I’m Not Tired! Teen’s Guide to Helping A Youngster Go To Bed

Think back to when you were a child – chances are, you tried everything you could to stay up a little longer. And if you do much babysitting, you’ve probably encountered a few kids who refuse to go to bed while you’re in charge.

Dealing with a child who won’t go to bed can be frustrating, but it can be done. The following tips will help you to handle a child who won’t go to bed.

Respect the parents’ wishes.
While it may be easy to keep a child who won’t go to bed up until he tires himself out or let him or her fall asleep to the TV so you don’t have to deal with the tantrums or the whining, it’s important to remember to respect the parents’ wishes when it comes to bedtime. While it may not seem like a big deal to you, they are the ones who will have to deal with a cranky child the whole next day.

It’s also important that you know the kids’ bedtime routine. If a child is used to a routine, it can be very upsetting if you disrupt that. Ask the parents if there is anything special you should know, such as “Timmy has to have a drink before going to bed,” or “They won’t go to bed unless you read a certain book.’ Knowing this beforehand can help immensely.

Give the kids fair warning that bedtime is coming up.
Bedtime won’t be such a shock to kids if they know to expect it at a certain time. Say things like, “OK, one more story and then we have to get ready for bed,” or “We can play one more game but then we have to get ready for bed.” This serves to soften the blow of having to go to bed.

Start early.
If the children you are babysitting have an elaborate bedtime routine, make sure you start early to anticipate problems so they can be in bed when the time comes. Start brushing teeth, getting into pajamas, and reading stories early so the kids can be in bed before the time comes.

Make it a game.
Kids love games, so one way to get a child who won’t go to bed into bed is to turn it into a game. Make it a “race,” and turn on the timer to see if they can brush their teeth, get their pajamas on, and get to bed before the timer goes off. Or, if you are babysitting more than one child who doesn’t want to go to bed, tell them that whoever gets to bed first gets to pick out a story. Or, you can offer piggyback rides to bed. Making bedtime a game can take the fight out of getting to bed.

Let them know you will tell their parents.
Sometimes, the most effective way to get kids into bed is to threaten them with their parents. Simply saying something like, “What will your mom say if she comes home and you aren’t in bed?” or “Should I call your parents and ask them if they really said you could stay up late?” can get kids to bed when all else fails.

While bedtime is often the worst time for a babysitter, it doesn’t have to be. The above tips can help you deal with a child who won’t go to bed.