When mothers get together they talk about a variety of issues concerning their children. Behaviour and food are hot subjects. But one I have noticed that almost always takes poll position is the matter of sleep. As you can imagine, everyone has their own opinion and strategy but that’s only because this really is a multi-facted matter, just ask any parent. We talk about the time the little ones go to bed, what type of bed they sleep in or do they sleep in your bed, do you give them milk or water before they go to bed and also if their child wakes up in the middle of the night requesting water or milk. The list goes on, I swear. What I have noticed by engaging with many new mothers is the need for a routine. Georgie has had one since he was six months old and as strange as this may seem, almost every night we follow the same routine. Of course it differs a little as time goes by but we do our best to stick to the the guidelines. If Georgie has had a full day with no napping, our bedtime routine will begin roughly around 5 and finish at 6, when he is ready to hit the sack. He plays in the bath with his dinosaurs and tractor. Then I help him into his pyjamas and finally we read in my bed. My boy is then carried into this dimly lit bedroom where he has some milk and gets into bed. He sleeps up to 12 hours giving papa and me time to enjoy a meal and an evening to ourselves. Establishing healthy sleep habits can do wonders for parents.
