Four Steps To A Perfect Nighttime Child Care Routine
Having a night time can be a good thing at times. If you have a night job, you can pick your child up from school, run errands when businesses are open, and otherwise enjoy some of the daylight hours. One of the hard parts of having a night job will be arranging night time care. It is important for you and your child to create a routine if they have to attend day care during the night hours. Here are some ways to create a good night time routine so that your child is comfortable sleeping in the child care center:
Purchase a cot and pillow
Most child care centers will have mats for children to nap or sleep on. Mats are good as they are easy to clean off for the center. Mats are not the most comfortable place for your child to have restful sleep. If you are concerned about your child's comfort, purchase a cot along with a body pillow to be kept at the center. When your child gets to the center, they can pull this out to get decent rest.
Have a bath time routine
Before you go to work, even if it is early in the afternoon, you should develop a bath time routine with your child. Have them take a bubble bath or a shower before they head out to the child care center. Purchase special pajamas that they wear only to the center. Sit down for dinner to talk before you head to work and be sure to pack them for bedtime snacks and books before they leave.
Stick to regular at home bed routines
If you allow your child to watch television before they head to bed, send them to the child care center with their DVD player so that they may enjoy a few cartoons before they sleep. If a bedtime snack then tooth brushing is the routine, send them to the child care center with their tooth brush and favorite snacks in tow. Making the night routine as close to home's as possible will keep your child on a good routine that doesn't disrupt their life.
Keep the lights off when you go home
Waking your child up at early hours in the morning to take them home can be disruptive to their sleep. This can make them cranky and cause them to be tired during the day. To keep them in a good routine, make sure to keep the lights off and allow them to go straight to bed when you go home. Keeping the lights off after the car ride will ensure a smooth transition to bed.
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