Sleep - what a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, if you're like me, it's a rare occurrence that it happens. It's not that my kids are bad sleepers - they actually do quite well - but between homework, housework, the business, the blog, and the occasional interruptions during the night sleep has become a much needed, but lacking, essential at the Kerr house. Because we are learning as we go, things aren't perfect but here are some tips that we have learned to help our kids, and us, sleep better.
1. Keep them dry - for the little ones this means a clean diaper right before bed. For the older, it means no drinks after dinner is over. I'm sure this will change as they continue to grow but for now, it helps us get through the night without accidents and the accompanying middle of the night sheet changes.
2. Keep them warm - for some of you this may not be a problem but because we live in a cold area, keeping the kids warm at night can be a challenge. We use swaddles for the little ones and footed pajamas for the older crowd. Mom and dad also check right before they go to bed to make sure no one has kicked their covers off - just to be safe.
3. Have a routine - it doesn't have to be fancy, but do the same thing every night before bed. At our house this involves pajamas, potty, teeth brushing, prayer, potty again, and then getting tucked in. It's simple but all the kids know exactly what to do and how to get it done which makes my stress much less.
4. Cut off those naps - yes, all my kids still take naps (even my first grader). While I love this nap time one thing I have learned is that if my kids sleep too late they have a much harder time going to sleep at night. Yes, there are occasions where we let this happen but on an average day my kids are required to be in their beds at 1:00 and if they are not up at 3:00 I go get them. For me, waking them up is hard but well worth it because I know that at 3:00 they have had enough time to sleep and will still have enough time to play so they sleep in the evening. I'm also going to note that this has also helped us at nap time - they know if they play around instead of going to sleep they won't get the nap they need because mom will wake them up when time is over.
5. Go to bed yourself - this is the hardest part for me but, you have to go to bed. Some days I crash right after the kids do but I'm learning that this is ok. Yes, I often stay up to work or even just spend some quite time but if I listen to my body and make sure I get enough sleep we are all a much happier family.
If you'd like some more great sleep tips - these from an expert - then you should check out this amazing book by The Sleep Lady. You can find it using the link on the photo - or you can enter to win it as part of our Pampers prize package below.
Another great place to find sleep tips will be during the Pampers Twitter party tomorrow. We would like to invite you to please join
Pampers and The Sleep Lady on March 3rd at 9 pm EST to learn about the best ways parents can help their little ones transition to Daylight Savings Time. It's going to be a great chat!
And now, for the giveaway.
Prize Package includes:
Dr Kim West's Book
Moth Supply of Pampers - Size 6
Month Supply of Pampers Wipes
Cloud B Twilight Turtle
To enter, simply use the form below. Good luck!
This review and giveaway was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.
It's time to get back to reading at the Kerr house. It's been fun this year because B has turned into an excellent reader. Recently we have been trying to find new books for him to read to keep his vocabulary growing.
