Establishing a bedtime routine can be a game changer for both children and parents. It can help kids wind down, feel more secure and comfortable, and ensure a good night's sleep. To make the bedtime routine as smooth and stress-free as possible, consider using a timer. Having a visual countdown can establish a clear understanding of how much time is left for certain activities and can help children transition smoothly into bedtime and avoid any power struggles. Join us as we dive deep in our experience of using a timer during bedtime routine.

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TIMESTAMP:
►00:00 - Intro
►00:27 - Recent Happenings: We’re gardening
►01:05 - TOPIC: The Bedtime Countdown: Creating a Consistent Bedtime Routine for Toddlers
►01:44 -  Timers can help us stay on track
►02:40 - Our Bedtime Routine
►05:32 - How it has affected the family

QUESTION: Do you have a bedtime routine for your children? 

MUSIC:
► Copyright Chillhop Music - https://chillhop.com

#bedtimeroutinesuccess #peacefulbedtimeroutine #consciousparenting #realizeyourtruenature

Podcast Transcription

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Tamo: This is episode 53.

Akko: And the topic of the day is the bedtime countdown. A podcast for creating a consistent.

bedtime routine for toddlers. And before we get started, please take a quick moment to subscribe to our show. Now let's get back to our recent happening. So recently we've been gardening. And we are growing chard, kale. Spinach the loofa Gord. What else are we chives? A lot of stuff that we tend to just use a little more often or, if there's anything that we want to just throw in last minute into our meals.

Tamo: When you make stir fry, right?

Akko: Yeah. So it works out. I just go out to the garden, have the kids get it from me and then we cook it and we eat it.

Tamo: Yeah, it's really awesome because. For the kids. Seeing how things grow they get to be part of harvesting these veggies. It makes it so that they eat a little bit more than usual too. So it's awesome.

Akko: Yeah, absolutely.

Tamo: So let's go into the topic of the day-to-day, which is the bedtime countdown, creating a consistent bedtime routine for toddlers. I know this is a real difficult one for many parents. Including ourselves. but we have found a hack for this. And it's been working out for quite a while now and , it's been working out.

Akko: Yeah. So it's been really great. And so as conscious parents, we understand the importance of creating a consistent and peaceful bedtime routine for our children. And a bedtime routine can help signal to our children's body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Making it easier for them to fall asleep. So that's our ultimate goal, and also for our sanity so that we can have our parental alone time. And so one of the key tools that we can use to establish and maintain this peaceful bedtime routine is a timer. I know it's super simple, but this timer has been a godsend like it's been working so well. And I'm not talking about stopwatch type of timer. It's a timer that's color coded. So it's made for toddlers actually, so that they can see the time ticking as the colors disappear.

Tamo: So they're not necessarily looking at a number, counting down. But instead it's color coded, like Akko mentioned. So it's much easier for them to understand.

Akko: Yeah. So it's rainbow colored and and then it just keeps going down. And red is, one minute. Marker. So timers can help us stay on track. And make sure that our children don't get sidetracked by other activities. So in the past, our, especially our daughter, she would get sidetrack. She's supposed to put on her pajamas. Then she brushes her teeth. Then she flosses, then she busted with her hair, but she always would get sidetrack and does other things. So this timer really keeps her on track.

Pretty much the timer starts as soon as the kids get out of the bath. And we have her actually turn it on. And she's pretty happy about turning it on just twisting the dial.

Tamo: Yep. And then. The timer starts counting down. And what happens is. of course she will get sidetracked. But we can always bring her back by saying, Hey, look at the timer.

Akko: Yeah. And this is an interesting concept. So this concept that we're trying to use is where like on her team Hey, I'm trying to help you. So that you can finish everything before the timer, rings because at the very end, there's a little bit of a, screen time.

And so for whatever minutes that is left, we have her watch screen time. But. In all honesty. It's usually five minutes that she can watch.

Tamo: And what we use is a. A projector and we kinda turned down the blue light on it and then. Since it's a projector, it can be projected on any part of the wall of the bedroom. And so we really tried to make it so it's less stimulating then it would be with like a phone.

Akko: Yeah, for sure. For sure. And let me just get back to the timer . The only reason why we use a color coded. timer Is because children at that age don't have the concept of time down. Children really doesn't know how to tell time until much later. I think it averages around 6-8 years old from what I've read. So yeah, going back to the bedtime routine and so we encourage her to actually put everything on herself. So the deal is that she tries to do everything. So she's got the whole dressing herself down. And brushing her teeth, but we actually, make sure we do the very last touches.

Tamo: we help her with the kind of the finishing touches. Especially when it comes to brushing the teeth and flossing and brushing your hair. we do the. The final touches.

Akko: Yeah. and She's the one that initiated and, We're just trying to teach her that she can do it on our own so that she can start becoming more confident in doing it herself. And simultaneously one of us. Will. Do it for our son. He's too young to do it himself. We encourage him, but if he doesn't then we'll go ahead and do it for him

Tamo: and just for your info. Our daughter is three and a half and our son is a, not yet two, almost two. So just so you get an idea of a. The age group that we're talking about. And so our son right now, doesn't really understand the concept of the timer. But his sister does. so we try to make it as fun as possible

Akko: and and after everything is done and after they've watched their. Dimly lit projector screen for usually an average of five minutes. Lastly, what we do is we read a book of their choice.

Oh, actually maybe books actually. Cause they bring like a pile for us to read afterwards and then that kind of settles everything down again. And they are ready for bed.

Tamo: And so once the books are read, then we turn off the lights, we're all in bed together. And then, we give each other hugs. love yous good nights. And then things usually settle down. course. There are times that they still have a lot of energy, but our goal as parents are to expend all that energy before bed. So that's the routine.

Akko: Yep. Exactly. And this has made. I kid you not a huge difference in our bedtime routine. From repetitively telling our daughter, like brush your teeth. Okay. And just saying that in different ways, because obviously you're seeing it multiple times in the same way doesn't work. So there'll be say in different ways. And that wasn't working like. our bedtime routine was dragging. And so this timer has really made it consistent as far as how long that bedtime routine lasts.

Tamo: Yeah, exactly. It gives us Clear. 20 minutes to work with. And it's fantastic. Another thing that I wanted to point out is. With the projector in the beginning when the timer would go off and the projector had to be turned off. Our kids really didn't like that. Of course. And they would cry and things like that. But now it's to the point, they don't like to turn it off, but when the timer goes off, boom, they know what to do and they're fighting to turn off

Akko: Yeah. Like we're like, who wants to turn off the projector and, obviously they're like, and so it's really helped a lot, so

Tamo: right. And, we highly recommend using a timer and trying this method out. It does take a little while, maybe couple of weeks. Before the kids really start to understand.

Akko: Yeah, absolutely. And, for those that don't believe in screen time, you can always just say, Hey, you know what? We can read a book afterwards.

Tamo: And if you think this episode is helpful for other parents, please share it. And if you haven't, please take a quick moment to subscribe to our show.

Akko: And the question of the day is do you have a bedtime routine for your children?

Tamo: We'd love to hear from you. Please come say hi by commenting on our website, by going to Akko and Tamo .com, which is AKKOANDTAMO .com and clicking on the podcast tab. Now, if you have Instagram, we are on Instagram. Akko and Tamo which is A K K O A N D T A M O .COM say hi to us there. And we'd love to hear from you.

Akko: Yeah.

Thank you. Alright, bye.

Tamo: Bye-bye.