Unwind for bedtime

Help  your children relax limb by limb. You can create a fun, playful game that teaches your children the important skills of body awareness and how to relax one’s own body. This is important body control and may prove handy for a long time.

Begin by encouraging your child, who is already in bed, to take deep breaths.

“Imagine your lungs are balloons and you are blowing them up.”

After a few deep breaths, encourage your child to make her body relax and go limp like cooked spaghetti.

“I’m going to check your arm by wiggling it to see if it is like a cooked noodle.”

Once your child is somewhat relaxed, you can draw her attention to different parts of her body and encourage her to relax those parts.

Some children might enjoy imagining fairy dust sprinkling down on each of these parts, relaxing their head  . . . and neck . . . and shoulders, all the way down to their toes. Other kids might relate more toward sending their breath to those parts.

For the very young, gently place a heavy hand on each named part so that the child understands where to direct the attention. The heavy weight of a limp hand is soothing.  Speak softly and slowly and take the time to nurture them with loving words about their ears that listen so well or their arms that give such good hugs, etc.

Create opportunities to teach your child these important self-care techniques.

Your key to success begins with creating regular bedtimes and an enjoyable relaxing routine. Find some ideas below from the ten part series Quiet Night, Happy Night:

• The Never Ending Good Night
• Is Goodnight Still Taking all Night?
• Lowering the Child’s Bedroom
• Sleeping Around
• Is Separation Anxiety Causing Unrest?
• Calm Yourself to Calm Your Kids
• Bedtime Breathing
• Nighttime Fears
• Unwind for Bedtime
• Quiet Night, Happy Night