I prefer to “make up” children bedtime stories because my sense of humor and distorted creativity ads interest as the story progresses, and my kids love it!

Here are some tips if you still haven’t tried, or if you want to get started.  This is what I do:

1.  I pick out any living thing that I can base my story on and give them a name, such as (a person, i.e., little Betsy – any other living creature, i.e., a frog named Freddy, a horse named Harry, etc.   While I’m picking out a character for the story I start thinking of morals and values I can teach my kids using the character as the vehicle.  Here’s a short list of morals and values I may use:

2.  Then, I start every single one of my children bedtime stories with, “Once Upon A Time there was a _____________________________________ (horse named Harry.  Now Harry the horse…………..)” 

3.   After that I simply make it up as I go.  I eventually introduce other characters to make it fun.  Oh, I get stuck sometimes, but by focusing on one of the morals and values such as “having courage,” I’m able to paint a vivid picture in my kids’ minds by making the central character reflect the morals and values by the end of the story. 

4.  I end each and every story with words kids absolutely adore; “And they lived happily ever after.  The end.”   

One important note;  Try not to make your stories too violent or scary!  Your kids will go to sleep frightened, and they’ll probably have a sleepless night and want to crawl into your bed by 3AM!  I learned this the hard way. 

In Part 2, I’ll give you an example of a bedtime story using these tips.

Your children simply can’t lose with children bedtime stories! 

You’ve worked hard all day, whether you’ve been pounding the pavement or you’ve stayed at home performing work as a house-husband or housewife.  If you’re anything like my family, you barely have time to even wind down after a hard day’s work until 9 or 10PM! 

The nightly ritual for getting your restless, Energizer-Bunny-of-a -child to become a sleeping toddler begins when it’s convenient for you as a parent.  You control everything.  Realistically, most parents shoot for their sleeping toddler to be beddy-bye no later than 8:30 PM, but in today’s hustle and bustle world, it’s difficult to meet that goal.

Getting back to the ritual; the following are tips from busy parents all over the world, including myself, to wind your toddlers down and help them get the rest they desperately need to function effectively in the morning:

1.  During bath time, use a soothing type of soap like anything lavender-based.  Just make sure your child isn’t allergic to whatever soap you use.  Toddler bath time for most busy parents begins no later than 6PM! 

2.  During bath time, start creating a peaceful mood by speaking quietly, even if your toddler is screaming or playing loudly with that big, ugly rubber duckie in the tub.

3.  During dinner, try not to allow TV while your toddler eats, but if you’re one of the many families who do watch TV, turn the volume way, way down to the point where you have to have huge Dumbo ears to listen!

4.  After dinner, continue the peaceful mood by spending some quiet time reading a book, or again, quietly watching a television show.  If you’re so busy you have to continue with household chores, try your best to establish a routine where your your toddler becomes stationary on the sofa or a favorite chair.

5.  Finally, my favorite, when it’s time to for the sleeping toddler phase, lie your toddler down in his or her bed, caress their forehead, and say, “Are you ready for a bedtime story.”   Your toddler will love this.  If it’s your first time, just break into the story by saying, “Once upon a time, there was a……,” and just make it up as you go, using simple words they recognize.  You’ll be amazed at how a child responds to this.  The trick is to make up 5 different bedtime stories, say, about 2-3 minutes each, an rotate them every day.

With these tips, you’ll have a consistent sleeping toddler in no time, leaving you much time to concentrate on your own interests.  Yes, it takes work, but isn’t it worth it?  By the way, the only thing more beautiful than a sleeping toddler is; two sleeping toddlers! 

Please let me know how it works for you, and I’d love to hear other suggestions about your successful nightly rituals for your sleeping toddler.

Children are usually ready for a toddler bed somewhere between the ages of 2 to 3 1/2.  It’s perfectly normal for some children to make the transition from crib to toddler bed easily and for some to have a difficult time trying to make the switch.  At first, many children get up a handful of times in the middle of the night because it’s easy for them to do so, so you will lose a little bit of sleep for a few days, but it’ll be worth it!            

Once you’re ready to make the transition, don’t even consider placing them in a double bed even if you buy side rails for protection unless you place the mattress directly on the floor – this is much too dangerous!  Toddler beds, even though their mattresses are the same dimensions as crib mattresses, are closer to the floor and they’re usually enclosed with side rails, a headboard, and a foot board.  If you want to make it even safer for your toddler you can place one side of the toddler bed against a wall and place pillows on the other side.

If you find your toddler has trouble transitioning from crib to toddler bed for an extended period of time it may be that they’re simply not ready to make the change just yet.  In this case it’s probably wise to take a step backward and return them to the crib, and make the transition in the near future.  Switching from crib to toddler bed is a huge milestone for a kid so openly celebrate and praise your child when they are successful making the change!

There’s nothing wrong with letting your toddler sleep in the middle every once in a while, but if if you find your toddler not sleeping in his or her own bed constantly, you might not want to let it continue for too long or it’ll become your toddler’s nightly habit.   Experts disagree on possible negative long-term effects that can result from toddlers being much too dependent on their parents at bedtime, but two things are certain; every toddler develops at their own pace and only you as the parent can make the decision on how you want to treat this type of situation.

