Bedtime routines usually fall apart for one of two reasons: There's no real structure, or there is a routine but it collapses the moment your kid pushes back.
Commands and threats might get short-term compliance, but they don't actually teach anything. The fix is the Limit Setting Formula: tell your kid what they can have or do, and under what condition. Then hold it (even through the meltdown that follows).
And when bedtime runs long because of a meltdown or stalling, follow up the next day with restitution or a natural consequence for the time and energy it cost you.
If your family is struggling with bedtime, it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong with you or your kid. It means that you're missing a parenting skill or need some more information. Some of parenting is intuitive, but there are also a lot of skills that you have to build along the way.
You’ll Learn:In this episode, I’ll show you how to build a bedtime routine that actually feels doable and how to use clear limits and consequences when bedtime goes sideways. Over time, your child will internalize this new routine, so you can stop repeating, reminding, and yelling every night.
Read the full show notes here.
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Related Episodes:Get your copy of the Stop Yelling Toolkit!
In this free guide you’ll discover:
✨ A simple tool to stop yelling once you’ve started (This one thing will get you calm.)
✨ 40 things to do instead of yelling. (You only need to pick one!)
✨ Exactly why you yell. (And how to stop yourself from starting.)
✨A script to say to your kids when you yell. (So they don't follow you around!)
Download the Stop Yelling Toolkit here
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