Whether you work outside the home with limited family time at night, or you\u2019re home all day desperate for silence and solitude at the end of it, most moms are feeling pretty \u201cdone\u201d by the time the bedtime routine rolls around. But it\u2019s comforting to your child to be able to count on a connection time before bed, and there\u2019s nothing worse than ending the evening with guilt or angst ridden negotiations. You want to know you\u2019ve seen, soothed, and done all you can to make your child feel safe and secure before they surrender to slumber. Try these tactics for meaningful connections that will leave your little one relaxed and ready for bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emotional recall. One of the first ways I got my little guy to engage in open ended questions was with a game of roses and thorns. Your \u201crose\u201d from the day is the best part of your day, and your \u201cthorn\u201d is the worst. It\u2019s important to remember that the thorns don\u2019t have to be \u201cbad\u201d parts of the day, just your least favorite. If your little one struggles to come up with a rose and thorn, it\u2019s a great opportunity to talk through the events of the day with good transition words and descriptions. When your child matures and gets better at this little game, you can have them describe the emotions and feelings that went with the day\u2019s events. It\u2019s wonderful to have someone listen to you at the end of the day, and over the years I\u2019ve learned all sorts of interesting tidbits about my kid\u2019s experiences that I would never have known had they not been named as roses and thorns! If your child takes to this type of external processing, it\u2019s a great time to let them ask you a few of the many questions on their mind! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Body relaxation. My kids like the old diddy that goes \u2013 criss, cross, apple sauce! (draw a big X on their back) Spiders crawling up your back! (spider hands up their back and head), spiders crawling down! (same thing back down) One over here, one over there! (spider scratch each shoulder) Tight squeeze! (shoulder squeeze) cool breeze! (blow a breeze over their hair) Now you\u2019ve got the shivers! (gentle spider tickles all over) They also love a dozen eggs \u201ccracked\u201d over their head with the yoke running down their backs as the grand finale. Try drawing letters, numbers, simple words, or even simple drawings on the inside of their arms on their back if you need more material. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Energy out. If your child becomes clingy or fidgety, or what we call in our house, \u201cflip floppy\u201d after dinner (throwing themselves over furniture and siblings when everyone else is trying to calm down), you might have one more burst of energy to burn off before bed. Even a one-minute surprise pillow fight or a quick tickle fest does wonders for the nighttime wiggles. If you need a bit more order, make rules like \u201ca point for every time you hit my knees\u201d or use a book with guided tickle rhymes and games. Spontaneous voice modulation is a great outlet for this need as well. Play a \u201ccopycat\u201d game with your child, and ask them to repeat funny phrases or clips of songs in different volume levels. Some of our best giggles have come from these little surprise outbursts before bed! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your kiddos might like all three of these tactics, or you might find they need one more consistently than the others. Make more things up as you go, but do your best to agree on a plan before you start, so you both know what to expect in terms of energy out and time spent. Even just 10 minutes of attention and engagement with a loving parent can go a long way for your child feeling centered and loved after a long day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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