Ya’ll know I’m not a product peddler, but it’s always so helpful to hear about things that make getting ready for bed SO Much easier! Our girls, 2 & 4 years old, share a room and with the layout of their space we have an attached bathroom! It makes the process a whole lot more seamless from bath to bed…but don’t worry, I’ve got some tricks for that transition too!!
For our girls we have a few stand-by products and tips to help everything from ease of brushing hair to stopping the stalling tactics. Here’s what we use in our house!
TIMER: What kid would like to end playtime and get ready for bed?! I have yet to meet one! While we typically have a few minutes of playtime after dinner, using a timer as a visual cue for your kid is super helpful! Even better, have your child set the timer (maybe put a dot or sticker on the most commonly used number!) so when it goes off they’re more willing to stop the action and transition, since they did it!! BONUS TIP: Have a rule of “when it shows red, don’t touch!” to help any sneaky addition of minutes 🙂 🙂
WET BRUSH: How did I not knBow about this sooner?! If you have girls, you need this brush in your life! (I even pack this one for all of us on vacations!) While we do use a detangled spray (here) we can sometimes skip it because this brush is so great!! Go ahead and get you this combo pack to save, and just keep one for yourself!! I promise you won’t ever go back. Or, even toss it in the pool bag for summer!! (Okay, with that I’m ordering another set for myself!)
CLOCK: We use a light-based clock that runs off an app on our phone (🙌) and not only can you use it for morning cues, it’s also SO great to use as a “last call” for bedtime stalling. Lately our girls have started to ask to go potty or get a tissue after we left the room. The fix? We added a “yellow” light to transition from: GREEN (get ready for bed) >> YELLOW (last call!) >> RED (it’s time for bed!) >> PINK (it’s morning time!) Our green light lasts 30 minutes, and the yellow light comes on for 1 minute when the girls know “Last call for tissue, socks, potty, water, whatever!!!” Then when it switches to red, it’s time to get in bed! We’ve been consistent with this for about 2 weeks and immediately we saw a difference! No more rushing back to get that tissue or “oops, I forgot to go potty!” Building the stalling tactics into bedtime is so helpful! Not only do these tactics to delay bedtime lose power, but your kid has the structure they are craving!! WIN WIN!!
T-SHIRT ON PILLOW: Even though it’s been 4 years since our desperation of bed-sharing with my oldest daughter, she somehow tries EVERY night to get me to stay with her. Sorry girl, Mommy needs her alone time now!! Of course I know this is her best staling tactic to delay bedtime, because within 10-15 minutes she’s asleep for 11 hours!! To help her have “Mommy” without HAVING Mommy, I’ve given her an old t-shirt of mine to cuddle with and wrapped around her pillow. Some nights she remembers it and other’s she’s totally fine without it. But it’s there if needed! We role play with the shirt by saying, “Hug your pillow! Oh my goodness I feel that hug!!!” I tell her that even though she is in her bed and I’m in mine, we’re still able to hug each other through the shirt! She buys it enough for her to quickly settle and fall asleep peacefully…I love this age!!
I’d love to know what kind of tools and tips you use with your littles to help bedtime routine move along! Share with us below so we can learn about new products + hacks!! I love hearing what you’ve been doing!!
Sweet Dreams,
Becca
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