The Importance of Bedtime Stories and a Goodnight Routine.
As parents, we play a major part in shaping the environment our little ones grow up in. Especially through the toddler years, when their world views start to form. Toddler bedtime routines are an important aspect of their environment that should not be overlooked.
There’s so much more to bedtime than putting little ones in a bed and hoping they stay until morning! So let’s talk about the importance of bedtime stories and a goodnight routine.
Memories Are What Make Us
If you ask someone to think back on their childhood, memories are often fuzzy or vague. But, if you REALLY think about it, there are ones that stand out to us. Those memories say a lot about who we are as adults.
Happy memories usually come from good experiences and cause us to respond positively, while sad memories come from bad experiences that have effected us negatively.
Some of those memories are of a bedtime experience or a goodnight routine.
For a more thorough explanation of memories and core beliefs, check out this AMAZING post by Mel B. over at Everyday In Between!
Not All Bedtime Routines Look the Same
I want to start by sharing with you the toddler bedtime routine I had as a child. And how it influenced me. As well as the importance of bedtime stories to my own little ones, and our goodnight routine.
But, before we get too far, I just want to say that this toddler bedtime routine post may not be exactly what you’re expecting. I’m not here to give you the perfect routine that will solve every bedtime problem.
In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s no such thing as the perfect bedtime routine! All children are different and need different approaches.
Instead, I’m here to challenge your perspective and how you view your goodnight routine. Structure and schedules are great! But, I think the importance of bedtime stories and routines goes beyond that.
Goodnight Routine: Then
I have vivid memories of my dad giving us “horsie rides” down the hall to our beds. He would invite us to climb onto his back. Do a few laps around the room. Try “bucking” us off a few times. And head to the bedroom, tuck us in, and kiss us goodnight. Then me and my sis would lay in bed while we talked and laughed until falling asleep.
Only now that I’m a parent do I realize how difficult it must have been. Crawling across the house on his hands and knees with two squirming toddlers on his back! But, he did it, night after night! WHY?!
The simple answer is, because it got us into our beds. But there was so much more to it than that. (Even if he didn’t realize it!)
Are Toddler Bedtime Routines Really That Important?
Rather than just closing us in our rooms, my parents took the time to make it an enjoyable experience for us.
Have you ever noticed how many suspense or horror movies involve the dark or a bedroom?! I’m willing to bet that most of those scripts started out as a childhood fear. Dark rooms filled with strange sounds and creepy shadows are the stuff of nightmares! And I know I’m not the only kid who made a mad dash through the dark on trash night!
If the darkness affects us so much as adults, how much more terrifying must it be for our little ones? Who’s imaginations haven’t been limited by logic or reasoning.
Having a goodnight routine that provides comfort, safety, and joy is one way that we can help our little ones battle some of those fears. And also create bonds of trust and love with each other.
Creating an Atmosphere
This is where the importance of bedtime stories comes in. We wouldn’t tuck in our little one’s with the scariest stories we know. Because that would only prolong their sleeplessness. (And probably result in several tear filled sleep intermissions throughout the night.)
Instead we tell them soothing stories filled with lovable, kind, calm characters. The importance of bedtime stories is that they create a calm environment for sleep. Rather than the fearful nightmares our kids are so quick to imagine.
Goodnight Routine: Now
After having my own little ones, I was quick to empathize with them about nighttime fright! Growing up with a twin sister, I was rarely ever alone in a room at night. That, paired with my parents fun goodnight routine, left me with a sense of comfort and safety that I longed for in my own toddler bedtime routines.
Shortly after we transitioned my oldest into his own room, I knew my crippling empathy wasn’t going to allow the cry it out method. Not that it’s a bad method, it just wasn’t for me. So I started trying different goodnight routines.
That’s when I realized the importance of bedtime stories in our goodnight routine. I found that reading to my little ones worked the best for us! By reading stories, I got to spend special time with my little one, while also creating an environment that made him feel safe.
Most nights, he was fast asleep before I had even finished the book. As he got older, the books had to get a little longer. But, having that time with him was something I will always remember. And, hopefully, so will he.
Our Goodnight Routine Made All the Difference!
Before discovering the importance of bedtime stories in toddler bedtime routines, our goodnight routine was filled with tears and frustration. I was doing everything “they” said I was supped to. So why did I feel so terrible every night?!
I was asking my little one to sleep in a dark room all alone. (Something that would still terrify me!) And then try to soothe or comfort himself out of that fear.
One night, I sat listening to him cry and realized something. There would be many days when he would be upset and I would be powerless to help. But, this wasn’t one of those days. There was a middle ground. A way for me to get him in his own room and help him feel safe and comforted.
Not long after that, his little brother joined him in the room. And he got to be a part of our goodnight routine! We still make adjustments to our toddler bedtime routines, but I have definitely learned the importance of bedtime stories for my little ones!
Goodnight!
Like I mentioned earlier, this probably wasn’t the post you were expecting. But, hopefully, I’ve been able to give a different perspective on the topic. Rather than just repeating something you’ve already heard!
What are your thoughts on toddler bedtime routines? Have you found something that works super well with your little ones?! I would love to hear about it in the comments!
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