That all changed when we finally sat down and established a bedtime routine. It helped our daughter establish healthy sleeping habits and got us back into ours. On top of it, we now have a little time to ourselves at night.

Maybe you have heard on TV or read in a parenting magazine that your child needs a bedtime routine. Or you are just plain tired of having to run to her room 20 times before she finally dozes off. For whatever reason you decided it’s time to start setting up a bedtime routine. Where do you go from here? Obviously you are not going to change your child’s habits from one day to next. Consistency is going to be key, which is why we started by drawing up a basic little plan.

Take out a pen and a piece of paper and jot down following:

How much sleep does your child need What time does he/ she need to get up in morning What are his/her favorite calm activities (reading a book, taking a bath, cuddling with you, talking about your day, going for a stroll through yard, putting on pj’s) From this list, come up with an action plan. Figure out when you need to put your child to bed to make sure she gets enough sleep. This will be your final goal. What time does she go to bed now? Plan on moving her bedtime back about 30 minutes every few days to give her some time to adjust in between.

Pick a few of her favorite calm activities and spend about 30 to 40 minutes on those while also getting her in her pj’s, teeth brushed and off to bed.

1) Trade play-dates with other moms in your area. One afternoon kids play at your house, next at hers. You get idea. Not only does this help you out on days that they are at someone else’s house, but also on days that they are at yours. You’ll be amazed at how much more you get done, when they are keeping each other company.

2) Check with churches and daycare centers in your area. Some of them provide a mother day off program once a week. You can leave your child in a safe place for a few hours, while you run some errands, work on a deadline or make your important calls without interruption.

3) Create a stash of toys and movies that you only bring out in work emergency. Since these are new to your child, it should buy you at least a little uninterrupted work-time.

4) Create a play area within sight of your work area. You’ll get a lot more done if you don’t have to jump up and run all time to make sure your kids are fine.