People have often thought that Bryan and I were crazy for being so strict with a bedtime hour for our children, "you really put them down and 7pm and 8pm?" "Do you really have to leave it's only 6pm?" The answer for the most part has always been, "yes!" We've planned our day trips and outings around meal times and bedtimes, and we try to stay on track. Each night there is a routine (which varies slightly from day to day) so that no one is surprised when we say it's time to go to bed. We clean up toys, take a bath, take meds and brush teeth. Then it's story time, hugs and kisses and lights out. It's been this way since Remy was born, mostly because I think my husband has OCD and has to have a schedule for everything, and partly because after being with the kids all day I just need some TLC.
This helps us in many ways: bedtime is usually never a struggle, we avoid most meltdowns, my children are usually happy in the mornings, and most importantly, Bryan and I get some down time. Not that I don't love my kids, but at the end of the day the quiet in the house is the most wonderful thing! It gives me just enough time to regroup and get ready for the next day. And with two more babies on the way it will be even more important to be consistent. I hope the next two are just as easy to get into a routine... of course I'll give them the first 8 months or so free... lol.
I absolutely agree about a routine! Nick and I have tried to keep as close and consistent as possible with Jordan and it does make a difference. I love your blog! ;)
ReplyDelete-Stephanie
This is an area that has always been a struggle for our family. We will go through periods of time where she is on a very consistent schedule and then we will travel and have to completely switch time zones and we are back to square one. Plus my husband often has late practices or games that make getting her to bed early a challenge. The times when we have had earlier bed times have always been much better for her and our family as a whole. If we have a second child, I plan to implement a sleep schedule much, much earlier on.
ReplyDeleteAli, I know exactly what you mean. Though I don't do as much traveling as you, we do visit my in-laws quite a bit throughout the year. For me traveling with a child under 3 is not fun. I usually end up with a crying, cranky child that doesn't want to go to sleep. One thing that has helped is that each of my children have a "lovey". Remy a little blanket and Jackie a stuffed bunny, that they sleep with every night.
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