Bedtime Routine Magic
Create bedtime routine magic with inspiring books, playful role play, and more.
Happy New Year to you! I hope that you and your families are well and you had a wonderful holiday season, whatever that may look like for you.
It’s January. The magic is over, right?
Not. Even. Close.
The older I get, the more I adore January. This is such a special month to take a breath and sit with the past year, ponder what you would like to have more of, and plan what you would like to cultivate going forward based on what you have learned. For me, a new year means a new creative lens. After the holiday hustle, I try to reflect, rest, and renew as needed. I invite you to click your refresh button with me, at your own pace.
My first creative project this year happened with my boys. We wanted to spice up our bedtime routine with a new monthly book challenge, each with our own goals. This is an ongoing project, as they will add stickers or little drawings to each day of bedtime reading (or reading in general), as well as document specific reading hurdles they overcome that they each decided on. We did the majority of the creative part when we made our charts earlier this week.
Hot tip: We made them so we could easily add a new sheet of paper for each month if we feel so inclined to do so. Scroll to the bottom to see how we did this.
Whenever we want to breathe new life into something like our bedtime routine, we weave in what works for us at that time. This will look different for all of us depending on family stage, interests, and energy. Things that have helped us in the past and are working for us now have been a mixture of the below. I hope one or more of these ideas get your creative juices flowing and you have fun trying something new out. You can modify however needed to make it work for your age kiddos and their interests.
What a Character!
If you’ve been with me for a minute, you know I have a deep love affair with books, more specifically children’s books. I adore reading them, writing them, discussing them, crafting alongside them, and sometimes diving right into them. It’s not just me. I am happy to report that his meaningful life-long obsession has been passed down. Our 7-year-old has recently taken on the voice of a hilariously witty British character in Mac Barnett’s Kid Spy graphic novel series and our 8-year-old tends to morph into an Aussie burrito-loving piranha from Aaron Blabey’s The Bad Guys series. “More water” never sounded so proper at our dinner table.
As you are reading a book with dialogue ask your kiddo what they think the character sounds like (if it’s not too distracting or disruptive before they drift off to sleepytown).
Some children need more time to click with reading. If your little one is obsessed with potty talk (fun stage, I know), maybe grab some books from the library that explore different kinds of animal droppings or perhaps a cool non-fiction book about the human body. Pokemon lovers? Catch them all! There are endless options out there. Lean in to topics that excite them and watch your kiddo maneuver into their own version of a bookworm. I will be diving into this topic more thoroughly in an upcoming newsletter.
Storytelling Props and Role Play:
When it’s time for books or story time, have your little one grab their favorite stuffed animal, action figure, or doll and get involved. Maybe their cozy bear wants to be the courageous fish swimming through the shipwreck that evening. Depending on your bedtime routine time-frame you can get as creative or as low-key as you want. Some nights we just grab the stuffy, hug it, and tell the story / read the book. On other nights we have some deep work acting to do, as one does.
This can be especially fun when you are in the phase of transitioning from naps to quiet time, usually around ages 3 to 4. Sometimes it’s just the right amount of connection and quality time for this new phase filling your little one’s power and connection buckets at the same time.
Rhyme Time Story Time:
I feel a story storm coming on! Maybe you need a book break and your kiddo is asking for a story on the spot. Us adults are usually exhausted and fried at this point so the very thought of making up a magical story after attempting to help an alligator ninja human into their pajamas on top of an already chaotic filled day can be daunting, so I’ll throw you a bone.
Try rhyme time story time. Someone starts with a word and you can work together to find more rhyming words. Take it one step further and sing a few of these rhyming words, or create your own little stories. You might find an enthusiastic helper shouting out rhyming words to keep things going. I love the extra helpful shout-outs.
Here is an example…
You: Bed
Child: Ted
Once upon a time in a cozy little bed, lived a sleepy teddy bear with the name of Ted.
You: Shed
Child: Fred
Tired from gardening all day by the shed, but happy he worked with his best friend Fred.
You: Said
Child: Head
“We sure are sleepyheads”, Fred said to Ted.
You: Fred
Child: Bed
“Sleep well Fred”, Ted said from his bed.
Make up words, and show your little one that you can still have fun and not know how to do something. When the words kerfuffle into a big goofy mess or get stuck between your teeth, giggle away. These magic little bedtime moments can be the best connectors right before everyone lulls off to dreamland. Who cares how we get there, we’re rhyming!!!
Bringing Play Into the End of Your Day:
Transitions are Tough:
When I work with families who have toddlers and older, transitions are the majority of the issues when it comes to getting everyone settled for a night of sleeping well. This is very normal and just means we need more structure, playfulness, and patience to get everyone from A to B. This is also another reason why consistent routines are important. When little ones know what is coming next, they feel more prepared. Try and use countdowns to further help with this process, using the same phrasing and tone of voice.
In 20 minutes ( then 10, then 5 ) it will be time to (finish breakfast and head to school), (finish dinner and head upstairs for your bath).
For some, it can be a war zone simply getting from the dinner table into the bathroom to begin the bedtime routine. In addition to the above, one of my favorite tools to use here is play. Not too long ago, there was no getting upstairs to start the routine unless us adults participated with at least a tiny bit of play. Looking back, I get it. They are tired of being told what to do all day long at school or daycare. They are likely doing something enjoyable after possibly having a hard time getting to the kitchen table in the first place. “Ugh, we have to make another move that wasn’t our idea?!”, they might think (or say very loudly).
