Bedtime Story Review
Because of our backgrounds in education, Emily and I are both passionate about instilling a love of reading in the kiddos we work with. To many people it probably seems silly to read a bedtime story to a newborn, but getting in the habit of reading together regularly has huge benefits for your child long-term! Children who are read to daily are exposed to 290,000 more words prior to entering kindergarten than those who are not. I can assure you from my years in the classroom that a robust vocabulary is one the biggest predictors of success in school. What a fun and easy way to give your little one a head start!
That said, my experience as a sleep consultant has taught me that not all bedtime stories are created equal, especially when it comes to those tricky toddlers who love to test boundaries. I remember the first toddler family I worked with. I was compiling a list of stories to read to this little boy to teach him that it was important to stay in his own bed all night. I pulled out Llama, Llama Red Pajama. A classic bedtime book, right? I was appalled when I began actually reading the book and realized it’s about a Llama who stalls bedtime and gets out of bed multiple times. The exact opposite of what I was trying to teach this little boy! As I dove deeper into the bedtime book genre and started critically reading I found that delaying bedtime was a common theme in 90% of these stories. This isn’t to say these books don’t have their place. For an older child or a sleep trained toddler they’re adorable and whimsical. But when you’re trying to teach your toddler to stay in their bed all night, stories like Llama, Llama Red Pajama only give them new stalling tactics.
They take a little more digging to find, but there absolutely are fantastic bedtime stories that can help kids wind down for bed, while also teaching them appropriate expectations. Based on your current goals, check out the suggestions below.
Your Own Big Bed- A charming story that incorporates sleeping animals as a little boy learns to sleep peacefully in his own big kid bed.
Naomi and the Secrets of Going to Sleep- Written by a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, this book teaches the importance of a bedtime routine and quality sleep for growing children.
My New Big Kid Bed- A story about a little boy who considers trying to sleep with mom and dad, but quickly realizes his own bed is a safe and cozy place to sleep.
If your toddler is struggling with sleep, try some of these stories! You would be surprised how much a connection with a character can influence them!
