Summer days can be long and lazy. They look a whole lot different from school days. Last week we talked about transitioning your child’s morning routine to prepare for the upcoming school year. This week, we want to discuss evening routines. Very similar to the morning, we want to give your child easy ways to manage their daily routines independently without constant direction from you. Now, let’s master bedtime!
1). Make a list of all the things your child needs to do before their head hits the pillow (e.g., no screens after 7 pm, brushing their teeth, washing their face, changing into their pajamas, packing their backpacks and setting them in their designated space, or reading time).
2). Go over the list with your child and have them choose the order. Once your child has identified the order, work together to create a fun or colorful visual aid. The more involved they are, the more likely they are to follow it! Visual aid examples include a word checklist, image checklist, or actual pictures of your child doing each of these bedtime rituals.
3). Know your timing! If the routine takes about an hour to complete, then prompt your child to start, one hour before you want them in bed. If you know your child takes a while to transition, perhaps give them a countdown (e.g., “you have 20 minutes before your bedtime routine starts.” You want your child to associate these tasks with bedtime. Asking them to do their routine too early may not serve you.
4). Time for practice. But how can you make it fun? Try doing a “drill” and time your child to see how fast they can get through their routine. Even if your child is resistant, unruly, and downright not into it the first few nights, don’t give up! Once they understand this is the expectation in your household, they will gradually adapt, and it will soon become the norm. The art of making this work is persistence and consistency. It is easy to fall back into old routines. Once you identify that has happened, no biggie, just reset and ask your child for feedback. “How’d you think last evening went? I think we didn’t start your bedtime routine soon enough and we all got to bed a little too late?”.
5). Identify your child’s ideal bedtime during the school year. Our goal is to get them closer to that perfect bedtime little by little. Try moving their bedtime up 15 minutes every three days or so until they are in bed at the desired time. Meaning, every three days; they will be starting their bedtime routine earlier and earlier.
6). Pat yourself on the back! You have successfully transitioned your child’s daily routines from summer to school mode!
Stay tuned; our next blog will discuss how to socially and emotionally get your child ready for their new school year.
Sincerely,
Julianne Guinasso, LMFT