Some of you reading this or some of your partners may say, “Why should we have to bend over backward like this? Shouldn’t our kids follow the rules for once? Why do we have to accommodate every single battle?”
I understand your feelings on this, as it certainly can feel like everything is a battle on certain days. Try to put yourself in their shoes and think about the struggles of being the 3-year-old who wants to do it all but needs help with most things or a 6-year-old who wants to be the one to make the next decision. Kids love excuses and they love asking for just a bit more, especially when it comes to afternoon / evening transitions. But if we show them that we do care about their feelings in a way that makes sense for them, we can create more peace in the home.
Put on your creative hat and see what happens. Even when you think you don’t have it in you (this is usually when the best connections take place), give it a go in the simplest way to start. There are so many ways parents can make this transition more enticing, but it’s easy to forget about the creative / funny bones in our bodies, especially when we are just as tired as our kiddos. A few of our favorite ways to play toward the end of the day:
Tip: A phrase to use in a calm voice after you have used the countdown and other tools, but there doesn’t seem to be any movement: “I see that you are having a hard time moving your body on your own. You can come with me now or I will have to take you myself.”
Please don’t break your back if they are big, just physically guide them from behind or take a hand if you can.
Voice Over:
Just start talking with an accent or in a different tone of voice. That’s it. Super simple, just make it weird. Somewhere down the road, I started talking like a “piggie”, a high-pitched weird character who said outrageous things as we went on with our routines. They could not get enough, (“Where is piggy!?! Can Piggy read us our book tonight?!?”), which reminds me that I may have to bring silly Piggy back into the mix as they listen to her much better than their Mom!
Nighttime Ninjas:
Grab your ninja hat and buckle up for this one.
Dinner Table Departure: As dinner finishes up announce the upcoming transformation into nighttime ninjas and equip your little one with a ninja flashlight. Use the flashlight to illuminate your way and make ninja sounds as you quietly sneak away from the dinner table.
Stealthy Staircase Climb: Head to the stairs, reminding your little ninja to climb each step with the guidance of their trusty flashlight. Remember, you're scaling a ninja fortress, using the flashlight to uncover invisible traps on each step. Look out for socks and other loose items… they aren’t what you think!
Hallway Hide-and-Seek: Navigate down the hallway with ninja stealth, using the flashlight to reveal secret ninja symbols on the walls. Are those bunny ear shadows or is that the code to get into the black-belt bathtub? Maybe you’ll pretend there are laser beams that only the flashlight can detect. Challenge your ninja to avoid these imaginary obstacles.
Washing Up: Well done! You have succeeded in your first leg of the journey, making it to the Top-Secret bathroom, where clever ninjas can achieve their zen goals surrounded by bubbles, and plan for the next steps. Be sure to set the toothbrush timer before your ninja skills are discovered. Be gone, evil germs!
Potty Time Confidential:
A ninja potty pit stop before heading to bed is always a wise decision. Sometimes more patience is needed for ninjas in training. Think about showing your “quiet” warrior the art of patience as you have some fun with closed-door rhymes.
“What shall we do,
It’s time for #2.
Perhaps a sigh,
Or a bedtime rhyme.
Bath time check,
Germ inspect,
Next up read a book,
In your dreamy sleepy nook.”
Book Nook Reading:
The flashlight may come in handy for story time under the covers, mini tent style. Pick a favorite book and read it in hushed ninja tones, using the flashlight to cast shadows on the pages.
Goodnight Mission:
Perform a ninja salute with the flashlight as a signal for the end of the mission.
Lights Out Stealth Mode:
If your little one can handle it (can be trusted) and it is helpful, you can leave the top-secret mission flashlight beside their bed or by the door so they can grab it for any middle-of-the-night big kid potty breaks, reminding them these are solo missions (if that works for your family).
Race Ya!
From the dinner table to the bathtub, sometimes it’s a good ole’ race that gets us to the final phase of the day.
FREEZE!
From the dinner table to the bathtub / shower, take turns to freeze and unfreeze each other. If you step on a crack or item on the floor you are stone cold frozen until (fill in the blank).
Bedtime Book Challenge:
Creating a bedtime book challenge chart is a great way to encourage your kiddos love of books and stories, giving them a sense of accomplishment. Instead of or in addition to a bedtime routine chart, this can bring new life to the bedtime routine, especially for preschool age and up. This can be highly motivating. Over here, we are trying our best to celebrate their learning how-to-read journey. It has been a wholesome way to encourage their progress with a visual of their reading voyage.
We currently have one of the boys’ charts in the kitchen, as he likes to add stickers before school, feeling accomplished first thing. His brother hung his chart in his bedroom, feeling good about his nightly efforts just before dozing off to dreamland. The extra family bonding has been a sweet bonus with this one too.
See below to give you an idea for creating a bedtime book challenge chart. Don’t stress and have fun. Think about making your own too. Monkey see, monkey do:)
As I said, whenever we want to breathe new life into something like our bedtime routine, we weave in what works for us at that time. Experiment, play, and have fun. This can be a beautiful time of day, bringing you and your family connection, love, and humor before the I love you’s and lights out.
Have a blast and keep me posted on what you are finding useful to end your days. As always, please feel free to reply with any additional ideas, if you have tried anything, or have funny stories from your house to ours, etc. I love connecting with you here and get so excited when I hear from my fellow dreamers.
Dream big. Sleep well,
Emmy
