5 Essential Steps For Successful Toddler Bedtime

Bedtime with toddlers can be rough sometimes. When I think of life from my kids eyes, I can see why bedtime can be frustrating for them. As a mom, I think I assume my kids understand what is coming next, but when I stop them from playing and announce bedtime, they always seemed shocked! Having a set routine that we follow every night is key to a bedtime that goes smoothly.

I received compensation and samples for this post, all opinions are my own.

Snack– About an hour before bedtime I give my kids a healthy snack, usually a yogurt. It helps them begin to wind down and makes sure that they are going to sleep with full stomachs.

Bathtime– Wash the day off with some bath time fun. My kids adore the bath. Sometimes we make it a bubble bath or add some color tablets. Since my kids were babies I have loved using a soothing bedtime body wash.

Pj’s and Lotion– Once out of the bath we start my favorite part of bedtime. Lotion. I love taking some time with my kids to talk about their day while I use NIVEA Creme to moisturize their skin. When I was a little girl, my mom used to always keep NIVEA Creme on her hands. She always had some by her bed and some in her purse. I can’t help but think of her as I share that same creme with my kids. We recently moved from Arizona to Alaska and my kid’s skin is really paying the price. NIVEA Creme contains rich moisturizing care with Jacoba Oil and Vitamin E and really helps their chapped cheeks and dry fingers. We follow up their lotion with some comfy pajamas, now everyone is ready to snuggle in for a good story.

Story Time– NIVEA Creme Fairytale Tins are limited edition, available only at Rite-Aid and Target this holiday season. Each tin has a whimsical illustration by Joelle Tourlonias on the outside that go along with one of five original short stories by Udo Weigelt. My kids love to choose which tin of lotion we use, based on the story they want to hear. Our current favorite is Mia and The Missing Wand. All of the short stories can be found at: tales.NIVEA.com.

5 minutes– We recently added this addition to our bedtime routine and it has been a game changer. Each of my kids get five minutes, we set a timer, to spend alone with mom or dad before bed. These five minutes can be spent doing anything quiet and relaxing that they want to do. Sometimes my kids ask for an extra NIVEA short story. Sometimes they ask for a snuggle, or we sing songs. My son usually picks an animal to research while I tickle his back. My daughter almost always asks me to climb in to her bed for a snuggle and a talk. No matter what they choose, these five minutes have become the highlight of my day. With three young children it is really hard to find quiet, alone time with each one of them. Plus, it really helps them relax for a good nights rest.

What are your bedtime essentials?