Morning and Bedtime Routines

Let's Talk about Bedtime

Let's think about bedtime for a moment. It's the transition time between all the experiences of the day, the activities and the new things learned, and our time for our minds and bodies to rest and rejuvenate. For children, it can take some time to filter different thoughts and feelings, as they make sense of their day. Bedtime is a special time for connection between you and your children by allowing you both to relax and "land" together, and to slow down. It's a special time for listening as a parent and caregiver as your children process parts of their day. You can even ask leading questions like "what was the best part of your day today?" or "what was a funny part of your day?"

Bedtimes can be also a moment for you as a parent to share a reflection about a quality or strength, or even a value, that you noticed that your child demonstrated in the day. It's a nice way to let your child know, "I see you, and I see who you are becoming." If the day was a particularly challenging day, bedtimes can be an opportunity to repair your relationship. By this, it is not meant that we bring up previous arguments or conflict again, but to acknowledge together that it was a tough day, and as parents and caregivers, we can reflect on our own role in it and model how we work with and process our own emotions. We can even remind our children we still love and care about them, and that tomorrow is a new day to start again! Thinking about bedtime as a prime opportunity for connection, it just might become the part of the day you look forward to the most!