If you want to help your toddler fall out of the “let me sleep in the middle” routine, here are some suggestions:

1.  Make an effort, no matter how drained you are, to comfort your toddler by letting them know they’re safe and take them back to their own room or bed.  Keep comforting your toddler and let them know you’re going back to bed, and that they are to stay in theirs. 

If your toddler resists, understand toddlers test their boundaries to see how far they can go.  You must resist even if your toddler looks up at you with those hurt little cuter-than-puppy dog eyes!  Repeat this process even if you have to do it a few times. 

2.  If the above tip does not work, put a comfortable, padded adult chair in your toddler’s room and use it everytime to stay in the room for a few minutes after you put your toddler back to sleep.  This will help your toddler feel safe and it’ll make it easier for your toddler to fall back asleep.  Don’t leave the room until your certain your toddler is in a deep sleep. 

3.  If the above does still does not work, even if this sounds a little drastic and cruel at first, consider installing a gate at your toddler’s door only if your bedroom is close enough to theirs where you could hear them in case of an emergency.  Make absolutely certain your toddler’s room is child-proofed!  This will establish a clear boundary, helping your toddler eventually to understand they need to stay in their own room and bed.

Whatever you do, don’t spank or discipline your toddler for wanting to feel safe and warm by climbing into your bed.  This can have long-lasting negative effect on your kids and send them mixed messages as far as parental comfort is concerned.

Finally, you might have to go through a difficult transition period dealing with your toddler not sleeping in his or her own bed, but the work you put into it will pay off for all family members in the end.  So go grab a nice little cup of tea tonight and sleep tight knowing you have all the information you need to be ready when your toddler tries to sneak in your bed at 3:00 A.M.!    

Colds, flus, and allergies are the most common causes of toddler snoring.  Their cute little noses become clogged, forcing them to breath through their mouths which in turn irritates the tissues in the back of their throats because of the added pressure.  You can alleviate these toddler snoring symptoms by doing your best to keep their noses clear and by using a humidifier.  Some people use cold medicines, but always consult your physician when it comes to toddler cold medicines and be aware this is not the safest route to take.

Some snoring toddlers do so because they have large adenoids and/or tonsils or because the adenoids and/or tonsils have become inflamed due to allergies or infections.  This can cause obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition where the toddler stops breathing for more than 10 seconds while sleeping.  Having a deviated septum (a condition where the wall between the nostrils is severely off-center) will prevent your toddler from breathing correctly through their nose.  Fortunately, all of these conditions can be corrected through surgery.

Humidifiers and bulb syringes have always worked for my snoring toddlers to a certain extent when they’ve experienced colds, flus, or allergies.  Colds and flus eventually run their course, and when our toddlers have been sick, we have always gone through a difficult time trying to keep their nasal passages clear.  

Alleviating toddler snoring takes a lot of work as you’ve already seen but but at least we as parents can usually lessen our toddlers’ discomfort and get some good sleep ourselves in the process! 

Remember, your toddlers have been playing all day either at home or under someone else’s care, taking in an incredible amount of information from books and television, and they’ve picked up a few hard-earned skills along the way.  Truth is, they’ve exerted themselves much harder than many people who work for a living!

The only problem is they want to keep playing and they have no idea they’re cranky simply because they’re tired, so they cry, cry, cry, and parents end up pulling their gray hairs out of their heads asking, “Why, why, why?”  Relax.

Repeat after me, “I need to train my toddler.  My kid is not a knuckle-headed, ungrateful, spoiled brat and now I’m going to take the steps to prevent my toddler from throwing a tantrum tonight complete with kicking, screaming, and crying by using the following tips:

1. Start with a lukewarm bath before dinner using a calming hypoallergenic soap.  Warm baths relax the muscles in their bodies and are one of the best methods to calm children.  I’ve always used a lavender-based soap on my toddlers because of its soothing and calming effect but there are many other types out there that’ll do the trick.

2. Enjoy a quiet dinner without the TV.  You don’t have to have total silence, just no lively distractions.  I love sitting down with my toddler at the dinner table and watching him gobble down his dinner while I talk to him in a normal tone.

3. Your toddler’s belly is full, now you’ve got them where you want them!  Now let them be at your side while you do whatever it is you like to do as you wind yourself down.  I like watching TV at a normal volume while my toddler sits at my side with his favorite toy.  Reading to them is also very effective at this time.

4. Time for a warm cup of milk.  Milk contains the amino acid “tryptophan” which is a natural sedative. If your toddler is lactose intolerant try the many milk alternatives on your grocer’s shelves keeping in mind that soy milk has almost as much tryptophan as milk per serving.  If they don’t like it straight-up, lightly flavor the milk with their favorite flavored syrup or powdered mix.

5. Finally, the best tip of all: toddlers love to imitate others, especially their own family members.  If you’re consistent in relaxing into the night, calm children will always result.  You won’t fail and your whole family will get the rest they deserve.