Old Fashioned Bed Time
March 14, 2009 by Monica
Filed under Parenting Traditions
Children’s bedtime should be an opportunity to relax and connect with their parents and siblings. Having an expected routine assures your children get prepared for rest and feel a sense of security and stability, because they know what to expect next.
A 30 minutes routine before bedtime doing some quiet activity helps your child get ready for sleep. This is important for kids and even adults! When your mind is in overload mode it is nearly impossible to get any rest and a slow activity like reading will help in this transition.
An old fashioned alternative
In old times as well as currently in many places around the world without constant electricity supply, families used to get together at night before sleep. It’s amazing how easy is to take kids to bed early when the lights are dim a
nd the house is silent, although this is not always possible in modern households.
A good option is taking an after dinner walk, after your kids have their teeth brushed and read to go to bed. After the walk or outside play time, you could get back home and forget about turning lights on. A crank flashlight works great to guide your children to the family bed or a shared bedroom and get together for a story telling time.
You’ll be amazed how easily and calmly your kids fall asleep at a decent hour, while you have the opportunity to share old family stories and a warm time with those you love.
I’ve personally tried this several times and it used to be a regular nighttime routine. Unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to have an after dinner walk due to security issues. What about your family night time routines?
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I totally agree that a routine for bedtime is imperative for peaceful family nights. Our four head to bed around the same time – with a 30 minute or so lead time we slowly progress through the motions. Our 6 year old needs a lot of connection at that time so after each task – such as jammies or teeth brushing – she comes back for a kiss and a hug. It keeps her on task and keeps us from getting nuts. Even our olders, who stay with lights on reading after the two littlers get to sleep, get into bed at the same time. So far, so good. 11 years into it.
Bernadette, it´s great to hear you have many years of bedtime routine experience
I´ve noticed my son demands having a routine now more than ever, but I´m not sure if he´ll continue enjoying routines in the future. I didn´t have routines until a few years ago, and my mornings and nights used to be very desorganized and stressing. Now I love slow mornings and nights.