In my 14 years of parenting, the most important thing I have learnt is one thing that can make life so much more bearable, it’s sleep. Sounds simple, but parents know the reality, that children
In my 14 years of parenting, the most important thing I have learnt is one thing that can make life so much more bearable, it’s sleep. Sounds simple, but parents know the reality, that children can hate bedtimes. My almost 4 year old is no exception to that, we had to break ALL the rules when it comes to her. I had previously thought that children need strict routine, their own room and left to self-soothe. But Bemma breaks all the rules as it’s the only thing that works for her. She still sleeps in my room, despite having a lovely bedroom that I am envious of. Her routine is to go to bed in her room but at some point, every single night, she gets up and stumbles into my room in search of me and sleeps on her old cot mattress which is next to my bed. But she sleeps well once she is there, so I am not going to be upsetting her mid-night with returning her.
But how do we get her to sleep in the first place?
Well a warm bath is always the start of our routine, and we were recently sent some In The Night Garden Water Squirters, which are perfect stocking fillers. They have an RRP of £3.99 but have a suction base which is perfect for sticking to the bath or tiles. Emma loves squeezing them and squirting water at me! They are available in Makka Pakka, IgglePiggle and Upsy Daisy from Golden Bear. They are suitable from 10 months.
Next up for bedtime, we HAVE to have a night light. Something soothing is key, but something that emits a warm glow to comfort her that I haven’t disappeared. We were sent the IgglePiggles Bedtime Boat. This is just perfect! It replicates the TV show perfectly, of the end scene of IgglePiggle drifting away to sleep on his Bedtime Boat. It also plays the soothing In The Night Garden melody. It also has 10 short stories to listen to, with the same voice that narrates the TV show. There is a volume control underneath, as well as a duration button too. We love the light show element, this emits a glow of stars on the ceiling that Emma now won’t go to sleep without.
Ultimately my most favourite feature of this is how child friendly it is, there is no wires or plugs, the batteries are safely stored underneath and cannot be opened without a screwdriver. This means that Emma can have it beside her, press the buttons she wants and I have no worries about wires or a choking hazard in anyway. It has an age rating of over 12 months. We adore this Bedtime Boat, and I am sure any In The Night Garden fan will too. It has an RRP of £24.99, but honestly is worth every single penny.
Finally, what bedtime is complete without a cuddly toy to take to bed. Bemma loves snuggling up to a toy, and Glowing Bedtime Makka Pakka is perfect for this, especially when we are away from home. He can be a loving soft toy during the day, with the added benefit of being a light show at night. This is suitable from 10 months, and is so soft that little ones will love snuggling up to him. The light show on his belly is activated by pressing his hand. This starts the glow from his belly, it shows Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy outlines in varying glowing lights, very soothing for little ones (and me too!).
There is also the sound of the ever familiar In The Night Garden theme tune as well as the song too, slow and calming.
So there is some ideas of making bedtime a little more bearable, but I think the one thing I have to say is, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone has an opinion on raising children, and how they got their child to be a brilliant sleeper, etc etc, but remember every child is different, every lifestyle is different. There is no right or wrong way, just do it your own way. Don’t ever feel guilty to do what is best for you and your child.
To find these, and the other In The Night Garden toys, please visit www.goldenbear.com
