The Bath, Book, Bed routine is once again being highlighted by parenting expert Jo Frost and the BookTrust.
Lack of sleep is one of the hardest parts of being a parent and getting children to sleep can be one of the biggest challenges.
A regular routine is the best way to get children ready for sleep. A simple bath, book, bed routine can be relaxing for both children and parents. It is a time to switch off from technology and create an environment that is just you and the children. Where they have your undivided attention for a while to play before relaxing and having a cuddle. Sharing a story can feed the children’s imagination, creativity and confidence.
This routine is obviously not going to work for everyone and you will need to adapt it to what works for you and your family but it is a fab basis to work around. Lucas will often be a lot more alert after a bath so we tend to do baths in the morning now (although that is becoming increasingly difficult as he doesn’t believe he needs a bath unless he has been swimming and in his own words ‘need to move the chlorine’)
If you don’t think a simple bath book bed routine would work for your child, why not get crafty making a set of worry dolls or dream catchers? You could even make a (placebo) fairy dust or peaceful sleep spray. We made a calm jar which is so simple to do. You simply fill a jar or bottle about a third full with warm water, add some glitter glue and stir to mix it into the water, then you can add some food colouring if you like, add some glitter and fill the bottle up but leave enough space for the water and glitter to move. You can then watch the glitter which is mesmerising and if your child is unsettled, waiting for the glitter to fall to the bottom gives that bit of time out. Lucas really enjoys painting and we find that is a great way for him to relax as he completely focuses on the brush strokes and likes this as a quiet activity.
Every evening we go upstairs and he will wash his face and brush his teeth rather than having a bath and then go into the bedroom and play with his sticker books or do his jigsaws in a quiet calm environment. He takes the lead of where he wants to place the stickers or which jigsaw he wants to do and he gets chance to talk to us about anything that is on his mind before settling down. We have found that whilst doing this, he will often start talking about something that has happened during the day or what someone has said to him at nursery.
Once he has had time playing, Lucas will get into his Peppa Pig blow up bed that he has decided is his reading corner and read a couple of stories before he goes to bed for snuggles then sleep.
What do you do for your children’s bed time routines? If you want any suggestions and top tips from Jo Frost, check out the free downloadable booklet that features Daddy Pig. There is also a Twitter Party being held from 8-9pm tomorrow (Wed 11th April) where there is a chance to win prizes and exchange advice around bedtime. To take part use the hashtag #BathBookBed
The BookTrust have also offered a bedtime bundle to one of my readers which includes
1x Peppa Pig Book
1x Peppa Pig Toothbrush
1x Peppa Pig Toothpaste
1x Peppa Bubble Bath
1x Bath, Book, Bed booklet
2x Bedtime Books (randomly chosen, may not be the same as pictured)
To enter, use the app below x
BookTrust and Peppa bundle
tracyknixon says
Bath, warm drink, story, bed! Simple x
Kayleigh Watkins says
My five year and 13 month old daughters have a bath, story and songs with snuggles then my 13 month old goes into her cot with a warm bottle of milk and my 5 year old watches a DVD in bed xXx
Anthony Harrington says
bath, stories a song and then lights out.
Solange says
Bath, book, bed.
battynatty29 says
Bath,cuddle then bed
Margaret Gallagher says
Bath bed story night night cuddles
Iain Maciver says
bath,bed,story
Hayley Colburn says
about the same really, although my daughter doesn’t have a bath every night, more like every other, she just brushes her teeth and has a good wash before putting her pj’s on other nights, routine wise though its pj’s, beaker of milk, cuddle with the start of a story, then when she’s getting sleepy we take her up to her bed for the rest of the story and she tends to fall asleep before the end
DAWN WINSKILL says
I agree with the bath, story, bed routine.
Sue McCarthy says
I don’t have any children but would love to win this prize to donate to charity, to go to Romania.
laura stewart says
bath, hot drink, story, bed x
Nicola Marshall says
Bath, snuggles, book & bed.xxx
Nicola Farrel says
Pyjamas, teeth brushed, chill out for 10 then cuddles kisses and bed
Andrea Fletcher says
Bath, milky drink, story and bed.
Hannah Wallington says
Bath, book and bed for us
sarah Mackay says
Bath, book, hugs and bed
lozzle77 says
bath and bed
gemma hendry says
bath, play, story bed
Lyndsey cooksey says
Bedtime routines are always a bath with bubbles that tire the little ones out by getting excited over them. Whilst they are being dried, a little massage to get them relaxed and a warm drink.
MARIA ROGERS says
quiet time, bath, teeth, massage, milk with bedtime story, bed
Laura Pritchard says
Mixture of bath, book, TV & bed despending on how much time we have!
