Bedtime routines have always been very important to us. I value sleep, and the thought of loosing sleep due to babies makes me get really anxious and sweaty. When Jay was born we thought that we were amazing parents because he was sleep trained all the way through the night at six weeks of age, and to this day at three-and-a-half, he's still an amazing sleeper, and still takes awesome naps. Clearly we thought we had everything in the bag when Em came along, be she has been a totally different story. We've tried to do everything with her that we've done for Jay, but she's just her own little person, and she does not value sleep as much as her older brother. For the sake of routine though, both our kids always adhere to the same bedtime routine, and what they do in their bedrooms after I put them there is beyond my control.
We've always done the JOHNSON'S Three Step Bedtime Routine (most parents probably do too, they just probably don't call it that). Step one is always bath time. This is Em's favorite part of the day. She loves playing in the tub and will splash and kick on her back to her heart's content. It's so fun to watch her play in the tub, especially when she's pretty sedentary and isn't moving much throughout the day. We always use the JOHNSON'S Baby Bedtime Bubble Bath, along with their Baby Bedtime Body Wash. We've used both of these products since Jay was a baby and we really love them (especially the smell!)
After Em gets out of the tub, Derek usually takes her into the living room for some cuddles and a bedtime massage while he puts some baby lotion on her. This is their number one time to bond during the day since Derek is at work most days, and I really love watching the special relationship that the two of them have.
Once Em is all dressed and ready for bed, I take her into her room to feed her a bottle of milk. Once her tummy is full we brush teeth, and read stories. We just upgraded her from board books to picture books and it's been so fun to watch her get so excited about reading the same stories as her big brother. This is my very favorite part of our day together. After stories she's supposed to go to bed and be an angel for the rest of the night... whether that happens is an entirely different story... but the time leading up to bed we always try and make as special as possible.
Today's blog entry is part of a 12 post series sponsored by JOHNSON'S on behalf of Socialstars. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.
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