Kid’s Bedtime Routine When You’re On Your Own

Lately James has been traveling a fair amount. And to be honest, it’s hard to fly solo. I give all you single parents out there ALL the credit. You do this on a day to day basis, but for me I’m use to having help from James. So When he is out of town it’s a whole new ballgame. I try hard to stick to our same routine, but it can be a little tricky. So today I want to share some of my tips for keeping the kid’s bedtime routine the same when I’m single parenting it for a few days.

I have done a post previously on our bedtime routine and this has not changed since Aria was a baby, so four and half years. It has worked for us and they are in bed at the same time every night, except when visiting family. To sum it up, we do dinner then bath or just putting on pajamas. Next we do wind down time. My girls love to watch “songs”, which is the Little Baby Bum you tube videos. We then brush and floss our teeth and finally read stories together or James and I read to them separately (basically whatever Aria is feeling that night).

Kid’s Bedtime Routine When You’re On Your Own

1. Start bedtime routine a little bit earlier than normal. For some reason this is so much easier to pull off when I’m on my own. We just get through things from the day earlier and than can start our routine. I always like to start it early because it can take a little longer doing one and then the other.
2. Communicate with your kids what you plan is. So normally when I put Amelia to bed James is reading with Aria and tucking her in. But, when he is gone I let her know ahead of time that we will wind down, brush/floss/face, and she can watch a few more minutes of songs while I put Amelia to bed. Once I didn’t tell her ahead of time what the plan was and she was upset because I always tuck her in first.
3. Set them and you up for success. Start talking about winding down and getting ready for bed about 30 minutes before you start. This helps them get in the mindset to start settling down and think about going to sleep soon.
4. Let them participate in the bedtime routine. On nights we don’t take a bath I let them clean their own faces, hands and feet. The girls also brush and floss their own teeth. I will go back and help them get anything they’ve missed and I go back through with floss. I have found giving them control over their own routine helps get them excited for their evening activities and smooths that bedtime transition.

We have been pretty lucky when it comes to the girls getting to bed around the same time and really knowing their routine. Kids love routines and consistency. They love knowing what to expect and feel so smart when they know to do something before you even have to tell them.

What are some of your bedtime tips and tricks? Does you kid’s bedtime routine change when you’re on your own?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great week

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