As a parent, our core and main job is to prepare our children for the next level of life. Ultimately, we hope to raise children who are able to function and make it in this world with great success. There are many factors that come into play when it comes to parenting, such as instilling good sleeping habits, discipline, instilling good eating habits, showing your children love, teaching them to treat others with respect, etc. The list can go on forever.
The job of a parent can be tough. However, if you try your hardest and invest in the job of doing all you can to be the best parent for your child, you will be just fine. Despite the fact that in the large scheme of things it may seem insignificant, instilling good sleeping habits in your kids is very important.
A lot of the habits that your kid develops starts with you. Some kids will be angels and by a certain age, they will go right to bed at an early time without even being asked. Other kids will be night owls that seem to be a firing ball of energy even at 11pm. It is important to pick a bedtime and stick with it.
Perhaps, have a ritual that you do each night, such as brushing teeth, reading a book to them, and having light conversation. It would be helpful if you do this from the get go, rather than decide at a certain age that they need a bedtime. On the other hand, if your child has had very inconsistent sleep patterns, it may be tough to get them back on track. It is never too late, though.
The amount of sleep that children needs depends on their exact age. As a parent, it is your responsibility to figure out the amount of sleep they need going along with their age. For example, children that are between the ages of 1-3 years old need 12-14 hours of sleep per day. But, the amount of sleep does change for each age group. Keep active in paying attention to that.
Getting the right amount of sleep ties in perfectly with so many other areas of our lives. If we don’t get a lot of sleep, we might be cranky or extra prone to temper tantrums. I mean, let’s face it. This isn’t just true for the kids. It’s true for all of us.
Sometimes we don’t really have that many problems going on in our lives. We just aren’t getting enough sleep and that’s causing our lives to spiral downward in many other ways. Instilling good sleeping habits in your children will help them in the present when it comes to learning at school, getting along with others, and just being healthy in general. Not to mention, instilling good sleeping habits is also setting your kid up for success in the future because there are high chances that they will stick with those good patterns of sleep through out there whole life.
