Bedtime Activity: 24-30 Months

By this age, your bedtime routine is most likely very different than it was when your toddler was an infant; however, some elements should be the same. A good established routine for this age may start with a bath, followed by toothbrushing, potty, story, and goodnight kisses and hugs. During storytime, ask your child questions about what the people or animals in the book are doing. Challenge him by asking more complex questions, such as, "How would that make you feel if that happened to you?" At the end of the story, ask him if he can tell you at least three things that he remembers hearing or seeing from the story. They do not necessarily need to be in order. When you sing songs, ask him if there is anyone special from the day to whom he wants to sing goodnight. Just before bedtime, talk to him about things that might be happening the next day.

Possible Intervention Strategies & Supports

• To help your child with grabbing and turning pages, attach pieces of Velcro to separate them and provide something to hold onto.

• Ask your child to narrate a story on his/her own, describing the actions of the characters and telling where they are going or who they are with. Ask questions to encourage more details, including about descriptive words such as color or number.

• When reading books at bedtime begin (if not earlier) to model how you read left to right by moving your fingers along the lines. Be silly and turn the book upside down to see if your child notices (model for them the first few times of why you were being silly).

• If your child  is afraid to go to sleep alone, it will be important to remain consistent in your routine for addressing this. For example, if he continuously gets out of bed, you will want to immediately bring him back to his room and into his bed with little to no talking and limited eye contact. Once there, you can start by providing additional support, such as patting his back or standing in the room by the door, but be sure to gradually fade these supports over a period of a couple of weeks. For example:
  1. Pat his back for the first few nights.
  2. Stand by his bed or crib for the next few nights (without patting his back).
  3. Then, stand in the middle of the room or by the door for a few nights.
  4. Stand right outside door for the last few nights after that.

Tips

Encourage your child to brush his teeth on his own, but be sure to take your turn brushing his teeth as well. Doing so will not only ensure that his teeth are brushed thoroughly, but will also show him how his teeth should be brushed. If he is resisting toothbrushing, try singing the ABC song to him as he brushes and challenge him to brush until you get to the letter Z! It may also help him to see you brush your teeth, so don't hesitate to stand next to him and brush along.

Family Handout

Click here to download an editable one-page handout of this age range's bedtime activity, interventions, and tips.