A Montessori-Friendly Bedtime Routine

A Montessori bedtime routine works because it's the same every night and the child can do parts of it themselves. Predictability is what makes a child's body accept that the day is ending.

Build a sequence: bath, pajamas, teeth, one book, song, sleep. Same order, every night. Many parents find that the sequence itself signals sleep more than any single step.

Let them do the steps they can. A three-year-old can pull out their own pajamas from a low drawer. A four-year-old can brush first, then you finish. The doing is part of the winding down.

Keep the room simple. A low bed they can climb into themselves, not a crib they're trapped in. A few books, a small light. The room says sleep, not play.

Watch the screens before bed. The hour before sleep should be hands and books, not screens. The content and the light both push sleep later.

If they get up, walk them back quietly, without a long conversation. The less interesting getting up is, the sooner it stops.