Another Bedtime Story

 My 18-month-old has suddenly begun developing an elaborate bedtime routine. Last week he started insisting on saying goodnight and giving a kiss to every person in the family before he will go to bed. This involves standing at the top of the stairs and yelling down to any brother or sister who might be down there, so that they can come up to give him a proper salutation. Sometimes he’ll even go around twice, collecting more kisses from each family member before he’ll head to bed. In addition to brushing his teeth, and singing a song and saying a prayer with Mommy before blowing one last kiss, last week he also discovered the joy of reading a bedtime story before saying goodbye to the day. Often, he’ll climb on the couch to “read” by himself. Eventually, he’ll bring a book to someone and say, “Read, read!” But just as quickly as he figured out that a bedtime story is a good way to wind down before bed, he seems to have decided that if one book is good, two are better, and three is even more desirable. At the end of each book, he says, “More, more!” as he climbs down and heads to the book basket.

I’m guessing many of you can relate! Noah’s zest for life makes it difficult for him to slow down even for a night of sleep. I think he’s afraid he’s going to miss something! And with five older people in the house, I think he knows he’s missing a lot each night!

Carol Gray applied her creativity to dealing with this issue, which is so common in many households around the world. The result is a beautiful picture book, “The Last Bedtime Story That We Read Each Night.” Through reassuring rhymes, it calmly explains that other people might be doing things after “lights out,” but that’s okay. Intended to be read in one minute or less, this book helps children begin to relax as they realize that this is the last story that will be read before bed.

Like each of the hundreds of resources hand-selected for inclusion in The Gray Center bookstore, this book provides practical assistance to people dealing with real-world issues. It’s our goal to provide information and support that helps you to promote social understanding and cultivate effective relationships with others! And your purchases enable us to continue to provide the information and support that so many people need. Thank you for partnering with us in this way!