Bedtime Routines

This morning we had another fun day at the park. We were celebrating Ella's 1st birthday! We also each shared what bedtime routines we do to help soothe our children before it is time to sleep. The theme was that we try to stay flexible, not trying to put to sleep a child that is not looking tired. Some ideas to facilitate a sleep inducing environment were:

*to keep the lights off, or on low,
*do bathtime right before bed as a cue bedtime is following afterward,
*rub your child's back or feet with lavender oil (this one I want to try with Sierra, especially),
*nursing, of course,
*soft music,
*quiet environment, low stimulation,
*reading books

Another important thought that came up was to not engage in a struggle with getting your child to sleep. If they resist, often they are not tired enough. Maybe they need more activity during the day to get their energy out.

I also got pictures again of our cuties:

The birthday girl! Ella turned 1 today!