As a parent, hearing your little one saying ‘I’m bored!’ makes you want to leap out of your seat and entertain them immediately. It’s an instinct! Wanting to make them happy and rewarded at all times may feel right, but overstimulation is sleep’s worst enemy.
There are two ideal timings for practice:
1. As soon as they wake up
2. When they present sleepy signs
For babies aged 0-12 months
When your baby wakes up for the day it’s best to offer quiet time. That means surrounding them with as little as possible. Popping them in a baby bouncer or on a play mat to just stare out the window is a wonderful way to slowly wake up for the day. Their little minds get to wonder quietly and you get a peaceful few minutes to prepare your coffee and their breakfast.
After a wake window or before their evening bedtime you will recognise your baby’s unique sleepy signs and that’s the best time to slow the activities down. A good way to offer quiet time here is a lovely bedtime routine (it’s best to have a 15-20 min set routine in the evening and a shorter one for day naps).
For 12 month old babies and toddlers
Although they are more engaged and have higher expectations for entertainment, I suggest a similar plan. When they wake up try to have at least 30 min of quiet time before the TV gets turned on or the toys come out. You can start with a warm drink and a little chat about the day ahead, cuddly story time or just let them crawl about while you slowly start your day.
At bedtime it’s best to avoid all screens for at least one hour before their head hits the pillow. A good way to spend the last hour of the day can start with dinner and finish with their bedtime routine. That can include bath time, massage, story, chatting about the day you and they had (it’s important to share your experiences as well to set an example for how they might share theirs), turning the lights off and saying good night. If you want more information about creating a healthy bedtime routine, read more here.
During the day, when you hear the phrase – ‘I’m bored!’ – be happy for them and you! They are practicing an important skill so just say ‘ok’ instead of offering a noisier toy or dropping dinner preparations to get the arts and crafts kit out! In time, they’ll learn it’s ok to slow down sometimes and enjoy watching the trees blow in the wind or play with a jigsaw puzzle they haven’t seen in a while, and most importantly, they won’t rely on you to pull a bigger rabbit out of the hat each time.
Important tip
Some children can wake up extremely early looking for a screen or exciting activities, so start to gradually introduce quiet time to avoid those painfully early mornings.
Want to learn more about healthy habits for better night’s sleep?
