1.) New bedtime routine for Miss. E
Bedtime just got a whole lot stricter in our house. Miss. E has been difficult to drag out bed for daycare and on the days when she is tired we seem to have potty accident after potty accident. I just finished doing some reading on the toddler stage and the book I was reading confirmed what I already knew. Miss. E wasn't getting enough sleep. We have always struggled with getting Miss. E to sleep. She fights sleep tooth and nail. I made simple adjustments to her bedtime routine and they seem to be working quite well. I have been incrementally bumping up her bedtime by 15 minutes a week. By next week she will be at her new bedtime. Bedtime routine starts at an exact time. There is no more playing with that. That was probably our biggest problem before. I think we started the routine too late and at slightly inconsistent times. Miss. E was often overtired and wound up and then bedtime was a fight. Bedtime routine consists of a quick bath, brushing teeth, nighttime puffer, 2 stories and then bedtime songs. We aim to complete this routine in about a half hour. She has been falling asleep much easier and much earlier. It has been helpful with both waking her up for daycare and for successful use of the potty. I am hoping that this routine will also free up our evenings so that I can get more blogging and housework done at night.
2.) Dishes HAVE to be done nightly.
I used to be good at this. When I became pregnant I was super exhausted and everything started to slide. I am following this rule again. It makes for a much more peaceful night and calmer mornings. I hate the sight of dirty dishes sitting on my counter so I make sure they get done immediately after supper. Hubby gets home quite late so it is easy for me to zip them up while he squeezes in some quality time with Miss. E before she has to head to bed.
3.) Exercise is a non-negotiable part of my routine.
Hubby and I take turns walking the dog every other night while the other partner puts Miss. E to bed. I have been good at keeping up with my walking. However, I have found it easy to let my strength training go when I am tired or busy. I am no longer allowing this to happen. I already do short, intense workouts so time never should be a deterrent. I have started making this a priority for my health and the health of my baby. I aim to do 2-3 strength training sessions a week and I am sticking to this goal. It helps me to feel strong and have more energy.
Do have any routines that you always stick to that improve your daily life? I would love to hear about them!
We are doing a specific bedtime routine with our son too because he would just stall and stall. So frustrating! I finally printed off a list with pictures for him to follow in the morning and before bed. It is slowly working. ;) Good for you making the dishes and exercise a priority! Both make such a difference.
ReplyDeleteIt is so frustrating! We were having trouble getting our daughter down at night, but I think that we may have been missing her sleepy "window". I hope that bedtimes continue to improve for you and your family!
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