I’m a firm believer of “the night sets you up for the next day”. Not only that, but children sleep much better if their night routine is consistent. Also, routine gives children a sense of security and help them develop self discipline.

Firstly, choose calm activities that your kiddo like and make it part of wind-down time. Benjamin for example likes inset puzzles and a good story.

Here are few calming activities for night time:

*smelling (calming scents e.g lavender)

*building blocks

*pillow talk

*playdough (with lavender oil, it will calm them)

*yoga for sleep

Let’s see what happens at night at V-residence:

*Around 06h30pm we have dinner as a family. After this we clean and set clothes out for the next day. Benjamin packs his toys away, “sweep”, “mop” and dry dishes (his own utensils). My husband and I do the dishes together and do some final clean ups.

*At 07h30pm it is bath time. We take our time with this. Here we include water and sensor play while the lullabies are playing in the background. This is also where we dim the lights. I make it a priority to massage his entire body. I specifically do the reflexology baby massage that also focuses on lymph stimulation which helps to promote sleep (I learned all this at work through chats with professionals-I’m a child therapist). He always uses body lotion and covers himself in it. I let him be, as this is a nice and soothing sensory experience.

*Finally, after being all oiled up and calm we read The Bible, pray and he will then choose a book (or seven) to read until he falls asleep. NOTE: he weaned himself (I played a part) from the bottle around 16months old. So, no bottle at night. He often asks for water in his sippy cup.

This is our night time routine and what works for us.  See what works for you and your family. Adjust where you need to. Let me know if you have any questions. I will gladly answer.

Happy sleeping!

Love,

Authentic Mom xoxo