Still writing...

The latest column on bedtimes...

Kindergartener. Say it with me. Yep, I have one. My son is going to be a kindergartener. We have several adjustments ahead of us, but adjusting from the not so strict bedtime; to being rested for a school day is one I want to get handle on.
Teaching the kiddos good sleep habits has been one of my most deliberate parenting choices. I have read a bunch of books and followed my heart and happy to report I have three pretty good sleepers. Respecting the fact that I probably have little to do with what kind of sleepers my babes are, and that all mamas have to do what feels right for them, I will try to steer away from my soap box. But let’s all agree sleep is undeniably important.
We shoot for 10-11 hours of sleep. And naps are out of the question according to my guy. With the increased demand on school aged children and little time for naps, I will follow his lead. However, unbeknownst to him I added that hour into his night time rest. We have established some routines at our house in an effort to reduce difficulties falling asleep and with some luck bedtime resistance. You know that endless bedtime thirst and one more hug and kiss (though I will be sad when that one goes away).
I did a little more research and found that there are two ways to help your kiddos prepare for school bedtime; waking them up earlier and sending them to bed earlier.
So here is how I am going to tackle this school-time bedtime schedule. Wanting to be consistent I plan to keep our current routine (don’t reinvent the wheel, right) and just shift the current 8:30ish bedtime back by 15 minutes every couple of days, until we get closer to 7:45. Also, feeding them breakfast right when they wake-up, I hope will get them going earlier.
Consistency, time, and knowing it may take a couple of weeks for my kindergartener to become accustomed to a structured bedtime routine are my tools. We have so much to look forward to this school year.