Best tips for parents


Susan Epstein, Parent Coach's Answers To Bedtime Problems

Do you dread bedtime? Does your child- Buy a portable timer.
call to you after you have already read- Buy or make a special pillow or
3 stories, plus 2 and checked forstuffed toy-
monsters and lined up the stuffedTonight:
animals and made sure that the door was- Before dinner, tell your child that
ajar in exactly the correct position tothere will be a new bedtime plan. Give
your child's specifications? Does yourthem the pillow or stuffed animal and
child get out of bed over and over untiltell them that this is their very own
you are both exhausted and your child isMagical Protection. It keeps monsters
crying?out of kid's rooms and helps kids get
Does your child demand that you lie downcomfy and fall asleep very fast.
with her/him? And stay there until your- 10 minutes before bedtime, tell you
child falls asleep? Do you find yourselfchild they get to choose 2 to 3 stories,
drifting off and waking up two hourstheir choice, but no more. After you
later in your child's bed? Or worse,read each story repeat "ok that was
when you try to sneak out, does yournumber_ story we have _ left."
child wake up and demand that you- Tuck your child in. Tell your child
return? Or do you wake up in your ownthat you have a timer and are going to
bed and notice the extra little bodyset the timer to go off in 5 minutes and
sleeping peaceful beside you?that you are going to return and make
If any of this sounds familiar then yousure that the Magical Protector is doing
are probably waking up exhausted in thehis/her job.
morning, dragging yourself through your- When you go back, reassure your child
day and dreading this evening when itthat s/he is safe and tell them you will
all starts again.be back again in 6 minutes. Keep going
How would you like to be able to tuckback and start spacing out the checking.
your child into bed with a night time- If your child gets out of bed, calmly
kiss and have the rest of the night forwalk him/her back to bed and repeat from
you? And, how would you like to wake upthe beginning.
feeling rested and refreshed the next- If your child ends up in your bed same
morning?drill. (I know you are tired!) Do it
And how would you like to have enoughanyway.
energy to make it through your dayThe average time it takes to retrain
without needing a nap? And look forwardyour child is about 3 days. Sometimes
to bedtime with your child?more and sometimes less. The less you
Follow these instructions:give in the quicker your successs will
Today:be and the more rested and peaceful you
- Remove the TV's from your child'swill feel!
bedroom.



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