Tag Archives: bedtime

Parental No-No: Bedtime TV for Kids

My preschooler needs 12 hours of sleep per night… or we all pay for it. That said, it should come as no surprise that her bedtime routine gets underway no later than 6:30 p.m., to ensure that she’s in dreamland by 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. if she’s had an afternoon nap). Dinner, bath, brush teeth, pajamas, bed—-the process has been ingrained in her since she was a baby, with one slight deviation. Up until about 18 months ago she was able to choose between watching “goodnight TV” (e.g. part of an animated movie or some kid’s program) and reading two … Continue reading →

Parents Against Daylight Savings

I highly doubt that I am the founding member of the PADS club. However, I am one of the most outspoken. Parents Against Daylight Savings (PADS) doesn’t discriminate when it comes to membership. If you have a child, who refuses to go to sleep because “it’s STILL light out, Mommy!!!!,” then you have a friend in us. “Us” being myself and my core group of playgroup moms, all who have children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years old… and all who are forced to deal with the barrage of bedtime complaints, moans and groans that are triggered … Continue reading →

Preschoolers and Monsters

Sometime between the age of three-and-a-half and four-and-a-half, the monsters under the bed (and in the closet, behind the curtain, in the hamper, etc) start to appear. Your preschooler may suddenly be afraid to sleep alone in her own bed and may describe bad dreams or associate noises in the home with monsters. Why is this happening? Well, there are a number of reasons. The preschooler is now at an age where she is growing in a few developmental ways. Her imagination is really taking off. You may witness a lot of imaginative play that involves complete story lines with … Continue reading →

Caving In

I consider myself to be a pretty stubborn person and over my many years of parenting I have learned how to be fairly detached and firm when I need to be. That said, I have also done my share of getting exhausted and caving in. When is it okay to give in to a child’s demand and what can a parent do to keep from caving in when it is best to stay firm? I do not think it is possible to ALWAYS be firm and to NEVER give in to a whining child. However, there are times when giving … Continue reading →

Is There a “Best Time” for Bed Time?

One of the parenting topics that come up again and again has to do with bed time. If a parent is not wrestling with a child trying to get her to go to bed, we are trying to get a child to stay in bed. A question that I get asked periodically is whether or not there is a “right” time for bed time? And, if there is anything a parent can do to control when a child goes to bed and how long they sleep? As parents, we can provide structure and reasonable expectations, but there is a certain … Continue reading →

When Kids Have Trouble Sleeping While Away from Home

Some of us are blessed with children who can sleep anywhere—they just snuggle down and manage to tune out the world and get some good rest whether they are at home or away. Many children, however, may sleep just fine in the comfort and routine of their own home, but find that spending the night at grandma’s or staying in a hotel or any other type of away-from-home sleeping is impossible. What can a parent do when a child has a hard time sleeping when not in his or her own bed? Some of us adults have a hard time … Continue reading →

How Long Should a Good Nap Be?

I have mentioned before that concerns over whether or not a child is getting enough sleep start early for most parents. We start by fussing over how to get them to sleep through the night and how to balance out all the sleep needs and schedules in a family. Soon, we are trying to come up with a good, working bedtime routine and as our children grow and their sleep patterns change and shift, we have to adjust to these as well. One of the questions that comes up concerns napping–not only how old a child should be when he … Continue reading →

Kids who Can Sleep Anywhere

We talk so much about trying to get children to sleep and all the troubles that can be associated with bedtime and sleeping, that I thought it might be a good balance to talk about those OTHER children–those children who are champion sleepers, love to go to bed, and can sleep just about anywhere and under any conditions… You may not believe it if you have one of those more delicate sleepers, but such children really do exist. I know this first hand because my eldest daughter has been a champion sleeper since infancy. I remember being too green as … Continue reading →

How Long Should Bedtime Routine Take?

Judging from comments and questions, bedtime and sleep habits are one of the biggest issues that parents face. We all want to know how to get our babies to sleep through the night, how to keep toddlers from getting up in the night, and how to create a smooth and pleasant bedtime routine. One of the questions that come up is how long a typical bedtime routine should take? If you are starting your bedtime routine right after dinner and still trying to get your child to bed two hours later—it might not be working… I do think that it … Continue reading →

Bed-Hopping Siblings

Some parents get very upset and worried when they discover that siblings who go to sleep (or at least go to bed) in their own separate beds, end up co-sleeping with one (or more) of their siblings during the night. Depending on the ages, temperaments, and sibling bonds of the children–this might be normal or troublesome. I think a parent’s attitudes and the family culture have something to do with it as well. Recently, someone was telling me that she is really concerned because now that both of her children are out of cribs, they can often be found snuggled … Continue reading →