This post is sponsored by Random House Children’s. Twinkle Twinkle Little Party only promotes products we believe in. All opinions stated are my own.
Hello, friends!
I was talking with a friend about our kids bedtime routine the other day and it inspired me to write this post. I rely on my kids falling asleep when they are expected to in order to get work done and have a productive evening as my time is very limited during the day – my baby girl’s nap time is getting shorter and shorter each day!
My friend thinks I am the most productive mommy and even though I don’t think that’s true, I was happy to share what my husband and I do to make them fall asleep fast and avoid any meltdowns. If you are having issues with making your kids go to bed, my tips might help you make better choices and establish a bedtime routine that’s enjoyable for you and your kids.
- My kids are very high energy. The idea of signing them up for activities right before dinner time to tire them out doesn’t work for us. It just made our evenings more stressful because we do not only have to prep dinner but we also have to deal with tired kids not wanting to shower and eat (even though they were hungry). Needless to say, it became a little chaotic! My oldest does all his activities right after school now. As soon as we come home, we take a shower, relax by either reading a book or watching an episode on Netflix, then an early dinner.
- I mentioned an early dinner. Yes, early dinner is the best thing! I feed them even before my husband arrives home from work. I know… it’s sad because I came from a family who had all our meals together. My husband and I noticed if we waited until he got home, we just got involved with feeding, cleaning and more cleaning. He wanted to spend time with the kids doing other things rather than doing chores. We also stay away from sweets and too much water intake right before bedtime.
- A little before bedtime, they get to pick one activity. I give them a couple of choices – coloring, play dough or listening to music. Activities that are relaxing that don’t involve any jumping or running around the house work best.
- Now it’s time to brush their teeth and get ready for their bedtime story. They love to read. They used to cry for more books. It got to a point we were reading about 8 books and even after all that much reading, they still didn’t want to go bed. We knew we had to break that habit not because we wanted to get rid of our kids as fast as we could, but because we wanted them to rest as much as possible and wake up the next morning without struggling so much.
First, we read their (one) choice of book (and lots of snuggles) then my husband and I pick one book we think that will make them relax and fall asleep.
We just got introduced to The Little Elephant Who Wants To Fall Asleep by Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin, the author of The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep, the New York Times and international bestseller that parents have been raving about!
This book works, friends! My husband and I are loving it. The kids get to relax and fall asleep so fast. We just have to read a few pages and they are ZZzZzZzz! What I love about this book besides the fact it makes your kid fall asleep fast, it provides insightful sleep tips and answers to frequently asked questions to help guide families to a successful bedtime routine.
“Your child joins Ellen the Elephant on a journey through a magical forest that leads to sleep. Along the way, children meet different fantastical characters and have calming experiences that help them relax and slip into slumber quickly. The story works perfectly for either naptime or bedtime.” – rhcbooks.com
About the Book
The Little Elephant Who Wants to Fall Asleep
Recommended for ages 3-7
Swedish author Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin’s first book for children, The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep (2015), was a runaway success, with international sales exceeding 1.6 million copies and widespread media attention for its reported success in lulling children to sleep by employing positive-reinforcement techniques to promote relaxation.
With his second picture book, The Little Elephant Who Wants to Fall Asleep, Ehrlin has the same objective of helping children fall asleep and improving families’ bedtime routines with all-new child-tested, parent-approved techniques.
Beautifully illustrated by Sydney Hanson, the new book features Ellen the Elephant, who is on a journey through a magical forest that leads to sleep. Along the way, she meets different fantastical characters and has soothing experiences that are meant to help children relax and slip quickly into slumber. The book also includes tips from Ehrlin for using the techniques successfully.
About the Author
Carl-Johan Forsseìn Ehrlin is a behavioral scientist with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and teaches communications at a Swedish university. He is also a life coach and leadership trainer. Carl-Johan has combined all of these skills and experiences in developing the techniques in this book.
GIVEAWAY!
The good news? Random House Children’s is giving away one copy to one lucky winner! To enter the giveaway just head over to @twinkletwinklelittleparty to leave a comment under the The Little Elephant Who Wants to Fall Asleep giveaway post. USA only. Contest starts on Tuesday November 1st and ends on Thursday November 3rd.
Visit Random House Children’s Books
Visit Carl-Johan.com
Good luck and thank you for stopping by!