How I Made Bedtime Easier With This Simple Tip

Please Share With Your Friends!

This post most likely contains affiliate links. You can read what that means here.

Oh, bedtime. When I became a parent, I quickly saw my sanity fly out the door at bedtime. Have you ever heard this quote?

At bedtime my children turn into dehydrated philosophers who need a hug.

How true this was for my kids! We put our children to bed at an early time. They get plenty of mommy and daddy time during the day. We limit their sugar and their television time. But yet, bedtime always turned into a nightmare.

It got to the point where my husband and I just dreaded putting our kids to bed. We would start at 7 and end at 8. They would get out of bed twenty times, asking for something or just to tell me they loved me. I know you love me, child, but you couldn’t have told me that twenty times during that day?

Related Read: 12 ways to be a more peaceful mom

We knew what it really came down to was our children not wanting to go to bed.

So they drug it out as long as possible. We tried everything we could think of. Then at my wit’s end one day, I randomly came up with a simple tactic for us to try. I wasn’t even sure it would work, but I thought, hey why not?

This tactic is simple. A timer.

Okay, before you click off, please hear me out.

Here is how our bedtime routine played out every night BEFORE I introduced this tactic.

15 minutes before bedtime: Hey kids, we are going to get ready for bed in 15 minutes! (repeat at 10 and 5 minutes)

Bedtime: Okay, time for bed!

Our children channel their inner sloths and take approximately 15 years to walk up our steps.

When we are finally upstairs: Okay, time to brush your teeth! Time to get dressed! Time to pick a book!

Each activity would again take approximately 15 years to finish, and before we ended, my husband and I were old and gray, writing our last will and testament.

No joke, bedtime took forever to a T. At least an hour every night. The girls wanted mommy and daddy’s attention because they didn’t want to go to bed. They drrrruuuuuugggggg their routine out.

Here’s how I cut our bedtime routine down by 45 minutes.

(please keep in mind my kids are 6 and 3 and can get themselves ready, this version of this tactic will not work for children who are still dependent on mommy to get them dressed and brush their teeth.)

I sat my girls down and said look, mommy and daddy will not be coming upstairs to help you get ready for bed tonight. Insert massive groans that made me question whether my children were descendants of giants.

I continued. Sorry girls, bedtime has become un-enjoyable for mommy and daddy. We want bedtime to be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. This is what is going to happen:

You will go upstairs together and get your pajamas on. Then you will go to the bathroom and brush your teeth and potty. After you brush your teeth, pick a book, get in bed, and wait for mommy and daddy.

They looked at me with blank stares.

This is it. Bedtime is going to start in 10 minutes. Get prepared. Oh, and here are the real kicker, kiddos. Mommy is setting the timer for 10 minutes.

I held my breath as they walked up the stairs that night. I looked at my husband, said, nope, this isn’t going to work and waited for the chaos to ensue.

But it didn’t.

10 minutes later, my husband and I crept up the steps on our tiptoes. Afraid of the scene we will discover.

Where were our girls? In their beds, with books on their laps, waiting patiently for mommy and daddy.

We looked at each other, amazed. Did that actually work?

We read the books, tucked our girls in, and bolted downstairs, excited at the idea of a longer alone time with one another.

Related Read: How to make a routine that works for your family

Now we have been implementing this tactic for 6 months.

Does it work every single night?

Well, does anything work 100% of the time?

Sometimes we get a kickback, but most of the time, our girls do what is expected every night. And every night, we have an enjoyable bedtime experience with our kids.

This process has changed bedtime drastically. We no longer spend 1 hour putting our kids to bed. My husband and I get more alone time together in the evenings. We are no longer frustrated at the end of the night.

Our girls are expected to do their routine, get in their beds, and then stay in their beds unless they have to visit the bathroom.

Our favorite tool we use that keeps our children in bed!

We love bedtime now!

If you are looking for a tactic that can change your bedtime. Give it a try.

You never know; this could work for you too. There are many ways you can integrate this into your nightly routine.

Warn your children ahead of what will be expected so there are no sudden surprises that throw them off guard.

You can go cold turkey, or you could introduce it one step at a time.

Start with introducing the timer with your help. Then after a couple of days, ask your children to get themselves dressed alone and continue to help them brush their teeth. Eventually, wean yourself out of the picture and allow your children to do it independently.

Trust me, it will be worth the effort when you get your evenings back and can start enjoying bedtime again!

Let me know if you try this tactic and if it works for your family below!

---

Have a beautiful and peaceful day! Oh, and don’t forget to LIKE the Peaceful Nest on Facebook, so you do not miss out on anything fun!

And then head over and follow the Peaceful Nest on Pinterest to be the first to catch my new pins!

---

Do you feel like your home is chaotic? As though no matter what you do, it will never be peaceful? Maybe you just need someone to talk to. Whatever the case, join my new Facebook group and an amazing group of moms! (just click below)

---

---