Getting back into the swing of school sleep schedules; and how I managed my three sleeping beauties!.

I’M BACK!

Well sort of…not daily like I used to be but perhaps in a more meaningful way, one that will help more people in the long run. Now, on my blog, you’ll find articles that go in to more detail about the segments that I chat about on air. Many of you have expressed in the past that those segments that I do are too short, so, I thought why not provide more details here for you to read should you choose to. I’m not saying you won’t ever get another things that make me go “hmmm” post, but for now, it’s going to become more of an extension of my on air appearances, so that those who might want to dig a little deeper into the TV segments can do so by coming here to read about it.

How is this for a little twist on my daily blog of things that make me go “hmmm”???

First up; is the follow up article to the segment from my first Prime Time Local News, about getting your kids back on a school sleeping schedule. There are a great many parents out there who struggle with getting their children back on their school sleeping schedule. I’m pretty sure I’ve written about it before that Brianna was a never, ever sleeper, Dominique was a virtually impossible to keep her from sleeping sleeper, and Mikaela fell right in the middle. So, getting our girls back into a school sleeping routine had many challenges based on what their sleep habits were already like. If you’re a parent of multiple children you know exactly what I’m talking about. When your kids don’t have the same sleeping rhythms, habits, or needs it makes putting them to bed, one hell of a Goliath to take on every single night. And this is why it is so important to divide and conquer your sleepers.

What do I mean by this?

I’m about to tell you.

1. if you have one kid who falls asleep the minute their head hits the pillow then it’s not necessary to start a soothing, calm down ritual for that child. That child already has a good chill button that knocks them out as soon as they lay their bodies in their beds. This was our Dominique, always ready to go to sleep. This child can be washed, brushed, cuddled and lights out kid, enjoy that one, and give them extra kisses for making your life so simple.
2. if you have a child that dislikes sleep very much, then you have to begin the ritual of going to bed sooner. Which means don’t just try to throw this kid of yours into bed on the Monday of the labour day weekend and hope the kid falls into an earlier to bed habit. I can assure you, first hand that this will not be the case. This is your kid that you need to begin, two weeks before the last weekend of their summer break with dialing back their sleep time five minutes every couple of nights. (If you didn’t do that, then start this new routine today, it’s never too late parents to change a child’s habits.) By doing this you gradually get them in bed, and sleeping, at the hour that you need them to so that they can start their days as their best selves. This child is definitely the kid you want to give a nice warm bath to with soothing, calming, sleep inducing oils. Lavender is a great one, and in fact you can even spritz their bed linens and their room with some to help speed up the falling asleep thing.
3. if you happen to have a kid that’s a bit unpredictable with going to sleep, some days they fall into bed easily and pass out just as quickly, while other nights they’re calling out your name at 12am and still aren’t sleeping. This is the kid, and I had one of these in Mikaela, who I developed rituals with. We would read a chapter of whatever book she was interested in before bed, all scrubbed and tucked in. This calmed her and enabled her to fall asleep easily once the chapter was done. Something about the ritual of it meant a lot to her, and was just what she needed.
4. sugar. NO SUGAR after lunch hour moms and dads. If you want your kids to sleep, don’t jack them up with sugary juices or treats a good four hours before bedtime, so 3pm cut off, at the latest, if you’re putting them to bed at 7.
5. and finally, for the love of God take your kids away from the computer screens, the TV screens, the iPads, the iPhones, the video games. If you want your kids to sleep, give them books, read them books, talk to them, colour with them. Do any and all things that are anti-simulators. Eliminate these and watch your kid’s sleeping patterns change right before your eyes.

Good luck back to school parents, and trust me when I tell you this, as a mom WAY on the other side of back to school and the sleeping struggle…it all goes by in the blink of an eye, so enjoy every minute of it. Even the challenging, exhausting ones.

xo

Shantelle