Comments on: Bedtime!

By: Start Your Energy Drink And New Age Beverages In Just 3 Weeks. | 7Wins.eu

Start Your Energy Drink And New Age Beverages In Just 3 Weeks. | 7Wins.eu — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:27:22 +0000

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By: accessories towel

accessories towel — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:01:38 +0000

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By: patricia

patricia — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:16:51 +0000

hello there amy… Thanks I most definitely did not see that. I rarely hold back affection from Emily. There are those times when I am so aggravated which she becomes awre of and she needs the hugs for assurance and I most certainly cannot genuinely hug her. But I usually tell her to give me ten minutes. Emily is kinetic and holding anything like that back from her would most definitely hurt her in a way that can take years to heal. Thanks for pointing it out to me…. I am single and inactive so I am not sharing with anybody

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 12:21:14 +0000

Patricia -

See the last paragraph of Ellen’s blog on this topic to find where she suggested withholding “hugs and kisses” time.

I know many people disagree with me on the “no kids in our bed” rule. It is just one we adopted and which has worked for us. If our child is upset or scared, we take them back to their bed and that is where all of the comforting takes place. That way, they associate their bed as being a warm, safe place. This enables my husband and I to have our own intimate space that is just ours. That doesn’t happen anywhere else in the house…LOL.

But, that is just what works for us.

Amy

By: patricia

patricia — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 05:22:49 +0000

Hi there Jenna…Anything happen in June… I hate it when they appear awake and they are not and they are caught up still dreaming and are not even focused on you!!! Thats scarey. They can even be yelling ” I want my Mommy when you are there and they seem not to recognize you. Sometimes when they do awaken fully it is worse!!!! There are a few times when I had to walk away for my own sanity and this upset Emily further but once this wa done a few times it became evident that she wanted me to stay and calmed herself. It was hard. when they get like this even if you try to rock them or soothe them it is rejected. But remember he is only four and a half and at some time he, yes he will,emotionally regulate. You for yur own sanity have to reassure yourself that you do all you can. Tell him at those quiet few seconds before he gets more energy to scream and thrash…quickly to… you need to go to sleep. put a t.v. on…music on and buy earpluggs. But also watch his food intake and the time he wakens. He may be getting really bad gas. If nothing really works at all please take him to the pediatrician. Fears that are unrealistic begin as well but are very real. What never seem to scare them tend to start scaring them between this time and on. Hope I helped. patricia
Amy… I disagree with you on the sharing the bed policy but I am not sure about where any one said to hold back hugs and kisses at bed time. I do not remember reading that.
Ellen I hope you read this…….. I still cannot get into a forum. Even when they give me a number as a password…. I also still GO TO MY ANIMAL SCHOOL and when I press on the box to pay for it I get ‘ THIS is a secure website ” should I take a ride over to remsen? You knowing my location. Patricia

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:21:59 +0000

I love your website and think this is an important topic. However, I have to disagree with two of your suggestions. 1) I don’t agree with the idea of allowing a child to fall asleep where they chose and then moving them. If this is a logistical issue for you, that is one thing. But, I believe a child needs to learn to fall asleep in THEIR OWN BED. You are asking for trouble down the road if this continues.

2) I don’t think using the removal of nighttime hugs and kisses time is an effective form of behvior mod. Well, it may work, but I think it is hurtful and sends the wrong message. “When you misbehave, I will neglect your emotional needs.” I think taking away another activity the child enjoys like TV or computer time is more humane.

By: Ellen C. Braun

Ellen C. Braun — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 02:59:33 +0000

Hi all,

I’ve been finding it simpler to answer individual questions on the forum than here, so please join us: http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/forums

We have a good thread about a little restless girl in middle of the night here- join in, or start your own thread! Ooops- it’s not letting me post the link- Ok, hit my name above this post, that will take you there.

