What’s the Fastest Way I Get My Kids Ready for Bed?
I love this time of year. The crisp mornings, getting out my winter clothes, and finally the sun is not still up when I'm putting my kids to bed. I don't know about you, but there is not a more motivated person than me at night time when it comes to putting my kids to bed. I'm always trying to come up with different ways to quickly get through the grind of brushing teeth and putting on pyjamas.
During this time of year, I use the darkness to my advantage. One strategy I sometimes do is, I tell the kids after they have brushed their teeth and put on their pyjamas, we are going to play hide and seek in the dark.
It is essential to break down the rules for them. Establishing rules with kids is a great way to ensure boundaries are respected and the game is enjoyable for everyone.
Hide and seek in the dark:
There will only be three turns. Each of my kids get a turn counting, and I am the last one to count. None of the lights are on, so we can hide in more obvious places (with nightlights still on of course). On the last turn, when it is my turn to count, the kids have to hide in the bed we read in. When it’s my turn, I pretend to take a really long time to find them and eventually lay on them in the bed. I make comments on how lumpy the bed is and if there aren’t any kids to read to I might have to read to their stuffed animals. This usually coaxes them out with giggles.
In the event that my kids are extra wound up from playing this game, sometimes I hide the book in their bed instead of having the kids hide in their bed. Once they find the book, we all settle in from there to read it.
What are the benefits from this strategy:
-The required bedtime tasks gets done.
-The kids enjoy doing it.
-I’m depositing into their relationship bank with connection.
-It’s a great internal bedtime cue to mentally prepare the kids for bed.
* If your child is afraid of the dark, I empower that child with one of those kid flashlights that they can turn on whenever they want.