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And just for kicks-

Ok, go to the bathroom before you watch this video-

Ok, today's comment game- What is your favorite tip to getting the kids to bed at a decent time? Not that I need HALP or anything. ;)

Love you & your good lookin' self,

Alli

Comments

[CaraM]

Well I certainly need the HALP - little man is STILL UP at 8:45pm!
I can't wait to read the tips!

[Lisa@BlessedwithGrace]

LOL, thanks for sharing. You find the funniest stuff.

[alison]

i set a time about 15-30 minutes (depending on the age of the kid) prior to bedtime where they can just read in bed. that way they're in bed and getting some reading done, or we're reading to them, and we can just turn off lights at the proper time. it really quiets them down. of course teeth have to be brushed & all that first.

[melissa @ the inspired room]

Picking self off the floor after laughing my head off at that accident. Holy smokes. I felt guilty for laughing so hard.

Now, for bedtime help. Timers. Use timers. We set them for everything. Otherwise I get caught up in something and forget it is time for toothbrushing, jammies, story reading, lights out, whatever. When they hear the timer, they know it is time. Sometimes we tape a note to the timer so we remember what the timer was for. That is how bad it gets around our house sometimes. :-) And we only have one child left to manage. We need serious timer HALP! My hubby even sets them for me to get off the computer. {slinking away in embarrassment after that admission}.

xoxo

[Felicity]

My parents used to dip a win cork into the wine and give it to us kids to suck on and we'd fall asleep. In short, they'd get us tosted... hehe

[Valarie Lea]

I have no tips, its 8:50 and he is still up, it will probably take another 30 mins or so to get him to go to bed.

[bejewell]

God, I love to watch people eat it.

I realize this makes me a terrible person. But so be it.

[Mrs.D]

serious about the wine cork? that's odd.

anyway, it's just set in stone around here: bath @ 8:00, pick up room/toys, remaining time is for last minute play or reading, 8:25 teethbrushing time, 8:00 is lights out. period.

of course, I am not a total nazi, I allow him to watch a dvd as he's falling asleep. gets him quiet, chilled, and zoned out. works like magic.

[Mrs. D]

oops, I meant 8:30 is lights out. sorry!

[Amy]

Well, this is either going to make me the Most Popular Mommyblogger EVAH, or it's going to get me crucified, but here goes...

I was reading online, and I ran across an article that talked about using Melatonin with kids who have visual disabilities to help them sleep - because they don't see light and dark, their circadian rhythms get all fouled up, and it causes problems (google - blind child melatonin). The original article I read also talked about using it with kids with other sorts of developmental disabilities and delays.

Well, my kid isn't delayed, but she is a horrible sleeper. From the day she was born she was wide awake and wide eyed and did NOT sleep like a normal baby. When our second child was born, and slept normally, we used to check her pulse all the time, because we were so unused to a baby who slept. My mom said we were hilarious, and that I was the same as my sleepless daughter when I was a baby...

So, after reading the article, I did some research, and I TALKED TO MY DOCTOR and he green-lighted a little one-person clinical trial. My husband and I both tried melatonin first, so we knew that the odds of her being sensitive to it (in a bad/allergic way) were slim. We also knew that it worked well, and that it didn't leave us groggy or loopy the next morning. After we'd used it successfully, as needed, for about 6 months, and once the younger baby (1.5 yrs.) started sleeping through the night, but the older child, now 3, still wasn't, we gave it a shot...

Our previous evening routine went like this: play, dinner, bath, jammies, brush teeth, 2 stories while I lay with her in her bed, lay there for another 1.5 - 2 hours waiting for her to go to sleep (usually falling asleep myself, which really is bad for the marriage).

Our new evening routine goes like this: play, dinner, bath, jammies, brush teeth, take 3 mg. Melatonin, 2 stories while I lay with her in her bed, lay there for another 10-15 minutes waiting for her to fall asleep, get up and blog. :)

In other words, she's not passing out, and we still have our routine with our snuggling, etc. - she's not magically going to bed on her own - but it's a MUCH more manageable, MUCH more sane routine than the 90 - 120 minutes (quite literally) that we were spending before.

We tried letting her stay up until she passed out and she would just be miserable the next day. We tried skipping nap, and she'd be miserable in the evening. We tried waking her up at the same time every day, and going to bed at the same time every night, and NOTHING worked.

Melatonin works. Talk to your doctor, first. 3 mg. Look up the studies. It's cheap, and it's good stuff.

Please don't roast me, I'm a good mother, and I really don't overmedicate my kids.

Amy @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

[Alli {Mrs. Fussypants}]

Man, y'all RAWK!

[Kim H.]

Okay, seriously, that clip was HILARIOUS - something I'd totally yell at my kids for laughing over - but I'm sorry, the noises. She sounded like a walrus mating - if you can imagine that.

Anyway, I'm always looking for advice with bedtime routines - we're to the point where we have big kids now who don't go to bed when the little kids want them too. That's our big struggle. The little one will wait up there until his big brother joins him in the room - and of course day, little brother is a MESS. I'd love to hear other Mom's advice on this situation.

I do know this - I'm definitely all about routine, routine, routine. Baths, stories, snuggle time - and often times we do it right after dinner. Like we clear the table and head right up to start the routine with the three younger ones. Since we're almost back in school, I'm back to early bedtime routines. The earlier the better. I don't think it's unreasonable to start at 6:45 - so they're all ready to be in bed by 7:45 and asleep by 8.

