07/05/2023
β° BEDTIME ROUTINE CHANGES (WITH AGE)
As much as we would like to hang on to those chubby baby cheeks and Michelin Man rolls, our darling little ones are transforming from hapless babes to tumbling toddlers and to inquisitive preschoolers.
As our children evolve, so do their bedtime routines. Bedtime routines need to be age-appropriate to address the childβs developmental and emotional growth. Letβs break the stages down and take a closer look. π
πΆ 0 to 18 months
At this age, the routine can be as short as 5 to 15 minutes. The main purpose of the routine is to convey the message of bedtime and to invite blissful sleep through a CONSISTENT routine. The routine serves as a form of communication to the baby to signal sleep, through the same sequence of events that take place before bedtime.
π§π»1.5 to 3 years old
At this age, your sweet babbling baby has transformed into an opinionated, adorable toddler who just opened the Pandora box of pushing boundaries. Suddenly your 10 minute routine becomes hindered by non-compliance, endless water requests and meltdowns. To tackle this phase, you will need to βdraw the playing fieldβ (your boundaries) and let him have free play within those boundaries. Example: You decide how many books to read and he can decide which books he wants and where to read them. Once he feels that he has some say in his life, he will become more co-operative with your agenda. The duration of the routine will need to be stretched to accommodate the extra activities.
π 4 years old and above
At this age, your preschooler is thriving in the learning department as he soaks in new knowledge of the world around him like a sponge. It is becoming like a 2 way street with him now, with lots of exchanges of information and the 10,000 Whys. Your preschooler is also starting to have BIG feelings which he may not know how to deal with. The aim of the bedtime routine now is to be present and there for him after a long day apart to settle both his mind and his heart. Asking him questions and taking interest in his day will go a long way to top up his emotional bucket.