And Good Night:)

By: jenn aron

jenn aron — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 01:04:04 +0000

great article! but what happens when getting to sleep is achieved, but then the issue of middle of the night wakening occurs. My son is 4 1/2 and has been waking in the middle of the night since June. Sometimes he’ll go back to sleep and other times it can take hours with crying and screaming on both our parts. Anyone have advice?? you can email it to jennaron@yahoo.com

By: patricia

patricia — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:10:26 +0000

Hello there people.., I know of only one person who rolled over on their child…and it was the father who I may addd ended up in a psyche facility. I pray for this man all the time. It was the middle of the night and he got up , got the baby in a sleepy state hoping to save his wife from a feeding and fell asleep.
I have sat in a chair nursing my newborn and awakened 2 hrs later in the same position.
It is a wonder that I can sleep through car accidents outside my window, my alarm system, my rooster crowing but let a child cry or my daughter say mommy I am awake in a instant. I have even awkenened to a cat crying in heat who sounds like a newborn crying. I guess it is a maternal instinct. But to what measure…each mom is different. I know a number of men with strong maternal instincts better than their wives. patricia

By: joann

joann — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:40:15 +0000

Thanks, Elizabeth, for the info on the snuggle nest. I will check on that, although I think my daughter now had her son who is 1 month old sleeping in his own bed and she gets up to feed him. If I tell her about the snuggle nest she might change her mind, but then her husband would have to agree and I’m not sure if that would work for them. It might help if she is ill again and needs to be laying down and can sleep downstairs on the futon with the baby and the snuggle nest. Thanks, again!!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 06:09:17 +0000

Joanne- I purchased my Snuggle Nest at Babies R Us, but if you go to http://www.snugglenest.com you can see them for yourself and they have a list of retailers on the site. It says to be used for 0-4 months, and only until the baby can roll over or push themselves up, but my son did not do that at 4 months, so I used it beyond the recommended 4 months. I hope this helps.

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:05:12 +0000

Mothers are less likely to roll over on babies… NEVER co-sleep if you have been doing drugs, drinking Alchol or are taking any prescription drugs that make you sleepy. Probably the children who were rolled over on were by non-mothers… or someone who had been under the influence of something else…. Once you have co-slept you’ll realise how unlikely you are to roll over on your baby. Think about it… when was the last time you fell out of bed (while alseep) or rolled over onto your husband? Your instincts keep you where you are suposed to be.

I co slept with my son until he was about 3… then we started weaning him out– he was getting to the point where my husband and I weren’t sleeping well… it took us a while but he now sleeps in his own room and will go to bed, we tuck him in and he goes right to sleep with out us. He just turned 5 and has been sleeping alone for 6 months. We moved him out of our bed onto an air mattress in our room and he slept there like that with us going to bed at the same time… then we put him to bed on his own on the air mattress… then we moved into a new house and we put him in his own bed in his own room and he would go to sleep. It definately was a process and took some time and some times we had set backs but in the end it has all worked out.

Good Luck.

By: joann

joann — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:53:56 +0000

Thanks for your responses on the safety of co-sleeping. Elizabeth, where did you get your snuggle nest? And, Paul, I know about the “instinct” of not rolling over on your child but I remember hearing about actual cases where it happened. Also, it might more have been a Dad doing the rolling over onto the child - not sure about the actual cases in that regard but I’m sure that’s more likely. And I will check out Mothering.com. Thanks for all the info!

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 05:32:08 +0000

In response to Joanne’s post (#28) regarding the possibility of co-sleeping & potential parent rollover & suffocation of the baby/child: I’ve found a lot of good information in Mothering magazine regarding co-sleeping (also known as family bed and shared sleeping) I recommend their website (Mothering.com)for many good articles on this topic. They also have back issues that have devoted lots of space to this topic.One article entitled “Family Bed Safety” by Stephanie Nakhleh gives a list of rules for Family Bed safety. I feel it’s important to sort out the facts on the safety of Family Bed versus the misnomers spread by the Crib Manufacturers Association. Our family all sleeps together and it has been a wonderful experience for us. And no, we didn’t roll over on our little babes. There is such an instinct NOT to do that. For me, the Family Bed made nursing much easier (no getting out of bed or staying awake to nurse…latch on and off to dreamland I go again.) I could go on and on about the benefits of it but for the newcomer to this idea, I think Mothering magazine offers the best reading material.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 04:47:53 +0000

In response to Joann’s comment regarding the possibility of suffocating the child, yes it is possible. Until my son was big enough, I had him in a thing called a snuggle nest. It’s a padded separation that keeps the child with you in the bed, but is made of hard plastic around the edges so you can’t roll over onto the baby. That was one of my major concerns as well.

By: joann

joann — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 23:57:57 +0000

I’ve seen a number of people comment on a child sleeping with a parent or parents. Has anyone heard about the possibilty and the happening where a parent rolled over on a baby/child and suffocated it? Was just wondering.

By: patricia a cooke

patricia a cooke — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:21:13 +0000

hello elizabeth, Years ago things were believed that a child she not be in the parental bed. Now more than ever phsychologists are believing we seperate ourselves too quickly. ( Geez, We let our dogs or cats sleep in our beds if we have any…well some anyway) I learn to not say anything anymore. My daughter is six now and is disturbing my sleep which is a important factor now.
If you have room for a youth bed, I do not, that had been recommended. to keep it close to your bed and move it a few inches away so both of you can detox. But if you want. trust your instincts and maternal timing. As he gets older due to him being the opposite sex there are state laws but I am not sure what they are. So go with the flow. The Europeans have had it right and as well as the so called ‘uncivilized tribes’. In some countries ther are 10 people in one room due to poverty yet they are very close knit families a very well bonded together. hope my ideas help patricia. massages do work..my daughter will keep herself awake to prolong the massage yet she still awakens… patricia

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:13:19 +0000

BUT…what I failed to mention is that I still have him sleeping in bed with me. I’m a single mom ,and everyone keeps telling me that I need to cut the cord and make him sleep in his own room. I’m actually ok with the idea of him sleeping in his own bed….it’s him being ALL THE WAY in his own room that scares me. (By the way, it’s only 1 door away from mine and yes, i’m being silly) Do I need to cut the cord, or do you believe that every situation is different, and he may be just fine sleepig with me for a little while longer? Advice PLEASE!!!!!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 08:06:05 +0000

We also have a routine. I have a little boy and we use a humidifier every night….the sound is better than any fountain…and we usually read a few books as a way to wind down. Then, at bedtime, we first brush our teeth, then it’s time for a warm bath. When I get him out of the bath, I use a towel that I put in the dryer for about 10 minutes. The warmth really helps make him sleepy. I lie him on the bed, and give him a body massage with Johnson’s Bedtime Cream while he drinks a small sippy cup of warm milk and we say our prayers. I have been doing this exact routine since he was born, (he is almost 3) and with these things combined, he is usually asleep halfway through the massage. He sleeps solid, and for about 9 hours each night with a 3 hour nap each day. He always wakes up happy, so I also believe that routine works and is very important for little ones to learn from.

By: patricia

patricia — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 03:46:43 +0000

dear tired mom… thanks for the encouragement. I will get the book. I do try to wait after rem sleep. After she quietly sneaks into by bed, I do not feel her, She is restless and I often find a foot or two in my face upon waking. Its annoying. She is still in perpetual motion even when asleep…LOL But I will move to somwhere else and she will awaken. and I will find her there with me again. I hate white noise and so does she but we go boating and water sounds relax me maybe It will do the same for her…I will try a noise machine. She rarely slept in utero and her eyes were wide opened at birth…My sister who was my coach said “oh no! wide awake baby!” Her personality, alertness, movement, stays the same. I have showed her how to self soothe but she will only if I am too sick with fever and fall asleep on her. I loved your last statement. I can not wait til she grows up and I can bother her when shes on the phone, wake her when she wants to sleep late, come in and borrow her jewelry and make up. Embarass her in front of her friends…. LOL. Of course I am teasing but thank-you for your answer. and God Bless You. four children… It is so amazing that although they go through the same stages ,come from the same parents they are all different with some similarities… thank-you once again patricia

By: tiredmom

tiredmom — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 02:15:39 +0000

By the way, Patricia, my daughter used to do the same…wake up shortly after I left the room. Now I sit with her for 15 minutes after she falls asleep (bring a good book and a book light with you). Once she is safely past the first sleep cycle you can leave the room without disturbing her and she should sleep a couple of undisturbed hours. Of course your ultimate goal is to get her to soothe herself to sleep and not need you, but for now this may work. The situation you described is really tough, but hang in there. If you can find a good method (and again, I recommend the book I mentioned above to help with this) and stick with it she will eventually get there. And maturity helps too. By the time she is a teenager and wanting to sleep till noon you will be pining away for the days when she was up at the crack of dawn!

By: tiredmom

tiredmom — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 23:33:15 +0000

I just discovered your site and think it’s great!

I have 4 kids who are great sleepers and 2 insomniacs. A fabulous book–really the best one out there on getting kids to sleep (and I’ve probably read them all) is “Good Night Sleep Tight,” by Kim West and Joanne Kenen. It is so completely different from all the other books because it really explains the dynamics of sleep at different ages. I cannot say my 3 year old is a perfect sleeper yet, but boy have things improved. And the noise machine…a life saver!

