My good friend Amanda is a kid-idea genius. A few weeks ago I lamented to her that Milla just wasn't staying in her bed at night (just for the initial "getting to sleep" part), she suggested I make a little book to spell out her bedtime routine since she seemed to respond so well to her baby books in the lead up to Katie's arrival.
I made mine using Picmonkey, a free online site that you can edit photos on. Although Amanda assures me a simple word document would have been sufficient.
It was lots of fun being a children's author for an afternoon (even if I did a shoddy rushed job on the editing), Milla loves her bedtime book and she recites it now. At night she stands at the door and says "Dinner, oven, YUP, Dad home?" super cute.
We're still working on the staying in bed thing, some nights she's perfect, other nights it all one big game.
Do you have any tips to help me keep my 2 year old in her bed when we say good night?
I'm thinking of doing a Picmonkey Tutorial to make one of these books, keen?
Leave a comment and let me know!
**EDIT** Since writing this post and scheduling it last week we've cut out her day time naps. That seems to be doing the trick, she's usually begging for bed by 6pm now!
We got Lucas a Groclock- one of the electronic ones that glows blue when it is nighttime and then switches to a yellow sun when they are allowed to get up. It comes with a really good book explaining why sleep is important, done up as a child's bed time story incorporating the clock. Lucas loves the responsibility of turning the clock on after we have read a story and it is time to say goodnight.
ReplyDeletethey're cool - as previously mentioned we've got fairy lights on a timer which help control the getting up side of sleep, but perhaps GC would be good for the "its sleep time now" part.
DeleteThat's SO cute. I'm thinking I might have to cut out Levi's midday sleep too. Some days he needs a sleep, most days he's all beans.
ReplyDelete:( I want my midday sleep every now and then!
Yeah, each day is different now. Some mornings its clear she's exhausted and she has a before lunch nap, but I find any sleep time after 12.30ish is too late now, makes for a hard night. Bummerrrrrr
Deletewhat a lovely idea! You could do a whole series and sell them as a download. I reckon plenty of people would buy them!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love the idea of them being personal though, you know, with your own kid in their own book! I plan to make more of them for different parts of our lives :)
DeleteCool Book!
ReplyDeleteWe used the "pop in" method from Diane Levy's book. Basically you "pop in" after 1 minute and if she's still in bed you give her lots of (quiet) praise. "Good girl for lying quietly in bed". Then come back 2 minutes later "good girl for lying quietly in bed" and then gradually increase the interval until she's asleep. You're not asking her to do anything more difficult than lie quietly for a few minutes at a time, which is quite achievable for a 2 year old.
Thanks Claudia! Thats really good. We do stand outside her door on hard nights and call out "good girl, stay in bed" etc. But maybe going in and speaking quietly would be better!
DeleteAs another note, the new Spring issue of OhBaby! has some great tips in an article. Might be worth having a cup of tea and reading the magazine- I did that yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSo cute Sophie - kids absolutely adore personalised things!
ReplyDelete