Organizing Bedtime for Children

Written by Debra Wyatt (last updated April 28, 2022)

You have tried putting your child to bed but it just doesn't seem to work. Your current family ritual consists of arguing with your child for a couple of hours about going to bed. This doesn't have to be your family's nightly ritual. There is help for a quieter more organized way of putting your children to bed. Just follow the guidelines below.

  • Establish a fixed bedtime. Take time to decide on a bedtime for each child. For older children, you can decide to have "in your room time." This time has to be stuck to, for the sake of consistency. Even if you have had a really good day, and everyone is in a good mood, and it would be really easy to allow the child to stay up past his bedtime. Then when you have had a really bad day you enforce the bedtime not only does this confuse the child it also sends a message to the child that bedtime is negotiable. That in reality bedtime is really set by what type of mood you are in, and if they cry, coax, argue they can have whatever bedtime they want. For the schedule to work and to be a success allow enough time for the child to get adequate sleep. Think about the time that the child has to be up in the morning. Will the child be cross and tired all day because their time in bed was too short? For you own health and peace of mine allow some time for yourself.
  • Set the mood for bedtime. Children need time to prepare mentally for bed. If you allow them to be playing at full speed and then abruptly send them to bed you will probably get the crying, coaxing, and arguing. Set the mood. Let everyone know that the "quiet hour" has come. This gives everyone time to prepare to finish and wrap up what they are doing. Don't allow them to start something new after you have announced that it is "quiet hour" unless it directly deals with going to bed.
  • Encourage cooperation. You will need everyone's cooperation in order for this to work. Make bedtime interesting. Establish a routine for them, and then follow it. The routine could be something as simple as bath time, and then everyone gathers around on someone's bed for a story or a song. If you have an older child who is learning to read, let the older child read the story sometimes. Have some songs on tape or a story taped for the children for those rare nights when it is not feasible for you to sing or read. This also helps the child to go to bed when for some reason you aren't there. Just be sure to let who ever is watching them know what the bedtime routine is.
  • Take the children to bed. It really is easier for you to take the child to bed then it is for you to tell the child to go to bed and then argue about if for the next forty-five minutes. Think about all the little tricks (needs) that the child may try to play. Met these need before they go to bed.

Just remember that the more consistent you are in making and keeping the nightly routine, the faster they will learn to co-operate.

Author Bio

Debra Wyatt

Deb has a communications degree and applies her talents to her position as Marketing Specialist at Sharon Parq Associates. In her spare time she spends time with her children and grandchildren and devotes time to her church. ...

MORE FROM DEBRA

Relief Treatments for Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are not only unsightly to look at, they can also be very painful. There are many ways to treat varicose ...

Discover More

Choosing Sunglasses

Trying to find the right pair of sunglasses can be frustrating, especially if you are not sure what you are looking for. ...

Discover More

Minimizing Facial Pores

When we have large pores on our face we often feel they are larger than they actually are. While nothing can be done to ...

Discover More

Cordless, Compact, and Powerful! DeWalt's 18-volt drill-driver kit packs a big punch in a small package, with a powerful high-performance motor tucked away inside a compact design. A great addition to the tool chest of any professional or DIYer! Check out DeWalt 18-Volt Drill/Driver Kit today!

More Organizing Tips

Preparing for a Babysitter

Whether you are a new parent, or been around the block a few times, there is one time when you are undoubtedly nervous. ...

Discover More

Getting Kids Organized for School

When school is in session, it is easy for children to become overwhelmed and frustrated with the work that they have to ...

Discover More

Organizing Christmas

Christmas is an exciting time of year with all the parties, gift buying, Christmas baking and the list just goes on. Soon ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)