I’m a parenting expert and this is why your kids won’t go to bed on time – and how to fix it
PARENTING young children takes patience, understanding, and sometimes outside help.
A holistic parenting expert is here to offer that aid for moms and dads who are navigating the trials and tribulations that young children bring.
A woman named Crystal, who goes by @HolisticHomeJourney online, has gained a following thanks to her videos that provide family advice.
In a recent clip, she addressed a topic that all parents know well: trying to get a child to obey his bedtime.
When a follower asked Crystal for a “logical consequence” to discipline her six-year-old who was fighting his bedtime, Crystal responded:
“Instead of looking for a consequence, I would look for a solution to the need: Why is the six-year-old not wanting to go to bed?”
She then offered potential reasons for parents to consider.
“I’m going to give you some things that pop into my mind and you can see if anything resonates,” she said.
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“Is the child getting enough activity during the day, or are they constantly being told to sit down, be quiet, sit still?”
Potential reason number two: “Is the child able to express and expand on any developmental skills that are coming?
“They are curious about things; they want to know about things. Are these things being met throughout the day so that their head is not going like this throughout the night?” she added, while signaling a mind running wild with thoughts.
Continuing with the list, she asked: “Are they getting attention from you outside of that struggle for bedtime?”
Her fourth potential reason questioned if the child engaged in some sort of wind-down routine before hitting the hay. If they don’t have any down time to enter “bedtime mode,” they will likely have too much energy and won’t want to sleep.
“Is the child scared or uncomfortable?” she wondered.
“Does the child have options so that if they are not tired, they can stay in bed and do something like play with stuffed animals?”
Commenters were thankful for the advice, with some adding tactics that have worked for them:
“Is the child’s bedtime too early for them? I adjust my kids’ bedtimes regularly,” one said.
“My son struggles with going to sleep because his brain won’t shut off because of his ADHD. We use Headspace to help him calm down for bed,” added another, referring to the popular meditation app.
“Have a last movie or a bath before bed where it’s wind down time,” a third wrote.