night time Archives

As a bonus, parents will love these bedtime books too. When it comes to books, it’s absolutely paramount for the parent to enjoy the book as well. Otherwise, we might not put enough into the story and therefore shortchange those eager little ears.

How we tell a story can be the difference from hearing a story, to hearing A STORY!!! Putting emphasis into the words of each character, changing the tone of your voice depending on the situation, and getting your kids involved by saying certain lines or finding something on each page.

You get the point, find something you like to read, and everyone will enjoy the book so much better. That is, until you’ve read it for the 87th time, and you will read it 87+ times! Here are 6 bedtime books I think you’ll enjoy reading just as much as they’ll enjoy hearing over and over again.

1. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Most of us should remember this story from our own childhood, so why not share it with the next generation? Avery loves the crazy monkeys, and it makes for a good way to explain why she shouldn’t jump on the…..well, she jumps on everything.

2. Pajama Time!

We love all of Sandra Boynton’s books, so it’s only right to include this one. Our whole family cites the words from this book throughout the day, it’s definitely fun and catchy. Another favorite is The Going To Bed Book, our favorite page is when the exercise on top of the boat deck.

3. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

I grew up with my mom (g-ma) reading this to me all the time. Then, as I grew older, I read it all the time. Such a fun story and kids will love seeing the ways the little mouse tries to keep his cherished strawberry away from that hungry bear.

4. Bear Snores On

Nana gave this to Avery before she was one and we’ve grown to love this book so much. I even made a YouTube video of my wife and I reading it to Avery. Yes, I act it out.

5. 10 Minutes till Bedtime

We’ve owned this book for a while, but only recently has our toddler shown interest. Now that she’s counting and “reading” herself, we sit and try to find the hamsters (there’s 10 with numbers on each page) together. It’s a longer book and is fun to read during the day too.

6. Llama Llama Red Pajama

This is a fun rhyming book and it’s the most recent in our collection thanks to G-Ma. Ours came with a cute baby llama plush that Avery has added to her 6 other animals that go to bed with her. She loves the story, and there’s a great message about being patient in there. Maybe she’ll catch on soon…..

Going Mom and I switch off on who reads and who holds our precious Toddler for bedtime, and I’m sure these 6 bedtime books have been read well over 87 times. And it’s not all at night or nap time, no, a really good bedtime book is good any time of day!

Hope one or all of these books find their way into your home for you and your little ones to enjoy as much as our family.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking through one of my links, I earn a whopping few cents each time. It won’t change a thing for you, but I’d appreciate buying a cup of coffee without asking my wife at least one time. 🙂

Isn’t it funny how hard some of us try just to have a baby and want so bad to become parents, but then, upon baby’s arrival, we immediately MUST find a way to get them asleep! Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not like we’re trying to get rid of them, I just feel there’s a little irony in there.

Sleep was, is, and will always be one of the most talked about, important, and difficult parts of raising kids. Many parents will quickly buy anything promising to safely get your baby to sleep through the night in hopes that it actually works. I know this because I’m one of them!

And yes, I too felt the grief when these false hopes turned out to be nothing more than a way to get rid of our money. Who needs money anyway? :/

As many parents already know, gimmicky products may or may not actually benefit your child’s sleep, but there’s one surefire and free thing we can all have immediately; a night time routine. You know, a way parents can ease their kid’s transition from being awake to going to sleep.

So, what is the best bedtime routine for your baby? This might come as a surprise to some, but there is no one best way. The best routine for our house may not work so well in your house and vice versa. Whatever you and your family can stick with and get your baby used to will be the “best” routine.

As your baby ages, you might do a few things different, but as long as nothing major is changed like watching TV after bath time when TV was always before, you should be safe. For us, we usually go on a walk before sitting down at the dinner table together. After dinner, it’s straight to the bath (she really needs it since we’re doing baby-led weaning!), and then we go to her room to dry off, rub coconut oil on, and Going Mom will nurse her to sleep.

Other things to incorporate into a night time routine include:

letting your baby move around to get built up energy out of the system
giving a baby massage
story time (preferably nothing too adventurous or exciting)
talking with your baby about the day
saying goodnight to everyone and everything (stuffed animals, toys, etc.)
create a soothing playlist of lullabies or other easygoing music to have in the background while settling in for the night

Whatever you choose for a routine, stick to it! Even when you’re away from home, try and stick as close to your usual routine as usual to give a better chance that everyone will have a good night’s rest.

When your precious little one finally goes to sleep, a safe, comfy crib will help to ensure they stay that way. A problem we ran into once Avery learned to roll around was that she would get her limbs caught between the crib. And there went sleeping through the night….*womp* *womp*

From reading about the dangers of crib bumpers, we didn’t want to put Avery at risk of suffocation, but luckily we found a breathable mesh crib liner to keep her limbs in and danger out.

Since installing the liner, we have had zero issues with safety and Avery’s arms and legs are always inside where they belong. She’s even pulling on the crib and liner and standing up now, but we still have no issues with anything getting messed up and out of place. To us, we wish we would’ve had a liner in from the start, but better late than never, right?

Do you have a crib liner for your baby or baby on the way? Obviously, we were a little late to the game, but lucky for you, the nearest Target now has all you need to line your crib and keep your baby safe and comfortable!

The Fresh Air Crib Liner ™ by SootheTime can now be found at Target, and you can even get a $5.00 rebate by clicking here. This is the perfect alternative to dangerous crib bumpers and will allow baby to sleep safe and sound while parents can sleep with peace of mind.

The liner is meant to fit most cribs with ease and has colors for boys, girls, or a unisex option.

If you haven’t found something to keep your baby safe in their crib, then head to your nearest Target and pick up a Fresh Air Crib Liner™ for yourself. Don’t forget the $5.00 rebate!!

But, if you can wait a few days, I have an even better way to get your own Fresh Air Crib Liner™ by entering to win one here! Just do as told by RaffleCopter and you’ll be entered. The giveaway will end next Wednesday, 08/13, at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck to all of you!

Disclosure: “I am participating in this campaign as a member of The Niche Parent Network & Conference. Although I received compensation and product, all opinions are my own.”