopes to help you along the way.
I cannot tell you how excited I am about this, because every child is different. I remember walking through potty training with Brooke and reading article after article of different methods. Seeing that different things worked for different moms, not only gave me hope that we wouldn’t just give up all together, but also gave me IDEAS to try for ourself.
So, here we go! Below are the hosts for this month! Go check them out and give them a follow.
Our topic this month is: Sleep training/Sleep schedules
Hosts
Maggie Kern: www.polishedclosets.com @polishedclosets
ME: Marquis Clarke: www.simplyclarke.com @marquis_clarke
Aubrey Ballard: www.thedandyliar.com @thedandyliar
Caroline Hulse: www.carolinehulse.com @caroline.hulse
Co-Hosts