Hope y’all get some good sleep!

By: patricia

patricia — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:56:35 +0000

My daughter cannot watch t.v at night it stimulates her. even sleepy music. she has never ever taken a nap, never.. Massage does help or feather touching but she wakes up soon after I leave. patricia

By: patricia

patricia — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:50:56 +0000

I enjoyed reading this particular article. Bedtime is very difficult challenge in my home.
For the first two years due to living in one room and a queen size bed, emily slept with me as well as breast fed. afterwards We moved into a house and it was hard to get her to sleep in her own room. I would stay with her until she fell asleep only to find her in my bed in the a.m. We were robbed one year ago. she is afraid to sleep alone in her bed. we moved. I nailed her windows shut to give her the feeling of security. no go. she will fall asleep within my vicinity but still end up in my bed and will also keep herself awake as long as possible. Her explainatin is that she is afraid that something will happen to me. Someone may take me away. And she does not want to be with anyone else.. I am a toatal night person working evenings and nights but pretend to sleep so she will sleep at earlier times but she awakens within the hour if I am not close to her. All the assurance I give her seems not to help. I must mention this, I was diagnosed with a rare and strange disease when she was three and had to be hospitalized. I was gone three and a half days. In spite of my wishes for my family to take care of her within her own home and by the same person…she had been shuffled to three houses in ther interim and breastfeeding was abruptly stopped…it was about time anyway and she was only breastfeeding at night . But any other solutions will help unless she will grow out of this… I hope… patricia and emily

By: patricia

patricia — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 21:50:56 +0000

By: Leigh

Leigh — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:23:46 +0000

I really enjoyed reading this article. However, I have a 3yr old who is very restless at bed time and it seems to take him 2-3 hrs to fall asleep. As a baby he slept really well. I have asked the dayhome he attends not to put him for a nap with the other children, but he seems to become very upset if he cannot join the others at nap time. He now only has a 1/2 hr rest in the afternoon, and we now put him to bed at 8:00pm instead of 7:30pm, but this seems to have changed nothing, we even have a dark curtin up in his room to help eliminate sun light and make a more night time look in his room even when the sun is still up. Also, he is really hard to wake up at 6:30am and cries and has a fit every morning. I read the article on tantrums and have used many of the tactics and they have worked but he is so tired and grumpy I’m not sure what else to do. I’m also concerned that we are moving to just out of the city and this means he will need to be up about 20-30 mins earlier!!!. I would like to nip this in the bud if possible as soon as possible.

Thanks
Leigh

By: joann

joann — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 19:03:12 +0000

Hi! I meant to comment also on the white-noise machine. When my children were little we used a box fan for the white noise and my daughter in VA is doing that also. And in the winter my son and the dau I live with use their bathroom fans. I find comfort in having in on myself. It is really helping my dau with the 3 week old son. They didn’t always use white noise with the 3 girls but the boy really seems to thrive on it and with 4 kids now….. whatever works!!!

By: Gayleen Davis

Gayleen Davis — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:16:19 +0000

Thanks Ellen, It’s always encouraging to hear of other parents who actually believe their children need sleep. I often joke about my kids bedtime as my being selfish and wanting my evenings. My kids are 9 & 7 and they are in bed at 7:30 each night. More importantly than wanting my evenings, I want healthy, happy kids. My son particlulary is the epitomy of a morning person. It doesn’t matter what time he goes to bed he’s always up between 6:30 & 7am, so why not get him the sleep he needs in the evening. I get a fair amount of ridicule even from family members about their bedtime, but they aren’t the ones having to deal with grumpy kids the following day either! My hubby & I do allow the occasional late night, but then we are prepared for what the following day will hold, and then that’s our choice. Blessings to you for your encouragement,
Gayleen

