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Bedtime routine starts first thing in the morning...

After successfully using this technique on my two youngest children to make bed-time a 'no-fuss' part of the day, I feel pretty comfortable that it works and makes life better for the whole family.

First of all, you need to use common sense and compassion on the issue of whether or not to allow your baby to cry himself to sleep.

Your baby is completely dependent on you for everything and it would be extremely cruel to place a sick, hungry, thirsty, wet, cold, over-heated... baby alone in a crib and then refuse to make sure the she is comfortable and safe.

Once you know that your child is well-fed, the diaper is dry, the body temperature is fine (feel their hands/face... too cold? too hot? then take care of that)... then you need to devise a bedtime routine that helps relax the child. Start when they're young, like after the first couple of months or so - and this really starts to pay off after the first year.

TRY SOMETHING LIKE THIS:

During the day - Wear your child out! Bedtime routine starts first thing in the morning. You need to get your little one on the move, set up a routine that will naturally make your child tired by evening. There are lots of ideas on things to do to entertain your child, take the time to be the best parent you can be. Basically: You child needs to go out as regularly as you'd take your dog to get the fidgets out, you child needs things to challenge the imagination and to learn new things, you child needs to socialize with other people and your child needs a solid routine that takes into account his/her need to eat, sleep/rest and play.

Evening Bath time - Warm bubble bath, rub-down with lotion or baby-oil, quiet music and/or a story, a kiss and whispered good-night while the child is still away. Leave a light on in the hallway and the door slightly open. (Consistency is key here, don't make a big fuss and don't hang around, if they cry, you can go in and give them a quick belly rub and some comfort, but don't pick them up, every 15 minutes or so go back if necessary, but if your child is quiet but not sleeping, then leave the child alone!)

Our 3-year-old has been going to sleep on his own since he was a few months old and so has our 10-year-old, with hardly any fuss. The secret is to never use 'going to bed' as a punishment or a reason for confrontation and if the child is well-fed and tired, clean and tired, knows that he/she is loved and comforted and ... tired, then you won't have much trouble either.

Learn more about this author, R Marie Taylor.
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