Five Step Bedtime Routine and Printable

School is back in session and that means early bedtimes for the littles. We're trading the late night movies in for bed before the sun even goes down. 

It's so hard on the little ones to transition to school night bedtime, but hopefully this routine helps it make it easier on your little one. I love bedtime, not only because it means some quiet time for myself--but it's the calmest part of my day, and I enjoy just cuddling with my boys before they go to sleep. 

From the time my little guys were about 2 months old, they've been on a schedule. It helps me not go crazy figuring out my days, and it helps them know what's happening next in their busy day.  One of the most important parts in our routine is bedtime. We start our bedtime routine about 30 minutes before I actually want them in bed. It helps them calm down and prepare their bodies for bedtime. 

1. Bath Time-- We always start with a bath--it doesn't matter if we even made it out of the house that day. My littles love playing in the bath for a good 20 minutes and it kills time in those last minutes before bedtime when they are both getting fussy and tired. Something about the water stops the fussiness, and all worries go away when you add bubbles. We are in love with Cetaphil's new baby line!

2. Pajamas-- Even though we live in Florida we are a long sleeve wearing family when it comes to pajamas. We keep the house pretty cold, and I don't have to worry about the boys getting cold if they don't use their blankets. I am loving these ones from Petite Plume, they are incredibly soft and are perfect for year round wear as they are light but can also be worn with a shirt under and some socks to add a little more warmth. I am also in love with wearable blankets for Carson, and this Nested Bean one has a weighted chest that gives him all the comfort he needs to fall asleep at night. Bennett is in love with the lovey from Stella and Lu and honestly I kinda wish I had one as well. 

3. Brush Teeth-- We love the Oral B products for tooth brushing time--not only because they are recommended by our dentist, but they also have an awesome timer from Disney that helps the kiddos remember to brush their teeth for 2 minutes. After they finish brushing they receive digital stickers. 

4. Put on Oils-- I found out about Oilogic when Carson had a cold. I purchased the Cold and Cough bubble bath and was simply hooked after that. I love the roller balls they offer for the little ones, and I love that these can be purchased at stores near me. We use the Sleep and Slumber one every night before bed, and we also use the bubble bath when it's bath time. 

5. Read a Book-- We try to make it to the library every week to pick out new bedtime stories, but to be honest I think we have enough books to let us read a new one every night before bed for a year. Recently we started reading a children's devotion geared for kiddos under 5. It's an app on my phone and has a quick paragraph that walks through the whole Bible. We read a couple of these every night. 

After we read a book, we say prayers and sing a couple songs and it's off to bed without a fight. I love that this goes over so smooth, and it relaxes all of us for a good nights sleep. Download the checklist below to help your kiddos get ready for back to school nights! 

What do you do for your night time routine to get your kiddos ready for bed?