If you’re a parent, you know that bed safety rails keep your child safe while they sleep. However, not all kids appreciate the border; for some, these are like prison railings keeping them from the fun stuff.
We know you want your child to have a safe and happy bedtime routine. Great news: bedtime does not need to be a battle between you and a toddler who wants to stay up. In fact, you can do things inside a bed guard rail for your child to make bedtime more fun!
Here are eight ideas that will excite them to go to bed!
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Playing fun but relaxing games
The way to have great bedtime moments is to accept that kids have endless energies. Forcing them to go from energetic to relaxed is difficult. With this, prepare fun but calming bedtime games. Here are some ideas.
- Simon says
- Role-playing
- Sharing silly jokes while in bed
- No talking rule to calm their racing thoughts
- Playing shadow games with the challenge of naming the figures depicted on the shadow
- Solving puzzles and Lego to keep them still instead of moving
- Creating a human burrito using your blankets
You will surely have fun doing these games! From being stressful, your bedtime becomes a bonding time for you and your child.
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Telling bedtime stories
Telling bedtime stories will never get old. Parents from every generation have been practicing this to put their babies to sleep.
You can do the storytelling in bed or while you and your child sit on a rocking chair. Make sure to pick books with stories your child will love. When your child can read, you can switch roles and let them read while you listen.
Be ready to read the same story again and again when your little one requests it. Just make some voice changes each time for excitement. You can also try audiobooks so that both you and your baby can relax while listening to stories.
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Singing lullabies
Another classic move you can do to slowly get your child relaxed and ready for sleep is singing lullabies. Just like how you read your favorite stories, pick a favorite song with your child so that the two of you can sing together.
You can also ask your little one to flex their singing abilities to you. Make a little game where you and your child take turns singing lullabies like you’re in a singing competition! This practice is relaxing and can hone their talents and their language skills too!
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Melatonin-inducing activities
From scary and boring, the baby bed rail guards can turn into a symbol of excitement when your toddler knows they’ll have a good time with you inside it. Aside from games, you can do some sleep-inducing activities like the ones below. These will help release melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.
- A gentle massage which can be more soothing with oil or lotion
- Preparing snacks rich in melatonin like nuts, goji berries, tart cherries, or kiwi fruit
- A warm glass of milk is also a champion source of melatonin.
Make sure to keep servings light; getting too full can keep your child from sleeping well.
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A recap of the day and planning for the next day
Having conversations with your child trains them to become comfortable telling you things. You will become their confidant as soon as they reach their toddler years.
You can start training them by having light conversations and recapping the events of the day. Ask them to share five things they are grateful for or that made them happy. Then, make them excited for the next day by planning their schedule and preparing clothes and other stuff they’ll need.
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Guided meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises
Meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises sound like activities for grown-ups. But if you search online, you will find specially made routines for kids.
You can make these activities fun for your little one. For instance, you can copy simple yoga poses together and see who did it better. You can also play a meditation video you can listen to and mimic. Kids are great imitators, and you’ll entice them to perform the activities when you do it with them. For breathing exercises, you can try blowing bubbles together.
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Cultivating bedtime hobbies together
When there are fun things to do before bedtime, the fear that the bed safety rail guard keeps them away from the good stuff will disappear. It’s especially true when the bedtime routine you have set up helps them develop skills, like the ones below.
- Knitting
- Crocheting
- Journaling when they can already write
- Coloring relaxing patterns
- Doodling
- Threading beads to make necklaces and bracelets
- Embroidering or cross-stitching
- Painting
These activities allow your child to see the output of their project, cultivate a hobby, and have some bonding time with you too. You can post their works in your room to inspire them to do more.
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Setting the alarm for bedtime
With all the fun activities you have prepared for your little one, bedtime will never be a time they dread anymore. So have no fear of setting the alarm for bedtime; they may even go to bed earlier than the set time because of the excitement to bond with you.
Nevertheless, an alarm is still a better way to remind your kids instead of you having to tell them every time. Just do the fun things first for a couple of weeks to condition their mind that bedtime is a fun time!
Get a Bed Safety Rail from Ashtonbee
So, there you have it—eight fun bedtime routines to help get your little ones excited about sleep. You can tailor each activity to your child’s interests and preferences, so feel free to mix and match until you find the perfect routine for your family. If you have special bedtime rituals that work well for your family, we’d love to hear about them in the replies below!
Meanwhile, if you are looking for baby bed rails and other child safety products, Ashtonbee has got your back! We have a whole line of products intended to keep your little one safe. So feel free to browse through our collection to get what you need!
