Nap time

One of the best things I ever did as a parent was to make a very strict routine at bed time. Every since they were babies, we had the same routine and the same bed time. Wow, has it paid off. Even Shannon is impressed with the lack of drama in the evenings.
I was also pretty strict about nap time when the kids were younger. When 1:00 pm came, pretty much everything stopped and it was time for sleep... the few times when our schedule wasn't working, for whatever reason, I paid for it in VERY unhappy kids. I found, especially with Roan, the better his nap during the day, the better he slept at night. Bad nap = restless night. I love this picture. They're napping on Nana's bed. Roan's wearing a Cheerleader's Halloween costume. The dresses were always a struggle at that age.

Roan dressed as a cheerleader... and Libby is naked. Again. I love how they're touching hands in their sleep. My advice to new parents... set a firm bed time and stick to it. Establish a routine and do it every night. Even tiny kids can learn to anticipate a routine. Trust me, it will pay you big rewards. There are some nights Roan will get in bed on his own and is asleep without me realizing it. There's no fussing, no begging for a drink or a snack... it's wonderful! I'm glad I did something right!