By: joann

joann — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 16:37:09 +0000

Thanks for this newsletter, Ellen. Each of my children have their own ideas and problems about getting their children to bed. My dau in VA has 3 girls, 10, 7 and 3 who have a routine that is altered a little for the 10 yo who is getting older and can do most things by herself which helps my dau help the other 2 to get ready for bed. She does spend some time with the 10 yo as part of her bedtime routine. She is the one who likes to stay up and read but her Mom likes to make sure she gets enough rest. They also have a 3 week old son now. MY son has a 20 month old and she has a routine also but has been screaming with night terrors. She doesn’t wake up at that time and is hard to settle down. Is anyone else familiar with them? My dau in VA’s 10 yo had them between 2-3yrs of age also. The 20 month old is also teething which doesn’t help. My dau who has 2 sons ages 11 and 17 of course has a whole set of other problems esp with the 17 yo who during the school yr is pretty good about getting his rest when he can. Summertime is a different story. But the 11 yo has a more relaxed routine in the summer but has so much trouble getting to sleep some nights during the school year. He may be a “night owl” but needs his sleep. We’ve tried different ideas including a routine but it doesn’t always work. We’ll keep trying. (I live with this daughter and her husband and 2 sons). Thanks for all your good ideas, Ellen.

By: Analili

Analili — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:15:09 +0000

My two year old takes 3-hour naps daily sometimes late in the afternoon. She will go to sleep around 10.30 or 11pm. I really don’t mind her getting up late the next morning, since we don’t do anything early morning, except for Sundays. So on Saturday she does not get a nap (we are so busy with outings or cousins/friends parties) and she will be in bed early and get up early (about 12 hour rest at night). I do believe that children that sleep well are better behaved… and so parents that sleep well are happier!
Thank you for your newletter this week.

By: Karen

Karen — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:48:41 +0000

My ten year old is a night person and I have had to adapt for this because I am a morning person. He will stay up until 10 pm on school nights and 11 pm on summer nights. I have always read to him at night, he used a night light for many years. The thing is that now he is unable to go to sleep unless I come in and be in the room with him. He usually drifts off within ten minutes, however, I have concern that he thinks he cannot fall asleep without me. This does lead to some difficult times if I am traveling or attending an evening school meeting. His Dad and sister will go to bed and leave him on the couch by himself. How long should I continue to nurture him in this manner? It worries me that he is dependent on my presence to get to sleep, do you think this is needless worry and that this dependence will pass?

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:48:38 +0000

I require all 3 of my boys to shower every night as part of the routine to get to bed. The older ones are more reluctant because I go put my 8 year old to bed by sitting next to him, talking and hugs & kisses and while I am doing that the other two are suppose to get ready but often don’t and I need to keep calling them from my younger ones room to go shower etc.. Now, my younger one is giving me a harder time to get in the shower & get the routine going which slows the whole routine down. So, the routine is not working so well by me. Also, my 8 year old will not go to his room to bed without someone coming to sit with him. Can’t seem to break that habit. Any advice?

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:55:52 +0000

I see the wisdom in your suggestions. I must say that I am often tired by bedtime and have difficulty keeping a routine for my kids. I also have two very different kids sharing a room… a 12yo who falls asleep in about 5 min if allowed to stay up a bit later so he is actually tired when he gets into bed and a 7yo who needs more sleep, is afraid to be upstairs alone after dark (or even in his room alone), has recently started having nightmares, and gets quite irritable at times from not enough sleep. It’s been a concern of mine for a while, so when school starts it’s something I really am going to work on. Any suggestions on how to help my 7yo get more sleep would help.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:46:06 +0000

My son has been diagnosed with a sleep disorder. When we took him to a specialist one of the suggestions made to us was to “get our house ready for sleep.” It was suggested that we dim or turn off overhead lights about an hour before bedtime, no television or video games an hour before bed, no reading of books that might excite our son and to adhere to a strict bedtime ritual. It has really helped. Especially dimming the lights to signal his body that bedtime is coming.

By: Theresa

Theresa — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 11:32:32 +0000

We named our routine too - its called the rigamarole. My twelve year old has always been a night owl and so it was a relief when she began to initiate her own routine. She now reads late into the night, but since we homeschool she sleeps in late as well.

No one has mentioned tv yet. I think a lot of parents feel it calms children to veg in front of the screen for a bit before bed, but we have found it winds the younger kids up. We limit the tv in the evening and plan for down time after to let them settle down before attempting to put them to bed.

By: Trish

Trish — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:39:52 +0000

Here! Here! Sounds like many parents are touting the benefits of a CONSISTENT ROUTINE to help ease the transition to bedtime. Children THRIVE on routine (as do some of us adults!). It helps them to predict what will happen in their environment, feel safe and secure, and thus, able to calm down. In our household, we actually named our routine. It’s called, “The 4 B’s”…bath, brush teeth, books, bed”. The routine has been so engrained in my two young children that these days all I have to do is say, “Time for the 4B’s”, and the clothes start flying off!

