The Bedtime Routine

This is a tough one. I've read enough to know I'm not alone. Children just have a hard time settling down and getting to sleep. They're wound up from the day - summer time especially. Being quiet and still just doesn't sound like much fun. I've found extra stories help. Usually. We love Shel Silverstein. Especially Falling Up, Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. We always return to Shel. "Chapter Books" are really good too. And making up silly stories is often our bedtime story of choice. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to make up a silly story on the fly. But beyond story time, I'm pretty lost when trying to get my little ones to bed. This will remain a work in progress. A wonderful, humbling, often difficult but spectacular work in progress.