The Whole Household Is Ready to Rest but Your HSC Is Wired

Running around the house like someone gave them a Red Bull at 8pm.

Bedtime battles can be the worst kind of meltdown in this cycle.

When your energy is drained, your patience is thin, of course it drives you extra crazy to watch your kid take 30+ minutes to do the simple tasks of pjs and brush teeth.

But the saddest part can be that you look forward to the snuggle time that can happen as soon as they get this part done, adding to your frustration.

And you know that disappointment is about to be shared– because the ‘one more story’ or ‘just a minute’ right before lights out could mean a big explosion if you don’t concede to the request…

When do these mental gymnastics end?

Do you prioritize the actual bed time… or calm so your kid can actually settle into bed?

Do you apologize to your future self for having to pay for cavity fillings when the toothbrushing process is as limp as cooked spaghetti?

You might have heard from others (professionals, parents, pediatricians, you name it) that you just need to be more “consistent” or “strict”...

But you know that running the ship like a drill sergeant does NOTHING for a melting down child.

And ‘cry it out’ is not only psychologically damaging to babies and young children, but also physically impossible for a 5, 7, 9+ year old.

They just don’t get it.

Your child needs to feel emotionally secure enough to rest and actually fall asleep, not just ‘get in bed!’

You know that can’t be just whenever they feel like it either, right?

Because if your child is terrified of monsters, won’t put their phone/tablet/book away, or is just plain hyped up, that process can last for hours, and it bleeds into the next day.

So what does work?

Playful engagement.

This has to be strategic, however. You’re not here to be your child’s clown entertainment.

They need to learn two things: that you’re in charge to keep them safe, secure, loved, and cared for…AND you can be trusted to speak their language.

This requires expertise, because you can’t just be cracking jokes to diffuse the mood, we all know those childhood class clowns were doing it for attention and because they couldn’t deal with discomfort… that’s not what you want your kids to learn.

Highly Sensitive kids who have a hard time getting to bed need to learn to regulate their emotions ALL DAY LONG so it doesn’t play out at bedtime when it’s time to sit alone with their thoughts.

You need to be working on this from a much more systematic approach, that includes decreasing shame, reducing your beliefs that they’re incapable and helping your kids learn how to grow in a targeted way.

That requires a strategy, not tactics you throw at the wall to see what sticks.

And we’ve helped 100’s of families break out of this cycle.

You can be next.

Book a call with my team today: https://www.megghanthompsoncoaching.com/talk

For families with high school aged teens: https://www.megghanthompsoncoaching.com/teentalk