How to Stay Out Late With Kids For The Holidays

4-16 months

Oct 29, 2022

Ready to make holiday memories or just enjoy an evening out with your kids? If you have a solid 7PM bedtime staying out late may sound daunting, but it is so possible! And we want you to get out and make those memories!

It’s inevitable that after sleep training your child, you will have to stay out late passed their normal bedtime at some point!

With Halloween and the Holidays on the horizon let’s talk about how it is possible to stay out late, enjoy your evening, and still get a good night’s sleep! 

Allow for More Daytime Sleep

The first practical tip to stay out late with your child is to allow your child to sleep longer during the day.

If your baby is taking multiple naps, consider manipulating their daytime sleep so that they are able to sleep longer and later into the day for their last nap! 

>>> Wondering if your child is on the right schedule and getting the right amount of daytime sleep? Check out my baby and toddler SCHEDULE GENERATOR HERE.  <<<

If your toddler is still napping, go ahead and let them sleep 30-45 minutes longer for their mid-day nap! 

If your child does not nap anymore, let them sleep an extra 30-60 minutes in the morning so that they can last a little longer into the evening without feeling overtired. 

Letting your child sleep 30-45 minutes more during the day will give them the extra boost they need to make it to a slightly later bedtime and stay out late. 

Keep Bedtime within the same Hour

If you want to go trick or treating with your children, try to time it so that you can enjoy the evening for a few hours and still get home for a decent bedtime.

I recommend starting your festivities two hours before your little one’s regular bedtime so that you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself without feeling rushed! 

 Enjoy walking through your neighborhood, spending time with friends, and taking cute photos.

Plan to head home around your baby’s regular bedtime so that they can go to sleep no later than 30 minutes past their regular bedtime!

If your toddler took a longer nap, then pushing bedtime an hour later should be okay, but I don’t recommend doing it any later than that, otherwise, you might run into early morning wakings! 

Do an Abbreviated Bedtime Routine 

If you know ahead of time that you are going to stay out late, it’s still helpful to carry out your child’s bedtime routine. 

However, since your child is going to bed later, I recommend doing an abbreviated version of their regular bedtime routine so that they can get to sleep more quickly. 

Try these steps to shorten your child’s bedtime routine:

  • Wipe down with a washcloth (vs full bath)
  • Say goodnight to things in the room (vs reading a book)
  • Singing a song together (vs the 1:1 playtime for toddlers)

If your baby or toddler doesn’t have a consistent bedtime routine yet, and every night is a toss up, you should definitely consider starting one! 

Learn how to make bedtime a delight for everyone involved by checking out my ideal baby bedtime routine HERE or my ideal toddler bedtime routine HERE!

Let Your Child Know You’re Staying out Late

The last practical step that you can do when you are planning to stay out late is to communicate this with your child. 

Let your child know that before you head out for the evening’s events that you will be doing a shorter bedtime routine when you get back.

If your child who really enjoys bath time, then let them know ahead of time that they won’t get to do a bath, but instead they will do a warm wash-cloth bath.

Or, if you have a little one who loves their bedtime routine and loves reading a lot of books with you, then give them a heads up that they will be reading less books tonight before bedtime. 

If your child thrives with order, let them know that when they get home their toddler clock light system will already be red because it will be time to go right to bed.

If you aren’t familiar with my Toddler Clock Four Color Light System, check it out HERE! 

Conclusion

Staying out late passed your child’s bedtime IS possible. Below are some practical tips to help make staying out late more enjoyable.

  • Allow your child  to sleep 30-45 minutes longer during the day
  • Keep Bedtime within 30-60 minutes of your child’s normal bedtime. 
  • Carry out an abbreviated version of your child’s bedtime routine so they can go to bed more quickly.
  • Give your child a heads up that bedtime routine will look different because you are staying out late!

Most importantly, enjoy Halloween night, stay out late, take some priceless pictures, eat a couple of good pieces of candy and enjoy!

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