Michelle Smith says
Bath hot drink bed
chelseygrun says
Bath, book, bottle & bed
Ray Dodds says
Bath story sleep with a bit of luck
lynn neal says
Bath, warm drink, stories and sleep!
katie says
Bath then storytime in her bed then sleepy time
janine atkin says
bath, story time then bed
Sally Collingwood says
Watch in the night garden, wash, teeth, story and then beddy byes!
claire woods says
Bath, warm drink, story, bed!
Lorna Ledger says
It used to be (she’s 17!) bath, pj’s huggle time and story with milk, this would be for my lovely niece and nephew x
Tee Simpson says
We do bath book cuddles and bed after dinner
Karen Usher says
Bath, 2 x books (She reads one to me, and I read 1 to her) and then night night.
Chris Andrews says
What is your child’s bedtime routine?
quiet sofa cuddles / warm bath / bedtime story
Amanda Noble says
Warm bubble bath with her toys,followed by a warm drink,a little chat and a bed time story
Jessica Powell says
Bath, story, then getting tucked into bed. 🙂
Kerryn Johnson says
Bath and story
Laura Bryant says
Bath warm drink cuddles and story then bed
foreverastri says
bath, milk,cuddle xx
Kirsty Hosty says
Bath, story and milk
Carrie-Anne Brown says
a bubble bath, cuddles and a story then milk and bed 🙂
Mandy Walsh (@Mandymoo2014) says
In our house its bath, 30 minutes quiet time with a book and then lights out at 8pm
Rachel Butterworth says
Bubble bath, half an hour with their toys, story and bed by 8.30 at the latest.
Rachael Sexey says
Bath milk teeth snuggles meditation sleep
Kim Styles says
my children are older now but have nieces and nephews with me almost twice a week overnight . our routine is bath with toys quiet story , warm drink and bed
sheridarby says
Bath, story and cuddle
Susan B says
Same as most with bath, book and lights out. I also try to reduce noise and lighting as soon as tea is over to help quieten the children down.
mandydoherty65 says
Bath, story & bed
JULIE WARD says
Grandson love his playtime in a bubble bath and a couple of stories, simple
Sarah archibald says
Bath, book and in to bed after a few sing songs 🙂
paula cheadle says
bath, story with a drink, then snuggle down with her teddy
Leila Benhamida says
Bath. Quite time. Bed time story and sleep
foreverastri says
bath bottle and cuddle xxx
carol boffey says
Hot drink bath and bed
Charlotte G says
My son has a bath, we brush his teeth, put him to bed and read him a story
olivia280177 says
drink, teeth. story, cuddle and bed
Stevie says
My niece always has a book at bedtime to read.
Victoria Thurgood says
teeth book bed
Kelly Hirst says
Bath, teeth, talk, book and bed
Danielle Dudley says
Bath and cuddles
Sandra Fortune says
Wind down time half an hour before bath do something relaxing then bath ,into bed a calming story and snuggles
Rebecca Powell says
Bath, pyjamas, milk, book, bed
natalee gosiewski says
warm milk, bath, bed, bedtime story
Rachel Craig says
Bath, snack / supper, toileting, tooth brushing,bed, Storytime, lights out and sleep.
Jeanette Leighton says
Bath and warm milk and cuddles then sleep
kim neville (@kimneville2) says
After dinner, it is bath time, cup of milk then story before bed
Leanne perrett says
bath brush teeth then a quiet small activity usually there reading homework books then bed
Lindsay says
Dinner bath story time
Dawn Samples says
Bath, story and bed, my son still has a sleep sometimes during the day and sometimes not so it’s difficult to have a set bedtime x
Claire Elizabeth Noke says
Bath, reading, Night Light on, Sleep ….. (fingers crossed!!)
Theresa Thomas says
Bath, Book Bed
Vicky Allum says
My little one likes a bath with her water toys, a warm milk and a cuddle with her favourite plush duck.
Kate EM Davies says
My son has eczema so we don’t bath him every night. On the nights we don’t we have an hours quiet time before story time and sleep.
Tammy Neal says
Bath story and bed xx
Danielle Graves says
Our routine consists of me reading my son a story and then him and his Dad race up the stairs and Daddy turns his sensory lights on and tucks him in bed x
Natalie Crossan says
we try to stick to a nice relaxing bath, book and then bed x
Amy Leigh says
Bath, Story with milk, Sleep!
fionajk42 says
With my granddaughter we follow the “bath, book, bed” routine, which usually works well. However if she’s over-excited because of things she did / saw today, or will do / see tomorrow (e.g. visit the zoo), then we make lists of things we saw / will see such as all the animals. I repeat some of the items on purpose, so that the list just goes on and on until she is asleep.