How to keep your child’s routine during social distancing
During this time of social distancing, keeping your children on a sleep schedule might be the last thing on your mind. While this can be a wonderful time to unplug and spend more quality time with your kids, many families are also feeling chaotic, scared, and that this new normal is a bit unmanageable, especially if “homeschool” is now on the agenda.
Many of us are simply surviving, and in many households, bedtime routines naturally end up going out the window during time off of work and school.
However, as hard as it might be, keeping a consistent routine throughout this time is not only important for your family’s health, but it will also help your children enjoy this new family time even more.
Here are four ways help keep sleep on track during this unprecedented time:
1) Keep your child’s actual bedtime consistent. Allowing your child to stay up several hours past her normal bedtime will wreak havoc on their internal clock. If you’re going to adjust bedtime during this “time-off” period, I recommend no later than 30 minutes past their normal bedtime. (See This is how early your child should be going to bed)
2) Follow the same routine you normally do throughout the year. We are all creatures of habit, and for kids, knowing what might come next within their family dynamic can help to create stability - especially right now. If you normally brush teeth, read books, say prayers, and lights out, then follow that same routine as best as possible. For many children, they look forward to this time of connection and come to expect it in order to help them sleep soundly. For some ideas, see the graphic below.
3) Eliminate distractions as much as possible. Many families have scrapped the “no screen time” rule during this time of social isolation, but it’s still important to shut off electronics at least 1.5 hours before bed, and encourage wind down time in the evenings. It is challenging for anyone (adults included) to go from a stimulating environment straight to bed. We want to try and help prepare our kids for rest by creating a sleep-promoting environment to signal that bedtime is coming soon. This also includes eliminating sugary snacks at least two hours prior to bedtime.
4) Talk to your children about the importance of sleep. A steadfast rule in our household is that if our children don’t get adequate sleep, our planned activities for the next day are limited. If your child was looking forward to playing with a new toy, doing a certain activity, or going for a walk in a certain area, then he needs to be at his best - which means getting enough sleep. If your child wakes up grumpy because he didn’t go to bed at his bedtime, limit some of his preferred activities and remind him that it was because he did not go to bed on time. This isn’t to serve as a punishment, but rather for your child to understand natural consequences.
Day-to-day life with our kids during this unknown-length time can be difficult, but by keeping consistency, you will be helping your whole family feel healthy, positive, and safe!
Related articles:
Five ways the pandemic could be affecting your child’s sleep
Here’s why consistent bedtimes are more important than you think
How to get your child sleeping on a schedule
How to transition your child back to a healthy sleep schedule before school starts