I had to share this video LINK is below – it oozes everything I talk about and more. The tone of the parents’ voice, the playfulness, the joy out of letting their boys, be boys. Climbing like monkeys is fun. All about pleasing and nothing else because the rewards are pure love in return.
So many parents get into the drama of bedtime, and set up the mindset before going to bed. They often rush the experience and make a big deal. It wasn’t even needed to kiss them good-night and snuggle with them. So many parents put the fear into the kids of the dark. The say things like, “let me leave the night light on for you.” It’s not good for their eyes to sleep in a lit room. So please turn them off. Even the small glowing ones. Put them on in the hallways, if you need to go in during the night. But don’t put the bright lights on, or you will be up for a while calming down the awake baby now.
Great trick I used, was waiting for what we called, ‘night eyes.’ When you can hold up your hand in the dark and see all your fingers, you can see in the dark. From light to dark takes time to adjust.
And kids do cry when they wake up – Don’t start saying things like, “did you have a bad dream?” They will say yes, even if they didn’t. You will know the scream of a nightmare.