Bedtimes Can Be Wonderful

Gwen has never really had a bedtime routine. Bedtime always seemed to just happen all of a sudden, without any warning. I guess I thought that the act of getting PJs on was enough of a warning. But when Gwen started sleeping in a toddler bed, bedtimes became really difficult. Gwen would repeatedly get out of bed after being tucked in. She would either run around the upstairs floor or climb down the stairs, and if her door was shut, she would sit an scream for what seemed like forever. I found myself being a little too tough on her, and I'm going to admit it: I spanked Gwen.....on more than one occasion. I never thought I would do that, considering that she was still so little. Consequentially, bedtimes turned into this huge negative thing, like she was being punished. Tanner, on the other hand, is such a softy and would snuggle with Gwen until she fell asleep, or bring her back downstairs. Our techniques were on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. This lack of consistency was probably confusing for Gwen, and, simply put, bedtimes were becoming a total mess in this house.

There needed to be a change, but I didn't know what to do. I needed some inspiration. Luckily I have a friend, who I think is an amazing mother and blogger. She writes almost daily her daily doings with her little kids and I am always so impressed by how she raises her little ones. To be honest, I am constantly finding myself reading one of her most recent blog posts (check out her blog for yourself!), and soon after say to Tanner "Addie and Mike do such-and-such-a-thing with Camilla, why aren't we doing that? Let's try it with Gwen." I guess that, sometimes, she is just the inspiration I'm looking for.

After reading this post, I was thrown back by how involved she and her husband are when putting their daughter to bed. Scripture study? Family prayer? I have never thought about doing these things with Gwen, thinking that she was still too young. Well, in the usual fashion I took it to Tanner, "Why aren't we doing that? Let's try it with Gwen."

Let me tell you, Gwen soaked it right up. The bedtime routine starts at 8:00 with a bath. Then she gets a nice massage and lullaby from me and is put into PJs. Back downstairs we go for songs, family prayer and scripture study. Gwen's favorite song is Scripture Power as she gets to walk around holding the Book of Mormon in the air while we sing. Then it is time for bed. Gwen grabs her blankie and heads upstairs for a final story/song with both Mom and Dad. We actually read/sing the same story every single night "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Gwen demands it.

By 8:30 she is tucked in bed, relaxed and happy. No more getting out of bed (usually). No more running around. No more spanks. No more staying up until 10:30 snuggling with Dad. No more inconsistency. It's wonderful. Wonderful, also, because we are together as a family doing things that bring peace into our home.
I love being a mother. I am so thankful for examples in my life that remind (and sometimes teach) me how wonderful it is to be a mother and a teacher.