BEDTIME ROUTINES Bedtime Routines for Younger Children
by Lorna McGrath & Tim Seldin An excerpt from their upcoming book Montessori for Everyone
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he type of sleeping arrangements for infants and toddlers are debatable and based on the family’s beliefs, cultural background, and values. In Montessori-inspired homes, we strive to help our children become independent even for sleeping arrangements. So, while there are no strict rules for sleeping arrangements, we do want to help our children to be able to settle themselves and sleep on their own. Often, during the first few months of an infant's life, they sleep in a bassinet in the same room as their parents. The bassinet is a small cozy space for a newborn and convenient for night feedings. It doesn’t take long for an infant to outgrow the bassinet and move onto a floor bed or into a crib in another room. Many parents choose a floor bed instead of a crib for their infants. The floor bed is basically a small mattress that may or may not have a frame to lift it a few inches off the floor. A floor bed allows for more independent movement when they begin to crawl and climb. It also eliminates the need for the interim use of a crib between bassinet and a bed that is higher up and has no sides. If you do choose a crib, when your toddler begins to try to climb out, it's time to put the sides down so that they can safely get in and out of the crib. The next step in bedding may be a mattress on the floor, a junior bed, or a regular size twin bed. The decision is up to you to decide what’s best for your child.
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A gate in the bedroom doorway or closing the door helps them to stay in their room during this transition. You must be sure that the room is set up in such a way that they will be totally safe if they are awake and alone in the room. Even infants and toddlers can be overstimulated by lots of activity, screen time, or noise in the house before going down for the night. After the evening meal, you will want to choose activities that will soothe and settle rather than excite them. A warm bath, a story, or just snuggle time in a rocking chair all can help them to be ready for sleep. Be cautious about using a motorized swing or rocking with you holding them. They are good for calming, but you want to put your child in their bed before they actually fall asleep so that they become used to being in bed and falling asleep on their own. If they should awaken during the night, and it’s not time for feeding or changing a diaper, go to their room quietly, but don’t pick them up. Instead, wait a minute or two and see if they can settle back down by themselves. If you feel that your child needs your help, gently talk to them. Tell them that it is still night and time for sleep. Sit next to the crib for a few minutes while they settle back to sleep. Winding down from active play to quiet, calm for sleeping can be difficult when children, who have been playing one minute are suddenly told that it is time to go to sleep the next. One solu-
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