This is a follow up from a blog titled "Power Play for Caregivers - Please Just Sleep"
"What do kids need to go to sleep? Basic question. Basic answer? Routine. Because their sweet, little brain cannot understand the complexities of life, they live in the physical world that they can understand. This is why they have to lick the toy, slap the cereal bowl, eat their boogers, pick up the expensive glass thing in the store and why we do things like slap their hand to teach them something is dangerous and off limits. Kids live through physical experience. Sleep is no different. They do not know that the number on the clock means they need to close their eyes or else they will be difficult and cranky tomorrow when you have cupcakes to bake and an early meeting in the morning."
So, since we've all read the previous blog and we know kids need routine to help set their sleep clocks we're now going to go over a few sleep time hindrances that may be lurking around your house.
We sleep in the night. Mostly. Do a quick room check sometime before bed to see what your child's sleep space looks like. Turn off all the lights, turn on the night light, flip on the radio, make sure the monitors are on, do whatever you do for your child when they go to sleep. Then get in their bed and take a look around. Is it bright? Too bright? Are their any blinking lights? Street lights? A quick study of my child's room included a green light on the light switch dimmer, a blue light on the sound machine, a bright green light on each child's video monitor, a blue light on the air filter, another green light on the fire alarm, and our neighbor's garage light peeking through the curtains. Our children do fine with this, but I would not. In my own room I took a light colored fingernail polish and painted the green light on our dimmer. I need a dark room. I do not have a bed side clock for the same reason. Point is some kids are very sensitive to light. Do a quick check, ask them if it bothers them (if they can convey that to you) and eliminate that as a source of sleep time interruptions. Great article and video from Everyday Health on light source sleep disruptions Light Before Sleep = Sleeping Light
Are they hungry? When my son was born I was told, "fill him up and he will sleep." Turns out it worked. Now he is school age. The rule in our house is if you didn't eat dinner and are hungry then you are out of luck. This makes for a slightly miserable night for us, but next day guess what? They eat dinner. A trainer at my gym suggests oatmeal as a late night snack. Very filling and healthier than say...saltines or goldfish. How do you deal with growth spurts/hungry children in the night?
Is "tomorrow" a problem? I've learned not to discuss super exciting or scary/new things right before bed. When we start out bedtime routine (see previous blog) all discussion of "tomorrow" stops. Bringing up the circus, fair, street races, night as Grandma's, park play date, new school, moving day, etc. at bedtime does nothing to relax their imaginative brains.
Did they sleep too late in the day? If my daughter naps later than 4:00 it will be a late bedtime for sure. This just takes a little bit of practice of knowing your child and the stage they are in. Some where between ages 1 and 2 most children will begin combining two naps and only taking one. If you are still asking them to take a late nap when they don't need it you may be causing your own sleep time issues. Easiest way to combat this? Run them out. Burn it off. Exercise the demons. Outdoor play time. Check the bottom of the post for indoor and outdoor games!
And the close, the best for last, my favorite bedtime trick DO NOT MAKE YOUR CHILD GO TO SLEEP. Even though they are short they are still human. What happens when I say, "do not think of a huge purple elephant with yellow spots?" What about, "Do not press the big red button?" Same thing when God said, "Do not eat of that tree." We do the opposite of what we are told. So, when you say, "Good night, go to sleep." What does that do? It gives your child permission to do anything BUT fall asleep. I prefer redirecting. Try this and let me know how it goes..."Aw gee son, can't sleep? That's OK. Try laying in bed and counting to 100." Or, sing your ABC's, sing any song, say prayers (1 thing they are worried about, 2 people they love, and 3 things they are happy about), give them ideas of what to dream about, try naming all the students in their class, build an imaginary castle or doll house in their head (ask them in the morning what they made it's pretty cool what they come up with), remember a favorite vacation spot, and the list goes on. The idea is to put their mind at rest and free it up to fad away into La La Land. I personally pick a new craft project or home improvement project and then try to map it out in my mind. Works every time.
Indoor and Outdoor Games
{B}'s Games
Bouncy Ball
We use actual rubber bouncy balls or ping pong balls. Bounce them all over the house, given every child one and have them bounce to the next person all at the same time, try to balance the ball on a head, foot, or back of hand, grab a few buckets and see if the players can bounce the balls into them...tons of ideas and this works both indoor or outdoor.
Make Me Believe
Have the parent or another child gather up a smattering of odd and everyday items and place them before the story teller. The teller must create a story using the objects before them. Make it more difficult for older children by giving them a historical date, event, or figure to center the story around.
Number Tag
This game can be played indoor or outdoor and can have a number of variations created on the spot. It can also travel almost anywhere. Basics you will need; a piece of chalk or 8x10 cards with numbers on them, a die or numbered flash cards, and at least two players. If you are using a die, write the numbers 1-6 randomly around the area with chalk or place cards with numbers randomly around the area but make sure their is one set of numbers for every player. One person roles the die and calls out the number. Runners must race to tag that number. For example, if the die lands on 6 each runner must find a number 6. If the numbers are written on flash cards for the caller then the numbers for the runners must correspond. If the caller has the numbers 1-15 then there must be multiple sets of the numbers 1-15 placed around the area.
To keep all players engaged give them each a die. They all role at the same time and run to the number that they role (taking the die with them when they run). Once each runner has found a number they all role and run again.
Once running from number to number has worn down in fun have the caller shout out a verb with the number For example, "walk backward to number 6" or "skip to number 2."
For older kids make the cards for the caller with math facts and numbers for the runners can be the corresponding answers. When the caller shouts 4+3 the runners must find a number 7.
A little more in depth game would be using a spelling list. Have the student write their words on note cards or scratch paper and then scatter them around the area. The caller can pick a word from the vocabulary list and the runners must find that word. First person to the word gets to the be the caller.
The following games came from Parents.com
Masking-Tape Marvels
Who would have thought that a humble roll of masking tape could provide so much fun? Make a hopscotch pattern or mock balance beam on the living room floor. Or have your child color pieces of tape with markers and use them to "design" his own T-shirt. My personal favorite: the invisible dollhouse. Lay down a "floor plan" on the rug, and furnish the house with doll furniture.
Barbie Beach Party
Grab a collection of bikini-clad Barbies, beach towels (wash cloths), sunscreen (baby lotion), and perhaps a yacht or two (some Tupperware), and head for some fun in the tub. Hint: most Barbies really dig the diving board (faucet). My daughter's opinion: Sunglasses and a tropical beverage (iced juice in a sippy cup) make the experience tantamount to a holiday in St. Tropez
Disco Down
Disco has been dead and resurrected so many times, I'm not sure if it's in or out anymore. But I do know that young kids love to dance to it, even if they think that "Bee Gees" is some sort of sugary snack you've been denying them. Dim the lights, close the blinds, hand each child a flashlight (for the full disco effect) and a small scarf to twirl around. Cue up some classic tunes like "Dancing Queen," by ABBA, and "I Will Survive," by Gloria Gaynor, and watch the disco magic unfold.
(In my house we call them "dance parties" and I try to play a large mix of music; including the CD I bought off street performers in Italy)
Bowl-a-Rama
Small, empty water bottles and a rubber ball are all you need to transform the family room into a bowling alley -- sans silly shoes, of course. Six bottles should suffice for bowling pins; if the bottles fall over too easily, fill them up with a little water or dry pasta for some extra weight
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