Do you want the secret to the perfect bedtime routine for your toddler? You’ll want to try this! In 3 easy steps, your toddler will be sleeping soundly through the night. No more stress with this perfect bedtime routine for your toddler.
Creating the perfect bedtime routine for your toddler can be a bit tricky.
And if you have more than one child running around the home, then bedtime can seem like a mad house more than a time of relaxation and resting.
I want you to know that you’re not alone in trying to be a successful parent, especially when it comes to making sure your child is getting enough sleep.
My husband and I have three children (currently all under the age of 4) and I want to share with you what has worked great for us.
These tips are not all-inclusive but will help you lay the foundation for a successful and perfect bedtime routine where your children are getting the sleep they need and you’re getting the rest you need at the end of the day.
This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please read my disclosure policy here.
Creating the Perfect Bedtime Routine for Your Toddler? Try This!
1. You Decide the Bedtime
I remember a conversation I had with another mom who told me her children didn’t fall asleep until 10 p.m. every night. She was exhausted and her marriage was struggling because there was no quality time to nurture the relationship.
We discussed her child’s bedtime habits and her children’s tender ages of 8 months and 2 years. She confessed that she lets the kids stay up until they’re tired and want to go to bed.
I don’t know what bedtime routine you currently have, but I want you to know that you don’t have to go this route. You are the parent and you can decide your toddler’s bedtime.
My children know at 6 p.m. (no matter where we are) we are having family prayers and scripture reading, then it’s off to brush our teeth and get into our pajamas. By 7 p.m. everyone is hugging and kissing each other good night and are laying down in bed. Do they fall asleep right away? No, of course not.
But this is where the next two steps will help your toddler fall asleep so you can get the rest you need.
2. Have a Specific Routine
Establish a specific routine and schedule, just one, and let that be your standard for the entire week. The first thing you’ll want to decide is when you want your children in bed (not asleep). If you want them in their beds at 7:30 p.m. then give yourself about an hour to help them with their bedtime routines (which means you’ll want to start helping them get ready by 6:30 p.m.)
Some of the things in your routine you might want to consider can be:
- Family prayers
- Brushing teeth/potty time
- Pajama party (fancy word to get your toddler excited about getting their pajamas on)
- One last drink of water
- Hugs and kisses to mom and dad
- Helping them say their personal prayers
And to bed, they go. But what happens when they’re in bed? Now what? If you leave, they are guaranteed to jump out of bed and check on the noise they hear?
Something that has been a huge help for our family is sitting with our children in their bedroom and reading to them. Now, I’m not talking about the “See Spot” books (although those are fun). The books you want to read to your children are ones that they’ll fall in love with and ones you want to read.
Read them the classics (yes, chapter books!)
By opening up their minds to chapter books you’re introducing them to new thoughts, ideas, characters, but you’re also providing them with the sounds of your voice that they can focus on and eventually (as every good sleep-deprived parent knows) fall asleep.
3. Be Consistent
It’s easy to develop a routine when you’re at home. But what about when you go on vacation or to visit Grandma and Grandpa? What about holidays or other special occasions?
You need to remember if you want this routine to keep working for you, you need to stay consistent. Be okay with telling the grandparents that little Winston needs to go to bed, or that baby Cornelius needs his Saturday evening bath.
When you stay consistent your toddler will thrive and your bedtime routine for your toddler will become easier, not harder.
As you decide on your child’s bedtime, establish a specific daily routine, and be consistent each day, especially when you’re on vacation, you’ll begin to establish the perfect bedtime routine for your toddler.
Expect you and your toddler to struggle the first few days because this is something new for both of you, but, be consistent because toddlers thrive the most with consistency. And eventually, this new bedtime routine will become the new norm.
Do you have any tips on having a successful bedtime routine? Share in the comments below!
Micah Klug is a wife, homeschooling mother to five children, and author. She teaches time-tested solutions to help parents remember what matters most in life, including strengthening their home, faith, and family relationships. To learn how a child who grew up in an authoritarian home is now creating an environment of peace and joy in her own home visit this page. If you want to contact Micah, send her an email here or email [email protected].
