Ready to Learn Mom

Put bedtime bugaboos — and your kids — to rest with these expert solutions.

Evening rituals help teach children when it’s time to go to sleep.

Problem: Your child gets up repeatedly after you’ve put him to bed, calling, “Mom, I need a glass of water.”

Why it happens: Kids make bedtime curtain calls for many reasons. Preschoolers may be asserting their independence: “You can’t make me stay in bed!” Or they stall because they’re afraid of the dark. The most common reason, though, is that you’ve slipped from a consistent routine you had when they were babies.

How to rest easy: Before-bed routines are important for children of all ages, says Lynn D’Andrea, M.D., director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, in Wauwatosa. “Kids start to think, I’ve done my routine — now it’s bedtime,” she says. The evening ritual could be as simple as reading your child a story and wishing him a good night. Another tool is a bedtime pass, a card your child can turn in for one nighttime request. Preschoolers also benefit from rewards (like extra playground time) for staying put.

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Tags: activities for kids, empower family, good night's sleep