Improve Cooperation at Bedtime with Baby Dolls

October 15, 2024

For many parents, bedtime isn’t easy. Both you and your child are tired from the day and that sometimes tests your patience. It also means your child might act up or resist more than usual. Improve cooperation during the nightly routine by introducing baby dolls as a support system for your child. Running through their bedtime tasks with a best friend might help your child get to bed with fewer tears or meltdowns.

Starting the Bedtime Routine with Dolls

Bedtime is a time to wind down and relax, but kids don’t always see it that way. For them it’s their last opportunity to have fun and spend time with their family for the day. After a long day of working, cooking, and cleaning, parents don’t always have enough energy or patience to get through bedtime without any issues. Introducing a baby doll into the mix might be just the thing to get your little one motivated to start and follow through with their nightly tasks.

After dinner, you could invite your child to get their LullaBaby doll or bath doll and let them know it’s almost time for bed. The doll then becomes a comforting part of the routine, which they’ll associate with the upcoming snuggles, songs, and stories.

Bath Time with their Baby Dolls

The first big step in the nighttime routine is often bath. Yet, bathtime is a great opportunity for rambunctious play. Toys that squirt or scoop water, lots of splashing, and even brightly colored moving toys — they’re all wonderful ways to help your little ones burn through their last reserves of energy, but in some cases, work against your goal of winding them down before sleep.

Water-friendly LullaBaby Bath Dolls are perfect for quiet, soothing, bathtime play. Your little one gets all the benefits of interactive doll play, and they have a friend to get clean with. Your little one will be happier to clean their hair if their doll’s hair is bubbly too. Just make sure your child understands that their bath doll can’t go to bed with them without a trip to the dryer first.

Putting their Pajamas on Together

The next step in the nighttime routine is getting dressed for bed and it’s often met with resistance. Whether your child puts their pajamas on themselves or needs some help from a parent, having a baby doll get ready for bed alongside your child might be a comforting way to encourage collaboration. For older kids who have the fine motor skills to dress their doll, your child can get their baby doll ready first and then join in with their own pajama set.

Whether it’s the LullaBaby Purple Baby Doll Pajama outfit with slippers or the Twin Dolls with Floral and Star Sleepsacks, once their doll is dressed for bed, your little one will hopefully be more willing to put their own pajamas on to match.

Brushing their Teeth

Your child may be young, but they are incredibly perceptive. They know that bedtime for them doesn’t mean bedtime for mommy and daddy. Brushing their teeth alone, knowing other family members are actively not participating in that task, can feel isolating and upsetting. Inviting baby doll to the bathroom for the teeth brushing task can help facilitate this step of the bedtime routine.

Let your child pretend to brush their doll’s teeth. Either brushing together or brushing one after the other makes that chore a lot more pleasant for kids.

Stories in Bed

For many working parents, bedtime is one of the best opportunities to engage and interact with their child. You don’t want to rush your child off to bed, or force them to sleep, even if it’s getting late. But when your child resists or asks for more and more, it can be difficult to find ways to get them to cooperate.

Once they’ve taken their bath, put their pajamas on, and brushed their teeth it’s time to sing lullabies and read books in their room. Because children do best with structured routines and repetition, let them know that they can pick one song or story and their doll can pick a song or story as well. After that it’s lights out. Once the stories are done, you can ask about their day and make sure to ask their doll about its day too. Incorporating dolly makes them feel less alone and more comfortable in their room when you give kisses, say goodnight, and close the door.

Overall, incorporating baby dolls into your child’s bedtime routine can help them feel less alone and more supported during these crucial nightly tasks. By helping bedtime run a little smoother in your house, you’ll sleep more soundly knowing your loved one went to bed with their best friend.

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