If there is one thing that comes up again in the world of parenthood, it is that of sleep. Every child is different, every parent is different, so there are no rules about nights. Some children are heavy sleepers while are others not. Some are "early risers" while some are "late nights". All you can do as a parent who hopes for an evening and a night's rest is to try something until you find the right solution for your child.
Here, we learned over the months that if we missed "the check" to go to bed, we had to be patient to try again. This is what we call "revival" among us. We go from a tired little boy to a child who plays, normal, as if nothing was wrong, laughing, playing his little rascal! And then there is the case of the nerves that take over. There our child turns into a "Taz" and returns the whole living room by running and screaming. Much harder to sleep when he entered his phase Taz!
So we're looking for signs. At home when he's tired, he yawns and rubs his nose. Some children touch their ears and rub their eyes. Each one has its own specialty! On the other hand sometimes the hour turns and the little man doesn't seem to tire. Worse still, all of a sudden he's going into the Taz phase without warning.
When mom and dad would go to bed but baby doesn't, we try different methods:
1 - A bath
Each household has its own rhythm in the timing and frequency of bathing. But bathing your child before bedtime can make them relax. I did say MAY (our home, only nay). In any case, it remains a pleasant and quality moment to share together.
2 - A massage (oil, cream)
We take advantage of the exit from the bath to give a small massage of the legs with an oil or cream. I tested only one product since its birth: a relaxing massage balm with essential oils from Comptoir Aroma. Well, even if there is nothing magical about it, he has already been receptive to massage and has calmed down. It doesn't work every time, but it deserves a try.
3 - Evening games
For some time now, I have set up the "evening basket" at home. It is a simple basket containing only toys for "quiet" games. Exit the toys that make music, the "tut tut bolides" and company, after dinner, we move on to the silent games. For example, cubes, small wooden cars, books and stuffed animals to cuddle. I don't put away his usual toys, but as the evening basket is not always within reach of his little hands, he rushes in and rediscovers his contents with pleasure every night.
4 - An herbal tea
This is the last tested novelty: Weleda's organic baby herbal tea. I didn't even know there were special "baby herbal teas" On the spot I wondered how to give an herbal tea to a baby (I immediately thought of the "boiling" side but in reality I don't need to drink it when it is boiling). It can actually be given through the lukewarm in a bottle or small spoonfuls. Here, he prefers to drink from drinks like Mom and Dad. On the other hand, even if the idea appealed to me, he didn't like the taste of the plants. Afterwards, each child has his or her own tastes, although it's worth a try. As for me, I will probably try again later, his palate is evolving a lot at the moment (even though I loved the idea of drinking our little herbal tea!
5 - Yoga
This is something I want to experience even more now that it is in a phase of imitation! We had already tried and it was a great time! The idea of yoga with my little one is to make postures and to incite her to do the same. My sister Mama Orange has tested and approved this method more than once! I'll tell you more about it in due course
6- Cuddles and stories
It's true that getting a hug from a baby in tornado mode is complicated. But if the child is playing and tolerating our presence, a hug always works best to soothe the child. Personally, that's what makes all my moods go green.
Reading stories (when the little one seems to be interested in it) is also a very good way to be together in the calm, softness which creates a climate of tenderness conducive to bedtime.
7 - An evening routine
Because our grandchildren need to feel emotionally secure in order to be relaxed before nightfall, setting up a routine allows the child to reassure themselves. You can use pictures as pictures of your child doing the action, then explain and repeat the steps every night, or even offer to participate by asking them what the next step is. This feeling of being an actor in his routine will strengthen his confidence and sense of security.