Bedtime Routine
I wrote this up for our babysitters tonight (my sister and her gf) but why not record it for posterity? As a babysitter I never appreciated how easy the children were to get to bed until I had my own child and found out how hard it can be. Kate and I are going to a compost workshop tonight and didn't realize when we signed up that it's from 7-9. We are really excited but nobody else has EVER done bedtime and I am very nervous.
Bedtime routine:
Start about 8 or sooner if she is rubbing her eyes or is cranky. Take her upstairs, grab a pair of pajamas from the top left drawer in her bureau. Change her out of her cloth diaper into a disposable one, and quickly put the pajamas on before she can pull off the disposable diaper.
Take her to the bathroom and brush her teeth. She can use any toothbrush--she sometimes prefers ours to hers. She has paste but only sometimes uses it. She likes her electric one but is a little scared of it, too. She is likely to not want to brush her teeth, but make sure at least a little contact with a brush occurs. She has been liking to gnaw on the little rubber one that you put on your finger-that counts as a toothbrush.
Take her back to her room, turn on the little moon light and turn off the big light. Offer her her sippy cup of water and read as many stories as you feel like reading. Usually she would be nursing at this time and then would switch to me for the actual sleep part, so she may be angry at the lack of nursing. After a couple of stories, carry her over to the sound machine and turn on the sound machine and turn off the light. Lay her down on her stomach on the bed, head almost but not quite touching the pillow. Tuck her in with 1+ baby blankets and tell her you love her. Pat her back/sing to her/whatever. Do not use your phone at this point because the light will distract her/keep her up. If she sits up just pat the bed again and say “Maya, lie down, it’s sleepy time.”
If this is not working at all, either give up and just hold her/read to her until we get home or if she is obviously exhausted, tell her you love her and know she can go to sleep on her own, close the door, and listen to her scream from outside.
Thank you thank you thank you. We’ll be back just after 9.
Bedtime routine:
Start about 8 or sooner if she is rubbing her eyes or is cranky. Take her upstairs, grab a pair of pajamas from the top left drawer in her bureau. Change her out of her cloth diaper into a disposable one, and quickly put the pajamas on before she can pull off the disposable diaper.
Take her to the bathroom and brush her teeth. She can use any toothbrush--she sometimes prefers ours to hers. She has paste but only sometimes uses it. She likes her electric one but is a little scared of it, too. She is likely to not want to brush her teeth, but make sure at least a little contact with a brush occurs. She has been liking to gnaw on the little rubber one that you put on your finger-that counts as a toothbrush.
Take her back to her room, turn on the little moon light and turn off the big light. Offer her her sippy cup of water and read as many stories as you feel like reading. Usually she would be nursing at this time and then would switch to me for the actual sleep part, so she may be angry at the lack of nursing. After a couple of stories, carry her over to the sound machine and turn on the sound machine and turn off the light. Lay her down on her stomach on the bed, head almost but not quite touching the pillow. Tuck her in with 1+ baby blankets and tell her you love her. Pat her back/sing to her/whatever. Do not use your phone at this point because the light will distract her/keep her up. If she sits up just pat the bed again and say “Maya, lie down, it’s sleepy time.”
If this is not working at all, either give up and just hold her/read to her until we get home or if she is obviously exhausted, tell her you love her and know she can go to sleep on her own, close the door, and listen to her scream from outside.
Thank you thank you thank you. We’ll be back just after 9.