Every Parent has a story - 5 OCT 2023 By Bounty Team
A concerned parent has come to our #AskTheVillage community for advice around establishing a bedtime routine for their toddler.
As adults we’d probably love for someone to tuck us in and tell us it was time to catch some zzz’s, but for some boundary-pushing toddlers the word “bedtime” can be a call to arms.
That’s exactly what is happening for one community member, who has written in to Ask the Village to get help with the nightly battle happening at their house.
Toddlerhood is a time of so many transitions including moving from a cot to a big bed or sometimes a new bedroom altogether. They are all BIG transitions on their own, but when you consider that a lot of those factors contributed to the way they used to wind down for the day, it’s no wonder that bedtime can feel like such a big deal for those entering the toddler years.
As parents, one of the joys of raising toddlers is watching them gain confidence to try new things as they grow, however the time to start asserting their independence is probably not best when it’s time for lights out!
One parent has asked for help when it comes to making bedtime run a little smoother in their home, writing: “Bedtimes are a nightmare with my toddler. My son refuses to go to sleep unless I lay with him and this can sometimes take an hour or longer. If I leave the room while he’s still awake he cries or continually comes out of his room. What am I doing wrong? How can I create a bedtime routine that actually works?”
While it may feel to them that the task is enormous, they are already on the right path by considering a routine as a solution.
Thankfully, the #AskTheVillage community of parents had plenty of advice and experience when it came to this very subject.
“Building a routine that works for you really does pay off in the end …”
Many responders were quick to assure this exhausted toddler-parent that they “were not doing anything wrong”.
“Trust me this is just a phase,” promised one parent. “My toddler is like this on and off.”
Another felt the writer’s pain, sharing: “I have three kids and getting the toddler twins to sleep is a nightmare as one of them is always on the go!”
They said they’d followed advice to “start their sleep schedule in the beginning of the day and focus on getting their daytime naps sorted,” and while at first it was “a punish” it got easier after just one week.
“It helped being really strict with the bath/milk/book/bed routine too,” they advised.
Another commenter was quick to endorse establishing a consistent routine, saying: “I remember getting stressed in the lead up to bedtime with my son and thinking it was going to be a nightmare. A friend suggested I stay in the moment and treat each night as a new chance to set a calming bedtime routine in place. Now, he’s older and we have no problems at bedtime. You’ll get there too!”
One more suggested “Bath, story, milk, cuddle and dreams” as the solution, promising that ”It really is magic (eventually … stick with it!)”