Ten Bedtime Poems
(Plus a Free Printable)
I’ve heard countless stories of parents abandoning bedtime plans because their child doesn’t appear tired and so they let them play in an effort to wear the child out to be ready for bedtime. But it could take hours for the child to behave in a way that looks tired to an adult.
The scenario is usually something along these lines: It’s the end of a busy day full of playing and yet, their little one seems more wound up and full of energy than should be possible. The crazy activity of little ones at bedtime is mind boggling. I call it tired energy! When little ones get tired, they are less able to regulate their behaviors and control their impulses. As their tiredness increases, their behavior seems to spiral out of control.
Calm the Chaos
So what help can we provide frazzled parents who come looking for resources to smooth out bedtime? Books and songs have always come at the end of our bedtime routine, sort of like a reward for getting through the mundane. At one point, though, I started using poems to help my own children move from chaos to calm during the mundane part of the bedtime routine. I’d choose whichever poem came to mind or seemed to relate to what we’d done during the day. Instead of nagging to please come back to the bathroom with that tooth brush! I’d just recite a poem. The rhyming and the rhythm of bedtime poems naturally draws children’s attention in. Some nights I’d just repeat the same rhyme a few times adding in tickles or silly faces. Other nights we’d run through all the poems I could think of.
Let’s help parents build their arsenal of bedtime poems to help them calm the chaos of tired energy. These 10 bedtime poems are a great start. They are found in the Mother Goose Treasury. Often, after we were done and ready to read, we’d find the poems we recited together in the book and read them one more time. The illustrations are so beautiful in the Mother Goose Treasury published by Parragon. It’s a great way to transition into the reading portion of any bedtime routine.
10 Bedtime Poems
Free Bedtime Poems Printable
Instructions: Print this sheet of bedtime poem cards on sturdy paper. Cut out the cards. Laminate if desired. Share with parents.
Suggested uses for parents: Keep cards in the bathroom or on your little one’s dresser. Choose a poem to focus on each night or each week. Recite the poem during your bedtime routine to help your little one stay focused on getting ready for bed.
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