“Let him sleep, for when he wakes, he will move mountains.” -Napoleon
That Napoleon sure knew what he was talking about. A child who gets sleep is a happy child, and that means you are one happy parent.
Sleep can be a real stressor for parents. Just as you seem to have that little one sleeping through the night, they throw you for a loop and end up waking every hour. Don’t worry, it will change again soon.
Until then, just keep on with a great bedtime routine to help your little one get the best start to sleep that they can. Here are some ideas for you to help your little one doze off to neverland a bit more smoothly.
Clean up with a bath
A bath not only gets the sand off their feet and makes their hair smell yummy, but the warm bath can also help to induce a tad bit of sleepiness. Use the bath time to play games, rinse away the day, and send them to bed clean and happy.
Massage magic
After the bath give your little one an infant massage. The massage could last anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. Take cues from your little one; if he or she loves it, keep it up. This works really well after a bath, and can help with irritability and even tummy aches.
Talk story
For the older keiki, use bedtime as a time to catch up and talk story about how their day was and what they hope to accomplish the next day. Ask them to share a wish or dream and make it a ritual.
Spray monster spray
If you have a little one who is afraid of monsters, create your own monster spray concoction to ward them off. Just mix water, lavender essential oils, and maybe some sparkles in a spray bottle. Spray this before you leave the room to ward off any “boogie monsters” and your little one will love falling asleep to the soothing lavender scent.
Sing a song
Find one or two songs to sing to your keiki every night. Have them join you in the harmony or go it alone. They’ll be sure to remember this for years and years, and perhaps one day they will sing the same songs to their children.
Read a book
Reading books before catching zzzzz’s is a long-time bedtime ritual. As the kids get older, let them read the books to you. A good book before bedtime can help evoke dreams. It can also help the kids think of something else besides missing you once you say aloha to them for the night.
