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The days are long but the years are short.
This quote couldn’t be more accurate to motherhood and raising children. When you are in the depths of sleep deprivation, endless dirty diapers, or cluster feedings you talk with your friends about how you can’t wait for them to sleep through the night, go potty in a toilet, or feed themselves. And then one morning you wake up well rested and you realize ahhhh THEY SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT, they forgot to flush the toilet but at least they went, or you are sitting across from them at dinner in a restaurant watching as they talk with their mouths full of food.
It’s not that you miss these sleepless nights or massive blowouts. Its that honestly you just don’t know when the last one will be in order to have closure. Motherhood can be defined as a series of moments that you never get to say goodbye to. Regardless of how hard you try to, they are going to grow up and eventually not need you. Ouch, that stings.
(Edited to point out there are relapses. A moment ago I was interrupted while writing this on an airplane to take my youngest to the bathroom. I just had closure and I’m ok if that never happens again.)
Honestly, I don’t remember these “lasts” with my first babe because I was engrossed in sleepless nights and colic of a newborn. But now that my youngest (and last) is four I savor these things more and try so very hard to live in the moment. Because I know now that sometimes this time is the last time.
Our bedtime routine is still one of these snippets of time in a crazy, hectic day that I am holding onto never knowing when the last time will be. My oldest is six and already wants to take showers by herself. So with my four-year-old I know we aren’t too far behind. It’s the only part of our day that truly feels like time slows down and are able to just be. There is no dinner to cook, toys to clean up, emails to respond to, or YouTube videos of grown adults opening toys to watch. This allows us to chat, listen to music, or make mohawks and Santa beards out of bubbles.
If there was one brand that reminds you of bath-time, what would it be? Things that remind me of my childhood, Clinique Aromatics Elixir (my mom’s perfume), breakfast for dinner (my mom would cook this for us when dad traveled), and JOHNSON’S® Baby. New and improved, inside and out line of products and are now gentler than ever. With 50% fewer ingredients, that are 90% naturally derived, there are so many reasons to be excited about using these products when caring for our babes. As bathwater is filling each night so are the nostalgic memories of my childhood.
“They” always say kids love routine. Me being the type of person that didn’t necessarily want to follow the parenting handbook chose to let my kids nap anywhere, wake up when they wake up, eat when hungry, etc. But when it came to bed routines nothing was going to get in the way of that. Mainly because nothing was going to get in the way of their bedtime. By the end of the day I am spent and if there are two things I am never going to be late for, it ’s the kid’s bedtime and my own funeral. This does become harder at daylight savings time because 7:30p basically needs a sunscreen application after a bath since it is still so sunny out.
I’m sharing our bedtime routine with you all below in hopes that it helps one of you get to wintertime a little earlier.
Our Bedtime Routine:
Bathtime with JOHNSON’S® Bedtime Baby Bath with Soothing Aromas
It’s not coincidental that at the end of a crazy day you just want to retreat to a hot bath. They allow you to unwind and relax. Plus scrubbing off the grime for the day makes it a little easier to shut your brain off and get some sleep. Well, kids are the same way. Add in a little JOHNSON’S® Bedtime Baby Bath with Soothing Aromas like lavender and bedtime is closer than you think. It bubbles up for ultimate Santa beards but we don’t have to worry about tears if soap gets in their eyes. We play for a bit. Hair washing doesn’t happen every night but conditioner always does. I check for pruney fingers as a sign we are ready to get out.
- JOHNSON’S® No More Tears formula is as gentle on baby’s eyes as pure water
- JOHNSON’S® clinically proven 3-step bedtime routine was developed & tested with baby sleep experts
- Hypoallergenic and free of harsh fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and dyes
Pre-Bed Prep
The end of bath time means we are in the home stretch mommas (and dads because they can do this too, trust me). Character PJs are picked out laid out on the bed. After a quick towel dry followed by a run around the house to air dry, we apply JOHNSON’S® Moisturizing Baby Lotion with Coconut Oil to help nourish the skin and fall further into relaxation. A mothers touch is something you can’t reproduce. It basically fixes everything. Hence why we still run to our mommas when times get tough.
- Moisturizing baby lotion that hydrates, nourishes, and provides a full 24 hours of dry skin relief
- Our hypoallergenic baby lotion is enriched with coconut oil and leaves delicate skin baby soft
- The improved formula of this pink baby lotion is 100% gentle & free of dyes, parabens & phthalates
Next up hair. What is kids hair made of? It stays tangled. I’m already fighting the sticky candy every day I can’t start the day with it a mess. So every night we apply JOHNSON’S® No More Tangles Detangling Spray. Not only does it cause a tear-free brushing but it helps keep things under control for easy styling in the am. We aren’t bow people, but from what I know about bows, they don’t match a rats nest. Next up, teeth are brushed and clothing is picked out for the am. I can not stress to you the importance of starting out doing this as young as possible. It is a literal game-changer for us now that we are in Elementary. I can’t imagine the craziness of the mornings without this simple evening task.
- Helps unlock stubborn knots and tangles for soft, smooth, and easy-to-manage hair
- Specially formulated to help keep kids and toddlers hair manageable
- Gentle and can be used on dry or wet hair for easier combing and styling
Story-Time
Once we are all ready for bed we grab our favorite storybook from the bookshelf and head to bed. My girls still sleep together so we all pile into bed and start reading. One day soon we will transition from me reading to them to them reading to me. One we read for 15-20 minutes depending on the time we say our prayers and share what we were thankful for and then lots of hugs and kisses.
This has been something that makes all of our lives more enjoyable and more predictable ultimately avoiding questions and negotiations. It is so important to try to keep a schedule because at the end of the day we just need to binge on our favorite reality shows, not put kids back to bed repeatedly. Not to mention, it gives kids amazingly fond memories that will follow them through life.
Well as new parents and mothers can all agree we need all the help we can get. And thanks to CVS being so close to everything stopping into stock up on your favorite JOHNSON’S® Baby products has never been easier. The size of their stores is perfect to run in quickly and yet get everything your family needs. And luck has it they are on sale, check out HERE:
- Buy 1, Get 1 50% on JOHNSON’S® Baby
- Spend $30, Get $10 ExtraBucks
Loving this bedtime routine feature? Take a look here for more of my family favorites!
We were doint some massages in the first weeks, I was using some Johnsons products back than. But we are after sleep training now, with HWL method, and we have shortened bedtime routine but longer sleeping time now.
Now that sounds like a dream! Its a shame this gig doesn’t come with a guide book.
Very truly said about the bedtime routine and the bath time. My mother used Johnson & Johnson for me before my bedtime routine and I do it for my daughter. So, totally agree with you.