Bedtime With Elmo
July 8, 2009 by Caryn
This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by. The winners are Molly Capel, Ed Nemmers, and Nicole I. Congrats!
I am the first to admit that I’m not an expert on sleep, particularly when it comes to children. We co slept with my son until he was a year and a half and while he finally made it to his crib, on any given day or night you will find him curled up between my husband and I in our bed. Maybe we can get a little help from Elmo!
Genius Products and Sesame Workshop just released Bedtime With Elmo! It’s bedtime on Sesame Street and instead of going to sleep, Elmo wants to play (I’m wondering if he and my little boy collaborated on this one). Here is a little more information about this new release from the site:
It’s bedtime on Sesame Street! Just like all little kids, Elmo and Abby would rather make funny faces and sing silly songs than go to sleep. Luckily, Elmo’s dad Louis knows just how to deal with extra glasses of water and little monsters who are afraid of the dark. Parents will love the practical strategies Louis uses to get Elmo and Abby to go to bed, and children will love snuggling under the covers with this timeless DVD. Featuring the special extra of Andrea Bocelli singing “Time To Say Goodnight” to Elmo.
Do you have trouble getting your child to sleep? Here are some bedtime tips!
-Establish a Consistent and Positive Bedtime Routine
Help your child transition to bed by having predictable activities that take place at the same time each night, such as going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, getting into pajamas and reading stories. Children can be comforted by routine and benefit if their bedtime schedule is followed as regularly as possible.-Quiet Playtime
Help your child wind down from the day by getting him into pajamas earlier than usual and engaging in relaxing activities like reading, playing a quiet game, doing a puzzle, or drawing together. Give him extra long cuddles before putting him to bed!-Sharing Special Moments
Talk to your child about her day before going to sleep. Ask her to choose a favorite part of the day and discuss why it was special. Encourage her to think of something that she is looking forward to doing tomorrow as she falls asleep.-Bedtime Stories
Help your child choose a favorite book at bedtime. After reading the story, ask him what he thinks his favorite character might do to get ready for bed. Talk about ways his bedtime routines might be similar or different. Remind him that everyone needs a good night’s sleep to feel rested and energized in the morning!-Glimmer of Light
Help your child feel safe when sleeping in the dark by placing a small night light in his room or hallway. You can also let him keep a small flashlight under his pillow to help him feel safe. Talk to him about how he is feeling and let him know that while it is okay to be scared, reassure him that there is nothing to be afraid of in the dark and you are always close by if he needs you.-Sweet Dreams
Provide your child with a quiet, cozy and comfortable bedroom for her to sleep in. Your child should look forward to sleeping in her room and feel safe and secure. Allow her to have her favorite blanket or stuffed animal nearby for comfort when going to bed. You can also set up a CD player to play soft calming music or lullabies as she falls asleep.
Win It! Three of you will win a copy of Bedtime With Elmo on DVD! Simply leave me a comment with a tip on how you get your children to go to sleep peacefully. Comments will close on July 23, 2009 at 10 PM PST. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.
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my daughter loves elmo
We just gave these DVD’s away during out twitter party but ironically I didn’t get a copy, lol, so I’ll try my luck at winning one =)
My only advice is to start a bedtime routine as early as possible! I actually started a “routine” when my daughter was around 3-4 months old, which people thought was crazy, but by 6 months old she was pretty much sleeping through the night (if 5am is even considered morning!) and by a year she was definitely adjusted. Of course we’ve had occasional night awakenings, but for the majority of the last 2 years, she’s been sleeping by 8pm and awake at 7am. I also followed the advice of “dream feeding” and it really helped!
Another great product for people that are having trouble is the Good Nite Lite. I’m not here to promote any products, but check it out if you need some bedtime assistance, lol.
I read a short story to her and tuck her in.
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They go to bed at the same time every night with a kiss and hug and a promise to see them in the morning.
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I lay down with my girls until they fall asleep
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Our son is only 3 months old, but we have been trying (some nights are better than others) to keep a nightly routine to help him fall asleep. We start by storytime. We then move on to bathtime. Once our little one is clean and dressed in his pjs, we have the last feeding of the night. Once he is fed, he is kissed goodnight by his daddy and me.
That’s in a perfect world. Naturally, we sometimes struggle with our beloved little monster.
