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.