Tips & Tricks for Getting your Kids to Bed on Time

This morning I was greeted with an email from TwitterMoms and www.DramaU.net, it really got me thinking about a problem many parents have: Getting their children to bed.  While I do struggle with this problem, I find it easier on Christmas Eve, because of the activities we do during that day.

Here is the question at task:

"As a parent, you know how difficult it can be to get your child to go to bed at night and stay in bed all night - especially during the exciting holiday times! We would love to hear from you. What are your five tips & tricks for getting your kids to bed on time and getting them to stay in bed? Do you have special routines or rituals? Any tricks on getting kids to slow down and become sleepy? What do you do if they wander out of bed during the night? What works for your family?"

That is our Christmas Eve routine:

1. The first thing I do is wear them out :) Once I get home from work, we start making our own pizzas.

2. After dinner a good game of bowling or a movie is fun.  We can spend time together as a family, before we have to spend the next few days with extended family.

3. We then head over to "Candy Cane Lane" to view the lovely lights. (At this point some may already be asleep.)

4.Then we head home and the children get to open one present, selected by mommy.  It just happens to be jammies (who knew??).

5. Then its bath time and then get to put on their new jammies.

6. The girls then put out cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

7. We conclude the night with a few books and if it isn't too late maybe a movie playing.

With years of bedtime dilemma's, I have found that a routine works best.  This is how we prepare for bedtime throughout the rest of the year.

1. Homework, Dinner, & Clean-up

2. Family time, whether we play a game, with toys, or watch a show.

3. Bath time & Jammies

4. Snack & Glass of Water

5. We then conclude the night with a book... and maybe play a movie.

So either plan is a basic of following a routine.  Sometimes we get out of swing of things, but most of the time, it works.