Bedtime has always been a problem for children. Most children try to put it off, finding any and every excuse to get out of bed or keep a parent in the room a little bit longer. If you’re one of many parents struggling with this problem, try out these three simple questions to make your kids feel less anxious and scared about bedtime.
Bedtime Is Scary
It should come as no big surprise that more and more parents are giving their children sleeping pills. Statistics show that this tendency has only doubled in the past seven years. So is there an easier way to get your kids to calm down and go to bed? One child therapist thinks that there is.
She stresses that the questions are useful for two reasons. The biggest is that it creates a sort of ritual for bedtime where you ease your children into the idea of being alone all night while simultaneously getting to know them better. The second reason is that it gives you dedicated time to learn about your child’s interests and problems.
Three Simple Questions
The first question is to ask them about one thing that went well during their day. The second is to ask about something that was tricky, so you can teach them it’s okay to have difficult moments. The third is to ask them one thing they want you to know about their day so that they have dedicated time to tell you things they find important.
Many parents have shared how connected they feel to their children thanks to this ritual, having spent time learning about goals their children have that they didn’t know existed and noticing how much they enjoy it. So if your child struggles at bedtime, give this method a go and see what happens.