My grandkids fight bedtime with their parents. They fall asleep in minutes for me, and I try not to be smug about it.
My adult kids hand bedtime over to me when they're exhausted. As a grandmother, I've learned that staying calm and consistent helps kids settle.
My grandkids often battle bedtime with their parents. When they finally drift off to sleep, I find the task rather effortless. The author often takes over for the parents when their children have difficulty falling asleep. Following the parents' routines, she remains composed and adjusts to each child's individual needs. She sometimes walks out of the room with a sleeping grandchild just minutes after entering.
This skill comes easily to her, as she believes it may be a trait inherited from her mother. Recently, she offered to help her son and daughter-in-law, who were struggling with their bedtime. After putting the child to bed, the author read on her phone until he fell asleep, with no fuss or crying. This experience is not unique to her; her exasperated children frequently ask her to help put their kids to sleep during visits.
She tries not to react smugly to their astonishment, understanding that she is the "Grand-maman" who puts the children to sleep. Her strategies include following the parents' lead and sticking to their established routines. Bathtime, quiet time, dark rooms, pacifiers, bottles, soft blankets, and special plushies are essential elements of these routines.
After completing the preliminaries, she sits in a rocking chair, employing a variety of sensory rhythmic patterns to help the child settle. If the child fusses, she remains gentle but firm, using her tricks to prevent the situation from escalating. She considers factors such as whether the child is overtired or not tired enough, their last sleep duration, and whether they are feeling well.
For older kids, negotiation is necessary, and she offers them reasons to be quiet, proposes reading a story or playing a calming meditation, and lays beside them in a quiet, dimly lit room. Consistency is key, and she adapts her approach for each child, remembering that different strategies work for different little folks. Her ultimate goal is to create a calming bedtime experience for all children.
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