What are your nonnegotiable bedtime routines? My 7 year old son has become quite independent with his nightly routine. While it made me a bit sad at first, my 4 year old daughter has definitely taken up the slack by demanding my attention every step of the way. I wish I was kidding when I say I have to hold her hand for the bathroom break.
My goal is lights off by 8:00, so we usually start the process around 7:15. Brush teeth, bath, pick out tomorrow ‘s outfit, and a bedtime story. As an exhausted parent, I see how easy it is to skip the book and get that light off as quickly as possible. But, the statistics are so powerful. As a teacher, I see the results firsthand.
So while I would have loved to just pass out the mandatory stuffed animal good night kisses and retreat to my own bed, we read a book.
Tonight’s choice was Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson.
Some of our top picks are the How Do Dinosaurs series by Jane Yolen, the Pigeon Series by Mo Willems, the Gruffalo books by Julia Donaldson, and Goodnight, Little Monster by Helen Ketteman.