Tantrums At Bedtime - What To Do
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Toddlers don’t want to go to bed when the rest of the family is staying up. They don’t think of going to sleep as a great thing to do like the rest of us. Instead, they consider sleep a kink in their fun and they will let you know about it with a tantrum. What can you do, though, to help calm them down and get them to bed faster and easier? There are several things that work. Just keep in mind you must be consistent and give them a chance to work. Also, approach bedtime from your toddler’s perspective. Tell them that the TV is going off and Mommy and Daddy are going to bed, too. You may even need to put on your pajamas to help them feel like everyone is going to sleep, but that’s not too hard to do. The following suggestions are likely to help your toddler go to bed with fewer tears and “buts”.
Schedule
Keep the same schedule every night. If your child goes down at 8 pm one night and 11 the next they do not have the schedule they need to get sleepy at the same time every night. You want your child’s body to be tired at a certain hour every day and wake up at the same time, more or less, every day. Do your best to stick to the schedule and have your child in bed by a certain hour every single night, even weekends!
Routine
Routine is so important because your toddler will know what to expect. This means you should come up with a bedtime routine that works and helps your child wind down. Consider starting with a “get your wiggles’ out and turn on some music and laugh and dance as a family for 10 minutes. Then, wind down with a bath. Have your child pick out three or four books and read those. After each book tell your child that after the last book is finished he will go down without any crying. Just keep reminding and helping him remember his promise.
Warning
Always give your child a warning that in 10 minutes he will have to get ready for bed. Toddlers don’t want to be interrupted in what they are doing and when you pick them up to take them to bed it is even worse. So, give your child a warning so they know it’s time to start wrapping it up. This won’t completely eliminate the tantrums, but it will help a lot!
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