Lots of parents will tell you stories about how their kids are in bed and fast asleep by seven o’clock. I am not one of those parents.
I’m going to be really honest here and admit that my three-year-old often falls asleep well after seven. We try to have an early dinner, followed by a bedtime routine that consists of bath (usually), pyjamas, brush teeth, three books, cuddles and sleep.
Sounds easy enough. But he can sit in the bathtub until his fingers are wrinkly and about to fall off. There’s often a very insistent plea for a snack, and it’s a struggle to keep the number of books at just three. By the time he’s ready to cuddle in bed (and he likes to be cuddled all the way to sleep), he’s often so excited and wound up that sleep seems like a million miles away. And it’s often quite late when it finally does arrive.
Enter the pyjama walk. On nights when he is especially wound up, I bundle him up in his coat and boots, grab the stroller, put the baby in the carrier, leash up the dog, and head outside for a walk.
At first the thought of heading outside at night feels exhausting. But once we’re out there, I find it refreshing and invigorating. And the dog really appreciates the nighttime stroll!
Sometimes my son walks for the first while on his own, but usually he spends the whole time in the stroller, cuddled up under blankets. We chat for a while, and then I encourage him to close his eyes and relax.
By the time we get back home, he is often asleep and I just carry him to bed and take off his coat and boots. Occasionally he is still awake, but much calmer than before the walk and ready to go to sleep.
I know it’s unconventional (after all, I never see anyone else pushing a stroller at night). But it really works for us. What about you? Have you ever taken your kids on a pyjama walk? Is it something you would try?
