In today’s webisode, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst gives viewers 3 practical tips on how to get your child into a bed-time routine. Read this blog for more bed-time routine tips:
In This Video You Will Learn:
- What type of bed-time schedule to create
- Why consistency matter when starting a bed-time routine
- At what time to start your bed-time routine with your child
Video Transcription:
Announcer: From Chicago’s leading experts in pediatrics to a worldwide
audience, this is Pediatric Therapy TV, where we provide experience and
innovation to maximize your child’s potential. Now your host, here’s Robyn.
Robyn Ackerman: Hello and welcome to Pediatric Therapy TV. I am your host,
Robyn Ackerman, and today I’m standing with a behavior
analyst, Katie Sadowski.
Katie, can you please give our viewers three tips to
getting a child into a bedtime routine?
Katie Sadowski: Yes. In regards to getting your child into a bedtime
routine, that is something that can be tricky. One thing
that is very helpful is creating a schedule. With this
schedule, it should be a visual schedule so that the child
can see the different pictures. You want to incorporate the
different things that need to be done in the bedtime
routine.
If the child is age appropriate, he should definitely be
involved with helping create this schedule. Some things
that should be in a bedtime routine schedule would be
things like taking a bath, putting on your pajamas,
brushing your teeth, getting a drink of water, picking a
friend to go to bed with so his favorite teddy bear or
maybe just a favorite doll, any kind of stuffed animal that
your child likes, as well as reading a book, and then
saying goodnight.
With this schedule, you want to make sure that any of the
activities you use, they are calming. You don’t want to be
having activities that would get your child very energetic
and hyper. That would defeat the purpose.
Also when you are using the schedule, you want to make sure
that you pick a time and stick with that time. In regards
to the time, you would want to start the schedule about an
hour before so that the child is actually done with the
schedule and sleeping when you do want him in bed. So, for
example, if you want your child sleeping at 7:00, you would
start the schedule at about 6:00.
Also, with the schedule, it’s very helpful if you can make
it to where the kid can put a sticker or a checkmark after
he completes each activity. That way, he can see the
different steps that he’s completing and how that
accomplishments.
And one more thing that, at the end, after your story and
you say your goodnights, you do then want to go ahead and
let your child know that you are going to come back and
check on them to make sure they’re sleeping. You don’t want
to let your child think, well, mom and dad are gone, so now
I can go play or I can sit up and do what I want. Give them
that warning that you will be back, and if you do come back
and they are up, just say, “Okay, goodnight. I’ll be back a
little later.” And that’s something that can definitely
help get your child in a routine.
Robyn; All right. Thank you so much, Katie.
Katie: You’re welcome.
Robyn: And thank you to our viewers, and remember, keep on blossoming.
Announncer; This has been Pediatric Therapy TV, where we bring peace of
mind to your family with the best in educational
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