Bedtime Routine

It has taken us years to get into a good bedtime routine.  My husband works crazy shifts and we just couldn't seem to make it a habit until the last year or so.  I think a lot of people seem to have bedtime routines with their kids and they are each unique.

Here is how we do our's:

Our 6 year old gets all of the toothbrushes ready and he brushes his teeth first.  Then the two little ones brush their's next.  We find splitting this up helps with less fighting. 

Once everyone's teeth are brushed and their pajamas are on we move to the bedroom.  Right now all three of our kids sleep in the same room.  It is a big room. I don't usually read them a story at bedtime because I'm pretty tired by this point and my husband isn't always here to tag team with me at bedtime.

I have to tuck them in.  Then I pray with each one of them.  My older son is very specific with me that I pray that he does not have any bad dreams.  Next I pray with my daughter.  She doesn't really have any specific requests.  My little man just says, "Thank you, Mommy."  when I am done praying with him.

Once the prayers are done, the singing commences.  The ONE SONG I must sing every.single.night is "I Love You Lord".  I cannot leave the room without singing it.  The other songs are up in the air.  Sometimes it is "How much is that doggie in the window", sometimes it is "Little Ducky Duddle" and on an occasion it is "Yippee ki yi yay get along little doggie" - seriously I'm not kidding.

And before I leave we must go over what the happenings are for the next day.  It goes something like this.  What are we going to do tomorrow?  Then I tell them and then they say, "And then what?" until I go through each item until bedtime.

Thus ends the routine.  Always the same, always precious, sometimes exhausting, but always thankful that we have that time together.

How about you?  What special things do you do in your bedtime routines?