What is the best bedtime routine for kids? This is one of the top questions new parents ask when they have a hard time getting their child to bed at night. You have the answer in the question. ROUTINE! Having a routine is very important. You will learn that kids do their best being on a routine and schedule. Think about it! When you send your kids to school, their teachers have a schedule/routine for them to follow every day. If you send your kids to daycare, they have a routine/schedule to follow every day. Bedtime is no different.
When my kids were younger, I would feed them their dinner after work. Then they would get some playtime with their toys, saucers, swings, etc., while I would get some chores done or homework. After that it would be bath time. Yes, I gave my kids a bath every night. I know some doctors tell their patients they can schedule a bath night, but I didn’t do that. My kids bathed every night. Once bath time was over, they would get lotion (with I loved Johnson & Johnson lavender, the purple bottle) and then put to bed. Bedtime was 8pm every night. Whether it was a weeknight or a weekend.
My kids are a little older now and we still stick to a schedule. If I am a little late picking them up from SACC my kids know it. They are used to leaving around the same time certain other kids leave or if it is normally light outside and I pick them up when it is dark, they know it. Our kids do their homework as soon as we get home and have dinner. Once they have done those two things they will take their baths and brush their teeth. If they have enough time before bed we will allow a little bit of screen time. Our kids lights are out and in bed at 8:30 pm during the weekdays. During the weekend they are in bed no later than 9:30 pm.
If our kids have a sleep over or if my mom is in town and they stay up later than normal, we notice the next day. They just don’t want to listen well and are whiny and cranky. Which then makes for a not so fun day. From experience I can promise, having a schedule or routine works well and will make life more simple for you. Yes, things come up and schedules have to change, but that is when you have to have an alternative and way to deal with the situation.