Waiting Up for Mum & Dad
Arriving home late in the evening can mean that you miss out on spending time with your children. How can you fit in workload and family time without disrupting their routine? See below some useful tips to get you back on track and ensure that your young child’s bedtime runs smoothly.
Another manic day at work. You are rushing around trying to finish everything on your to-do list so that you can get home and spend some time with your children before they go to bed. But, there is one last phone call, one last email at work to deal with. It’s late now and you know your little ones are waiting up, anticipating your return.
If this sounds familiar you are not alone. Juggling work and life is never easy.
With the aid of a few proven techniques and a little organisation, you will be able to spend some precious time with your baby before he/she drifts off to sleep for the day. All whilst making sure you are up to date with your workload.
Sleep is as important as food
When we look at sleep we have to look at it being as important as food. We wouldn’t let our little ones wait up until one parent arrives home to eat. Therefore we shouldn’t do the same with sleep. As we know sleep is so important for their growth and development. Every hour that they miss from their night-time sleep means they may become more overtired and even harder to settle. So having a well-rested child is a win, win for everyone.
Setting a consistent and age appropriate bedtime
Bedtime is such an important part of the child’s sleep puzzle. Too late a bedtime can lead to your child being overtired and result in multiple wake-ups overnight and early rising. Setting a consistent bedtime not only allows your kids to know when sleep time is coming. It also allows your partner to know what time to finish up and head home for the day.
An ideal bedtime for a 12-18 month-year-old is around 6.30 pm and we would aim for a 7 pm bedtime as your child moves towards the 18 month mark. Anything later and your child will be overtired.
Toddlers and babies around this age require around 12 hours of sleep overnight to ensure optimal mental and physical development. Don’t fall into the trap of equating an early bedtime with an unnecessarily early-morning wake-up. An overtired child that is put to bed late, is much more likely to wake during the night or early hours of the morning.
Not waiting up
Even the likes of Michelle Obama set clearly defined bedtimes when her children were young. This ensured they had consistency and were guaranteed a good night’s sleep. The structure also ensures partners know what time the kids are going to bed and can, in turn, spend some valuable time together.
Michelle was married to the president but wasn’t going to allow her children’s bedtimes to be put back because they were waiting for Barack to arrive home. Good sleep was too important to their development.
“I didn’t want them ever to believe that life began when the man of the house arrived home. We didn’t wait for Dad. It was his job now to catch up with us.”
Michelle Obama, Becoming.
Flexibility in work
Juggling your work schedule may be tricky if you are accustomed to working long hours and having late finishes. However, most workplaces are usually flexible with adjusting start and finish times. Don’t be afraid to discuss options with your employer. Your child’s sleep is important and getting them to bed on time means you will be better rested for work the following day.
Coming home on time
Giving you the chance to help with the bedtime routine. This way you can guarantee your child is getting a good night’s sleep, also giving you the chance to spend some quality time bonding with them. Once your little ones are down you can re-visit your work if it’s an option.
Taking it in turns and sharing the bedtime duties
You can always look to alternate finish times with your partner and take turns with the bedtime routines. For example, one parent does Monday, Tuesday, the other does Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday and on weekends both parents are there to put your little ones to sleep.
While the daily juggle of work, life and family is always hard to balance, you can be certain that having a consistent structure around bedtimes will alleviate overall stress for everyone. This ensures you get to spend some quality time with your kids and loved ones, confident in the knowledge that they are well-rested and happy for the next day ahead.