School children across the United States headed back to school this week, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they happily headed to their beds at a reasonable hour.
Pediatricians and sleep experts agree that a calming and consistent bedtime routine is key to helping kids get past summer’s “late to bed, late to rise” habits.
As The Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Vaishal Shah puts it, “In the summer, kids may stay up late and pass out exhausted after long, fun, sun-soaked days. During the school year, though, it’s important to stick to more consistent bedtime/wake-up routines. Start unwinding before kids even climb into bed. The last one hour before bedtime should be relatively quiet and calming.”
Jyoti Krishna, a pediatric sleep expert at Akron Children’s Hospital, agrees. Establishing a bedtime ritual is high on his top 10 list for parents wanting to ensure their young students are getting enough sleep.
“A warm bath can be a good way for your child to settle down for the night,” Dr. Krishna writes. “So can listening to soothing music. Children like predictability, so follow the same bedtime and bedtime routine every day.”
For many families, putting these tips into practice can be easier said than done – especially after summer vacation’s carefree days (and nights). That’s where Bedtime Board Game comes in. It combines so many of the bedtime routine elements doctor’s recommend, and it makes a wonderful gift to help young kids (and parents!) start the school year off right.
The game is a playful, cooperative way for families to take the struggle out of children’s evening tasks, including picking up toys, taking a bath, going potty, brushing teeth and putting pajamas on. Children move their characters around the colorful game board, earn gems for completing their bedtime routines, share sweet and thoughtful conversation by answering Cloud Card questions, and end by tucking their characters and themselves into bed.
Bedtime Board Game can be customized nightly, which is another reason it’s perfect for the changing demands of school-year weeks and weekends. Families can choose and sequence Activity Cards depending on what they need to do on a given evening, and parents can even add their own activities on the blank cards included. The game structure is easy enough for grandparents or babysitters to follow, too.
We believe the Bedtime Board Game is a tool that can truly make a difference for young kids and their parents this time of year. So it is our pleasure to offer a special back-to-school price of $29.95 in the month of September as well as free shipping with the code SHIPFREE.
Here’s to a terrific (and well-rested) school year for kids and parents alike.