Bedtime is a big deal in our house. Hermione has had a set bedtime and a bedtime routine since she was about eight weeks old. Even when she was a baby and still waking up multiple times a night Doug and I made an effort to let her know that it was nighttime and not just another nap. Although it took her a long, long, long time to "sleep through the night" having a cozy, dependable routine made bedtime something she loves and looks forward to! As she approaches two (gasp!) Hermione's bedtime routine has changed a bit since those early days but the main ritual is almost the same. Every night starting at 6pm she has dinner, takes a bath (sometimes mommy or daddy joins her in the tub), brushes her teeth, gets a coconut oil massage (so good for her skin!), gets into pajamas and reads a few stories with me and Doug in our bed. It's so nice to take some quiet time at the end of the day all together and get some snuggly family time in.
After stories we start singing goodnight to Monkey (our dog Maddy), Night Night (her lovie), Abu (her stuffed monkey), Daddy and Mommy. The song goes "Goodnight Monkey. Goodnight Monkey. Goodnight Monkey. Goodnight. Goodnight." etc. etc. It's super simple but she loves it and sometimes ads her own verses to say goodnight to our Buddha statue, tiger photograph, or lamps. Lastly it's a few rounds of "You are My Sunshine" in her room and she is snuggled in her sleep sack in her crib by 7pm. She is so tired at the end of the day that she is often fast asleep by the time I close her door.
As a big fan of cozy loungewear I firmly believe that yummy pajamas play an integral part in a good nights sleep. I love putting Hermione in these Roberta Roller Rabbit pjs. Not only are they insanely soft, but the purple elephant print matches her nursery perfectly. We have several pairs of these pajamas in different prints from monkeys, to owls, to pigs. Every night I ask Hermione which pjs she wants to wear and it's so cute to hear her shout "piggies!" or "owls!" or "elephants!"
I love bedtime so much that I have yet to let anyone else put Hermione to bed at night. It's our special time and for now I am perfectly ok being unavailable to anyone else before 7pm. What could be more important than snuggling my little munchkin before she goes to sleep?
xoxo Hermione and Mommy
