Being there for your kids - Bedtime Routine

Episode Date: May 18, 2018

Getting your child to bed can be exhausting. If you establish a workable routine, with boundaries, and stick with it, bedtime can become a calming, teachable moment.

Hi, I'm Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. At bedtime, do you get excuses or can it be a teachable moment? Every parent wants their child to get a good night's rest. Our sleeping time is when our body's immune system is most efficient. It's when our bodies physically grow and heal from injury. Sleep is the best form of stress management. But for moms and dads, as you are putting your children to bed, there's an art to the process.

Five-year-old Mandy wants to stay up as late as first. her 10-year-old sister with whom she shares a bedroom. Daddy cuddles her as she tearfully protests going to bed before Sissy. He active listens her feelings and she calms. He asks, can I share some things with you because I'm so smart and you don't because you're just a squirt? Mandy giggled and agrees to hear him out. Dismissing your child's protests, yelling at her and demanding in bed, lights out no talking is the worst way to put a child to bed. Their adrenaline spikes, stress levels elevate, fear sets in and the absolute last thing they want to do is fall asleep. They will eventually fatigue and their eyes will close, but this is not a restful sleep. Studies show that newborns will

sleep upwards from 15 hours a day. Toddlers up to age five need at least 12 hours for growth and calm mood. School-age children benefit from at least 10 hours of sleep a night. Teens and adults are recommended to have at least eight hours of sleep per night. The average sleep time nationally for teens and adults, seven hours and 28 minutes. So as a whole, we are sleep deprived. To give your child the best bedtime routine, focus on routine and look for teachable moments. Usually, a rule of thumb is allowing 30 minutes of calming activity before lights out. Calming activity includes, depending on age, rocking, bedtime stories, singing lullabies, and talking about day's events. These are all teachable moments and emotional bonding time. Multiple requests for

drink, multiple bathroom breaks, forgetting to brush your teeth. One more, please requests are all excuses and stalls, which need to be firmly shut down. Consistent routines and creative, personalized rituals make for pleasant childhood memories and sweet dreams. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologist and Christian author, and this has been Teachable Moments. Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, is available online at Amazon Books.com and in local and national bookstores. More on Dr. Robinson at TMC-P-I-N-C.com.