Shelly Livengood There are many factors contributing to your child’s bedtime attitude. So many different personalities, every child is different. Some are geared to stay awake at night longer than others. Some are willing to go to bed with no resistance. Some resist greatly and some fall asleep before they get there. The initial step is knowing your child. If you try to fit your child’s personality and physical makeup into something they are not, it won’t be a good experience for anyone. Good structure is vital for every child’s overall sense of security and working that into the bedtime routine can be a challenge.
All things taken into account, one thing is missing. What about the parent? Does the parent need to prepare themselves ahead of time in order to bring to the child a healthy attitude for the child’s sleep preparation? If the parent has had a rough day, it’s much too easy to send the child off to bed, sending little or no positive emotions with them.
So whether a child heads off to bed cheerfully or grumpy, restless or peaceful, a parent’s underlying attitude is caught and most likely adapted into the child’s own attitude. While all the other conditions in the bedroom environment contribute to a peaceful night’s rest, probably the most important condition is the positive, loving attitude of the parent.