I have a three-year-old, a two-year-old, and a one-year-old, and I have never had any trouble getting any of them to bed. I think the key is to wear them out during the day. Don’t let them sit around doing nothing, but encourage active play (especially outdoors) with lots of exercise.
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We have just started introducing the bedtime routine. I give y daughter a bath, get on jammies, read a book, and have a night bottle, we rock and I hold her until she falls asleep then I lay her down in bed and it’s goodnight. Now she is only 10months old so I know this routine will change. But for now it is working.
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Would love this! Havent ever seen Elmos dad,,,, hmmm. Would be cute for the kidletts!
I guess I got lucky because my daughter never has any problems with going to sleep. 5 minutes after laying down in her bed, she’s asleep. Thanks.
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I think having a routine is the way to go,we have a set time an follow it as closely as we can,bath,potty ,story an a tuck in with a kiss
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do it calmly- tone things down- like sitting and reading or watching something a bit boring…bathing is right after dinner because bathing wakes them up
I usually cuddle up with my daughter, put in a Strawberry Shortcake DVD, and a snack and she’s down in an hour!
When my kids were little, we set a routine, they had their baths, then they had a bottle (or juice when older) while we watched Jeopardy! while rocking in the rocking chair, then they could play in the playpen (when babies) or read (when older) for 1/2 hour, then went into their bed, after potty (or changing diaper), kisses and let them put themselves to sleep.
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Sleep has been a battle with my oldest since she was born. Now that she is 4 years old, she actually stays in her bed and comes to cuddle in the morning! I would say her fave part of our “night-night” routine is the special bedtime song we made up for her, plus lots of hugs!
My husband plays his guitar and sings to them with the lights out for about 15 to 20 minutes.
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Let them read a book before bedtimes
We wind down with a bath, then reading a book. When he brushes his teeth, he knows that’s it, time for bed. Thanks for the chance to win-we love Elmo!
Each of my boys have the Rainforest crib soothing toy that still works for them!
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I have yet to find the magic task that gets my 4 month old twins the get to sleep peacefully. Sometimes I have to nurse then even after a full bottle. We rock them to sleep in a dark and quiet room also. I am hoping the sleeping through the night will come soon.
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Settle down with a good story.
Bedtime stories are relaxing and make bedtime fun.
A routine or schedule….not only idoes it keep my family on track but it keeps me on track as well
We established a bedtime routine around 6 months that we still stick with now at 11 months. We have dinner, bathtime, book or lullaby, and then we rock to sleep or until drowsy. Then, he is transferred to the crib. He still doesn’t sleep through and we often bring him to our bed in the middle of the night but he does go down without a fight.
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My son knows its bedtime when he gets his bath and then a bedtime story, usually it’s Pajama Time.
My kids are adult now but I don’t remember that I had trouble putting them to sleep. My daughter puts her kids to sleep and they go to sleep they have no alternative.
we let them run around outside so they get tired.
I really don’t have any tips, because we’ve never had any problems with getting our children to go to sleep. A happy, stressless home may be the answer.
My tip is to tell them that no TV the next day unless they listen to me.
we just read a story every night
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My daughter would really like this. Thanks for the chance.
I sit next to his bed and after story time, I tickle his back or tummy, or stroke his hair until he falls asleep.
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My son likes to have a cup of milk, read books then pick out two trucks to bring to bed with him! Thanks for the chance.
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To help both of our boys we have a consistent bedtime routine. This means brushing teeth, PJ’s on, potty/diaper, kisses/hugs and music on in their room. This has been wonderful with my oldest, but still working on it with the little guy. Thanks for the fun opportunity.
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I read to my grandson or tell him a story before bedtime and he falls right to sleep.
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I bought a Cloud B Twilight Ladybug for my niece for her 2nd birthday to help her go to sleep at night – I hope it helps!!
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I try to keep my children on a pretty good schedule and do an evening routine that gets them ready for bed…bath, brush teeth, read 3 stories chosen by the child, tuck them in and give them a kiss goodnight!
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When my 2 were little we kept a calm & peaceful bedtime by following a routine and STICKING to it! (At the same time each night we would do a Bath, snack, reading by Mom or Dad and then lights out!) This helped our children ‘wind-down’ and it helped US as well because we had a little time together at the end of the day!
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For my girls, it’s all about establishing and maintaining a routine.
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I lay down with my son and read him a book.
