07/18/2023
👋 Hi, I’m Shira, a certified child and infant sleep consultant!
🚨If you read this post and your first thought was "HOW???!!" then keep reading because today's advice is for you. Bedtime does NOT need to be stressful, whether it's with one child, two children, more, with your partner, without. I want to give you the tools to confidently put your kids to sleep every single night. 🚨
1️⃣ Check your own mood. Are you visibly stressed? Anxious? Annoyed? Feeling rushed? Any and all of these feelings are OK (uh hello, you are a parent!) but be mindful that the attitude you bring into bedtime effectively sets the scene for our kids. Your child will read your stress and anxiety, and that makes everything exponentially harder. Take a few minutes to yourself before you enter the room to breathe. Do what you need to do to shift your own energy.
2️⃣ Introduce a bedtime routine. It doesn't have to be fancy, but a set of steps that you follow every night so that both you and your child are mentally and physically prepared for bed. This can include a bath, brushing teeth, reading stories, singing songs, and of course, lots of cuddles! At the end of the routine, your child will know that it's sleep time.
3️⃣ Lastly, include your partner. If you find that bedtime usually falls on you, don't be shy to ask for help. Ensure that your partner feels confident going through the motions (with or without you!) to get your child ready for bed. Know that they may do things slightly differently, but by working together you build trust that your partner can get it done, even if you aren't home.
😎 If you are dealing with stress around bedtime and making some of these changes, DM me and we can book a support call! I will work with you on building your toolbox. 💪🏼