By: Paula

Paula — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:19:29 +0000

Nursing my toddler to sleep works like a charm. While I nurse her the whole family does prayers of gratitude and that opens up some quiet conversation from my six-year-old. We practice attachment parenting so we’re all in the same room and the shared nighttime ritual seems to bring comfort. The girls know what to expect and don’t offer much resistance. Late bedtimes can cause a problem as it seems they get “wired” and have difficulty sleeping. We’ve also eliminated juices and other “high energy” food during the evening.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 05:22:37 +0000

My 11 year old son finally fell asleep at 2 am last night. 2 a.m.!!! I didn’t know until he told me this morning; he is just wired that way, a night owl. He’ll often lay awake, but not usually that late. He’ll have to be an astronomer! Tonight I had him take a warm shower so he would unwind.
I have two other children, ages 6 and 8. Usually I read to them all at once, we sing “Jesus Tender Shepherd,” or another quiet song, pray, and I’ll read some Scripture. We have also read the “Little House” entire series at bedtime. It’s a great routine and gets them all quieted down. My girl (6) is another night owl. My son (8) is asleep the minute he gets in bed, usually the first one in. I don’t know how I survive bedtime, being a single mom, but somehow I have finally mastered the great art of getting myself to bed most nights by 11 p.m!

By: Adriana Sabogal

Adriana Sabogal — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:51:31 +0000

What has worked for my 4 month old is repetition. Either me or my husband follow the same routine every night. At 6:30pm we tell him it is time to go to sleep, he gets his blanlie, then he says good night to his toys and anyone else who is home, then we close the curtains and turn off the lights in his room, then we turn on his music, we sit and rock him for about 15 minutes or until he is drowsie. Finally we tell him that he is about to go in his crib where he will go to sleep and that we will see him in the morning when he wakes up. It takes him about 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep but he sleeps bettween 12-14 hrs everynight. He wakes up happy and ready to take on the day. I’ve gotta tell you we are better parents because we get to rest and spend more time with eachother.

By: Jill Norvelle

Jill Norvelle — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 04:17:46 +0000

Thank you Ellen. I usually give my kids a bath..I clean their room and then spend time reading stories and giving kisses. Most times this works. Other times when I am really sleepy and my husband or I just send them upstairs and on their way. This is when it becomes a battle. Your article really motivates me to keep the routine within the household.

By: Linda Rademacher

Linda Rademacher — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:55:37 +0000

Great article, instead of a white noise machine we always use a humidifier in our child’s room–we live in a dry climate and moisture in the air also helps keep them healthy (whenever kids get colds, the first suggestion from a medical professional is a humidifier!)

Linda

By: tidemama

tidemama — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:53:23 +0000

with my 9 year old and 1 year old we do bath , Bible/book , bed time the same time generally every night . i used to just do the reading with my oldest daughter until i thought well no time like now to introduce books to the wee one . good on one hand because she is so into it , and is picking up on how books are held and how i make voices etc. but a not so good thing because she gets too wound up from the extra time awake . so (for now) i am doing the bible reading / book reading with both of them and then rocking the little one to a drowsy stae then laying her down . she wakes up and screeches at me for about 10 min . but then falls asleep . she has been sleeping on average 12-13 hours a night straight through …so i guess i am doing something right lol .
~chris homeschooling mama to antonia (9) and augusta(1)

By: Busy Mom

Busy Mom — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 03:47:00 +0000

Great Article, Ellen. My kids are older now, but when they were small, we had a bedtime routine every evening, regardless of the day of the week. I think that helped us a lot.

We started by eating dinner together, then bath time, worship time with the entire family (we often spent some time separately with each child after the worship, because there is a 6 years difference between our kids). After that we prayed, gave out kisses, and said our good nights.

Our youngest needed a night light, and to this day she still uses it (she is now 11 years old). But other than that, we didn’t really have any trouble gettin our kids in bed.

In some rare cases, our daughter would come to our room if she couldn’t fall asleep. And all she needed was the reassurance that we were still here: after a few more hugs, kisses and soft nothings whispered in her ears, she was all set for the night.

I guess what I watnted to say is that if you create a routine and stick to it, most of the time it will work.

Adriana