We have a routine and read one story for every year of age – and no idea what we will do once the kids are teenagers, I’ll be reading all night
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Read Tanya’s Elmo DVD review and entered her Dyson giveaway
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We read most nights as a family. My daughter (16 months) loves books. I also sing to her some nights. Itsy Bitsy Spider is her favorite.
we have bath time then book time then relax and go to sleep. routine seems to work
We like to read bedtime stories and just talk about the day
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I always read my kids a story before they go to bed, it helps the process go by smoother! Thanks!
I don’t have kids but when my niece stays over, the easiest way to do it is that she gets to pick the covers that go on the bed so she gets excited that she picked them out and helped make the bed.
A warm bath, story time and songs and bedtime prayers do the tricks for us.
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I’m currently pregnant with my first child and due to have my baby boy this Saturday. I plan to get my son to bed piecefully by bathing then nursing him before bedtime and reading him bedtime stories. Hopefully my voice will be soothing enough to help him fall asleep.
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We read bedtime stories; every night, no matter the craziness of life, we sit down & read for 1/2 an hour before bedtime. It seems to help “unwind” the day.
We started a routine early, and while it’s changed as he’s gone from baby to toddler to preschooler, it always ends with kisses- one for each of the people near and far who love him.
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My daughter reads a bedtime story to my grandson every night, so he knows the routine, he chooses a book and after storytime it’s bedtime.
I don’t always get my daughter to sleep peacefully, but I find that turning down the lights as it gets closer to bedtime helps her quiet down.
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We bought a small stereo and many Rock a Bye Baby cd’s before our son was born. He just turned 2 last week and always goes to sleep peacefully while listening to one of his cd’s. As an added bonus, the music also got him accustomed to noise in the house while he is sleeping. Therefore he sleeps through loud TV and even when company is over.
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The best thing to get them to sleep good at night, is let them get all of their energy out during the day.
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Warm milk with honey mixed in is a sweet way to get to sleep.
The only thing that gets us to bed on time is a routine. We listen to our bedtime music, take a bath and put on jammies and lotion, and read a story. But if we skip any steps, it isn’t peaceful! Thanks for the giveaway.
well right now we just have a newborn, we put him to sleep with the air conditioner unit on – it makes a constant noise that puts him to sleep
Let him play outside until dinner time.
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Just tell him its time for bed and you need your sleep.
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I get my daughter to sleep by singing Silent Night to her. I know it’s a Christmas Song, technically, but it works like a charm! macd82 at gmail dot com
Thanks for the giveaway… Luckily we were able to induce sleep most nights by the application of a “white noise” machine; when that did not work we had backup: CD’s of classical music, especially Mozart.
we try to keep their routine fairly regular so they know what to expect.
I read my son a story or sing with him before bed. Then I make sure that he has all of his favorite lovies and his pacifiers.
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We love Elmo!!
Get in the habit of reading to them to fall asleep and putting on some soft music. Eventually it will become a conditioned response
We sing a prayer song and then they know it is time for bed.
We read together every night!
I put in something my daughter likes and she usually falls a sleep watching her favorite show
Soft music and dim lighting always seems to do the trick…man, it sounds like I am planning a romantic dinner, doesn’t it? LOL Thanks!
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bath, book then bed!
Routine has always been the key for us. Bath, books, prayers, songs then bedtime.
The little boy that I watch would love this!
My boys love to go to sleep listening to tapes!
I help my little one sleep peacefully by getting a warm bath, reading three books, then 20 minutes of a video of her choice. Then off to catch some zzzz’s.
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read to them
I think the biggest thing with getting kids to go to bed peacefully is having a routine. If a child goes to bed the same time every night and wakes up at the same time, it makes it much easier!
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She gets a warm bath, and we read a story. We talk for a litle and I tell her she needs her beauty sleep! Thanks for the chance!
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With my son, I lay with him and read him a book and he seems to really go to sleep well doing that.
This would be great for my mentally handicapp sister.
I get my kids to sleep peacefully by following a set routine as much as possible each day
I read a book to my son.
Let them read a book before lights out
my sons love elmo elmo and i read them a bedtime story rvery night
bedtime stories are fun and relaxing
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I read my son a book&turn on the radio,thats it
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A warm bath and a book always work wonders.
Settle down with a good story book.
Thanks for the chance to win.