My almost 2-year-old now has a pretty standard bed time routine.

1.Dinner
2.Bath
3.Cuddles
4.Story
5.Lights out

This did not used to be this way. We did our best and spent many a night trying to get him to go down .. pleading , singing, walking etc…. I am sure you the parents reading this understand. I read many a blog , book and listened to pod casts on what to do about bed time.

Then we had some success but it was limited in the sense that my husband was the only one to get him to go to sleep, which SUCKED when he was home late or away! Let me just say this SUCKED on the scale of 1000! I was firstly heart-broken because I couldn’t get him to go to sleep and secondly frustrated that I couldn’t complete this simple motherly task. A task I might add that in early stages of life I was the only one who could complete.

I am sure my frustration did not help matters at all ! Though they did make me after a time realize that this was not working. 1 parent in a 2 parent house hold could not hold a monopoly of 1 specific task. We both had to be able to do this and in the same manner so that our son would have an actual routine not a mommy routine and a daddy routine.

So what changed ? Not much really, we just added the story while he was in bed resting. Since my son LOVES stories we were able to make this small change that both of us or anyone who might need to watch him could complete.

This routine might not look the same for every baby / toddler/child but the trick or pot of gold is finding one that works for everyone looking after said little one that doesn’t leave anyone struggling with nightly bedtime. Again this is the pot of gold! My son after we do this routine does not go to sleep right away but he is not crying or unhappy he just talks to himself for 10 min. or so then goes to sleep.

I am sure in 6 months this will need to change slightly because he will probably of figured out how to get out of his crib and we will have to go to a toddler bed. Life changes always cause a ripple effect with everything in life but the trick is to try to not let it have a huge ripple affect just a small one.

Wishing all the Mommies and Daddies out there a good nights sleep and a resting child/children 🙂