If all else fails, there's always duct tape!

[Krissy]

Stick to a schedule and don't fail to recognize the cheap tricks they like to pull...like going to the bathroom for the 400th time, getting drinks, complaining of lights, bedding and anything that could possibly agitate a child (good luck on that one....it sucks!)

Also, a reward system for being to bed at a certain time. For instance, if they are in bed and don't get up for stupid reasons, they get a quarter.

[Annie]

My only tip is whatever you think is a reasonable time? - Make it earlier.

My kids are almost 4 and almost 2 - so this may be totally inappropriate for your older kids - obviously.

We are done with the washing, jammies and teethbrushing at 7pm. Then they get stories. 2 year old goes down at 7:15 without any issues (such a good wee boy :) ) - His sister goes in to bed at 7:30. She still uses stalling tactics and tries to come out. We gently put her back into bed for as many times as it takes - but she is out cold by 8pm at the latest.

[kel]

Bed time has never really been a problem...she does get to watch a movie though so that probably helps and if she doesn't stay in bed (which was likely when she was younger)it would get turned off. Typically though, she'll watch some of it and then roll over and fall asleep so...

~K

[It All Started With a Kiss]

Love the Breastfeeding Rocks baby! Perfect expression on his little face!
Getting kids to bed at a decent time? What? I don't know that of which you speak of.

Funny story- soon after #6 was born, I was complaining to hubby how tired I was and that we hadn't even started getting everyone to bed that night. We decided to just go to bed with the baby and see what the other 5 did. They *GASP* played until they noticed, whispered amongst themselves in sheer awe, and then PUT THEMSELVES TO BED. We giggled the whole time like we had won the lottery. It was BETTER than winning the lottery!

I joined your Life Doesn't Suck As Much As I THought!

[Colleen - Mommy Always Wins]

A letter to my 18-mo-old:
http://mommyalwayswins.blogspot.com/2008/08/to-my-cutie-patootie-with-ghetto-booty.html

[Colleen - Mommy Always Wins]

Dang it - should have put all of this in one comment, sorry...

Fave tip on bedtime? Don't let Grandma do it. The kids know they can get their way with her, and before you know it, they're on story #4 and its 9pm and...you get the idea...

I've been BLESSED with two great sleepers!

[water works]

We're pretty much sticklers about bedtimes. I have a ten year old that could still take a two hour nap daily, so we have to get him in bed ON TIME. We do the bath and teeth routines between 7 and 7:30. By 7:30, the younger two are in bed, with a small cup of water at the bedside. (We've never had bed wetting issues, so this is okay for us). After prayers, stories, a little chat, they are tucked in and nightlights and soothing cd's are turned on. Each child is allowed ONE trip out of bed to talk to us. You know they always "forget" something or "need" something. Rather than argue or yell about it...we give them one free trip. Any additional trips cost them 10 minutes each off the next night's bedtime.

The oldest likes to wander to his room about 7:45 to read. Around 8:15, one parent heads upstairs to kiss, tuck, reassure him. And that parent checks on those other two. Ususally, this all works like a charm and we have a quiet house before 8:30. I love that!

[Jackie W transplanted Okie (Buried in Legos)]

http://tinyurl.com/6g5leo

[Dawn]

Well...it goes like this....
I say goodnight and they go to sleep.

"Because I said so...."

I'm my mother's daughter!

And that video was so funny ....

because I said so!

[Summer]

Well, duct tape seems to work pretty good for bedtime.

I kid! I actually have mine do a few minutes of quite sitting and breathing, sort of meditation for little ones. It helps calm them down and makes bedtime a easier transition.

[Heather @ Not a DIY Life]

Oh, that video was funny! I always laugh when someone gets hurt - is that bad of me?

Anyway, bedtime help.... We're not there yet. But I work hard at LB getting a good nap so that she's not over tired and going into meltdown at bedtime.

[MW]

I can't believe anyone could laugh at that clip - maybe I am too much of a softy but all I wanted to know was if that poor woman was alright.

And a bedtime tip - keep a big stick by the door and threaten to wallop them with it if they so much as think about getting out of bed. (So much for being a softy!)

Seriously though, you've been given all the tips I know but just for good measure I'd say that the consistent bedtime routine is the best way to go. A cup of warm milk before bed can help too.

[Helen G.]

Benadryl....

No, seriously, you've gotten so many good comments I'll just add a quick story...
A friend told me that her husband's mom always put on classical music at bedtime. Now in his fifties, put on the classical music and he's sleeping in no time. That would save a bunch of money in sleep aids, but hell if you wanted a night out at the symphony.

[Terri]

ohmygosh; the audio from that video is freakin' hilarious I mean I feel bad for that woman but when they did the slow mo audio I laughed out loud it was soooooo funny.

[Mandy]

Oh wow. I too feel guilty for laughing so uncontrollably hard at that clip. Wowee! *tear*
And there is no way that this mother of two could EVER claim to help superwoman herself with a bedtime routine. Good luck, dear! I'll pray for you. ha ha! How's that?

[Mandy]

And Yay! I never thought my silly comment would make the poll! I feel like a rawk stah! ;-D

[(another) Alison]

I need some help on the bedtimes myself, and I've only got two, not five! I'm going to check out the melatonin Amy, as I've got one of those highly resistant to sleep kiddos too. I applaud all those who can manage the sleep issue by being really consistent with routine but somehow that isn't working for us.