Bananas in pyjamas! How do you get your kids sleep without any dramas?

Different children have different needs and there are tons of ways or approaches that we learn every day when it comes to dealing with kids.

Raising up a child at an early stage or probably in his/her growing up years can be a very challenging task a parent could ever have. I have come to realize that being a parent is not easy and that it is a very important and crucial role because it is up to us how we will be able to raise up a good and decent child that will soon grow up and become some one in the future. They usually say that family is the backbone of the society. This is were we first learn about responsibility, respect and teamwork.

When my son was still a baby, during the first year, we did not much have that challenge as much as most first parents did. My son’s sleeping habits were normal and we had a few countable sleepless nights. However, now that he is turning three, I noticed that there seems to be a habitual scene occurring before bedtime.

We all need a decent night’s sleep to be able to function properly during the day, and children need to rest for them to recharge most especially they are at their growing years.

Ideal bedtime

If I can still recall, during my childhood, my father would strictly require us to sleep early during the night and take a nap in the afternoon because he believes that it would help us grow taller. However, we refused sleeping early or taking our nap during the day because we wanted to mostly play and be active all the time. It is funny, now that we were adult, I always find myself wanting a much needed sleep even during the day. Well, I asked my cousin, who happens to be a nurse and a mom of two, what is the ideal sleeping hours for children. She told me that children aged up to five requires ten to twelve at night, while during the day, ideally, they need up to two hours. Those aged up to ten years old should be getting nine to eleven hours.

Bedtime routines

Our usual routine at night, he eats dinner at 6:30 in the evening. Then we clean, brush his teeth and change to pyjamas. Around 7:30 pm, we are both at bed and say our prayers before sleeping. I usually tell him stories before bedtime. Then he sleeps.

But lately, it is a bit challenging for me.

• He is not sleeping on time anymore. Normally, he sleeps latest 8:30pm.
• He cries before bedtime and I do not know why he does it because there is no reason.

As a working parent during the day, I sometimes find it tiring and irritating every time he does it at night. I find it always a challenge to lengthen my patience because I understand that they are just children but human as I am, sometime we can't get hold of our temper and it feels like it’s just too much. Well, I am working on that particular skill or technique of staying firm and not getting angry at the same time. I know it’s not always as simple as that.

What helps me lately in a situation like this?

Reward system- this has been effective for a short time but not all the time but I still try it before doing the second option. I usually tell him before he goes to bed that if he continues to sleep on time without crying for three consecutive days, he will get a surprise from me.

Controlled crying- leaving them to cry or grumble. I usually let him cry (if several alternative options have been provided) until he gets tired and he stops. By then he usually says, “I am sorry, mama.” He keeps quiet and in a few minutes he sleeps.

I realized that these are vital in being a parent

1. Commitment
2. Consistence
3. Perseverance
4. Patience

Children are blessings and they bring great joy most especially after a tiring day at work. They bring a lot of happiness in our home. Though sometimes they can bring you in the brink of insanity, at the end of the day, there is still no greater reward receiving the most geniune hugs, kisses and I love you’s from this cute little monster tike.

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The first photo is taken using my old phone samsung and all other photos taken using my iPhone

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