This is usually a good wind-down time for your older child to play quietly in his room, after he has packed his backpack for the nextĭay. During this time, you'll need to find something for your older child to do, and to check And laughing with each other helps siblings bond.īathtime for the three year old, followed by brushing teeth. Your attention to getting a sibling to bed. To "lights out " or they'll be too revved up.) Laughing with you also helps them connect with you, so they're more cooperative and can handle you turning Kids giggling will reduce the level of stress hormones in their bloodstreams and make it easier for them to fall asleep. Your family schedule might look something like this.Ħ:30pm-6:45pm- Everyone clears the table together so there can then be five minutes of "roughhousing. Most kids like to be involved in taking the photos and gluing them on the schedule, which again makes it "their schedule" Give them as much choice as possible.įinally, print your new schedule out and post a copy on the bathroom door near their bedrooms, and another copy on the refrigerator. What do they think? Have you forgotten anything? Discussing the routine with kids helps them "own" the routineĪnd reduces power struggles. Then talk with your kids about the routine. So keep moving bedtime earlier until they wake up by themselves in the morning. Once you have your target bedtime for each child, count backwards, thinking about what each of them will be doing at each point in time, and write it down. If you do, then it means they aren't getting enough sleep. You shouldn't have to wake them up in the morning. How do you figure out your desired routine? Start by deciding what time you want each child in bed. The good news, though, is that your family as a whole can still have a routine. There may be some activities your kids can do together, but because they are different ages, they will also be doing different things at some points. What's the secret of a routine that works for different ages? Consider what each child needs to do each evening, because kids of different ages do have different needs. You can explain to them that you want to make sure you get "quality time" with each of them every night, which hopefully means they will be more accepting as you introduce the new routine. So let's use bedtimes as our example. Here's a whole article on why routines are terrific for kids.īedtimes are a great place to begin because they include real rewards for your kids - the time you spend with each of them. They also have lots of other benefits, like helping kids feel more comfortable cooperating (because theyĭon't feel so pushed around), helping kids learn good self-care habits, and developing responsibility. Routines do indeed help kids feel more secure and confident.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |