Bedtime Routines

I love our family's bedtime routine.  My kids have always craved a schedule.  They have never been one of those babies that would fall asleep quietly on my shoulder where ever I happened to be.  They NEED their bed.  And I'm not complaining, I love that they fall asleep so peacefully without giving me a fuss.  We've all seen those shows "Nanny To The Rescue",  where kids scream relentlessly for hours and refuse to be in their rooms alone.  I am SO thankful that my kids don't come crawling into my bed at night, I need my space! 

Our nightly routine begins around 7:15 pm.  The kids are usually upstairs playing together in their bedrooms(unless its bath night which is every other night) and I will let them know to start changing into their pj's and to meet me in the bathroom so I can brush their teeth.  Yes, I still brush their teeth at night.  I am the overprotective Mom who never wants anything bad to happen to her kids, and I can't control illness from striking them, but I can control cavities from forming in their teeth.  They do brush their own teeth in the mornings though. :)

After I get Maiya snug into her bed, I meet Kaylee and Hayden on Hayden's bed for story time.  We read from a children's devotional book called "Blessings Every Day." 

 I think I received this book at a baby shower for Kaylee, and I absolutely love it.  It has 365 simple devotions for the very young in it, one for every day of the year.  I have been reading it over and over to the kids throughout the years that our binding is holding together by a piece of tape alone, here is a picture to prove it...I really need to try and repair it again! :)

After our devotional, we read a book of choice from the kids.  This is followed by nighttime prayers and then I tuck them each in their beds, give them a kiss, and my quiet time starts.  They never give me a hard time.  I am so thankful for this time spent with them!  I hope that they will carry on our bedtime traditions with their children someday!

If you are interested in the Blessings Every Day Children's Devotional you can find it on Amazon.com for around $15.00

Blessings Every Day: 365 Simple Devotions for the Very Young (Little Blessings) by Carla Barnhill and Elena Kucharik (Hardcover - Sep 1, 2001)

Buy new: $17.95 $15.34