Bedtime Routine (for Kids)

Sometimes our littlest hearts don’t feel ready for sleep, there’s just too much to do, too much to play, or too many wiggles left in their bodies! This gentle meditation turns bedtime into a fun step-by-step adventure. This is best for younger kids! They are guided step by step through an interactive bedtime routine. I love my knees, I love my toes, I love my belly, I love my nose, I love my heart!

By making bedtime feel playful and safe, children begin to look forward to this nightly ritual. They’ll drift off feeling proud of themselves for slowing down, calm in their hearts, and ready for sweet dreams.

Transcript

Are you ready for bedtime?

I know.

I'm not always ready either.

There are always so many more things that I want to do today.

I have to remember that all of the things that I want to do will be here again tomorrow.

Tonight,

We are going to go to bed the Big Heart Way.

This is a routine for good sleeps and happy dreams.

There are four steps.

If you are ready for step number one,

Can you say,

Oh yeah?

Step number one.

Jump five times beside your bed.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Do a little wiggle to shake off your day.

That was a good day.

Now jump into your bed.

Put your head on your pillow and say,

Thank you,

Pillow.

Feel the bed underneath you.

Say,

Thank you,

Bed.

Now pull the covers up and get nice and cozy.

Say,

Thank you,

Covers.

Step number two.

If you are ready,

Can you say,

Oh yeah?

Step number two is called goodnight.

You are going to say goodnight to ten things that you can see with your eyes from your bed.

I'm going to say the number and then you fill in the blank with what you are saying goodnight to.

So,

If I say one,

You say,

Goodnight,

Teddy bear.

Or whatever it is that you can see and want to say goodnight to.

When I say two,

You say goodnight to something else.

And so on,

All the way to ten.

Are you ready?

Here we go.

One.

Two.

Three.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

And the best part is that tomorrow morning,

We get to say good morning to everything that we said goodnight to.

Step number three.

If you are ready,

Can you say,

Oh yeah?

Step number three is called,

I love you.

For this one,

Repeat after me.

I love my knees.

I love my toes.

I love my belly.

I love my nose.

I love my heart.

Let's say it again.

I love my knees.

I love my toes.

I love my belly.

I love my nose.

I love my heart.

Now say it quieter.

I love my knees.

I love my toes.

Now can you say it in your head?

Step number four.

If you are ready,

Can you say,

Oh yeah?

Step number four is called,

Happy dreams.

Tonight,

You will have happy dreams and you will wake up and feel so excited for tomorrow.

I know you will have happy dreams because we are going to spend some time together,

Right now,

Making happy thoughts.

And happy thoughts equal happy dreams.

Follow along with me.

Can you think about something that makes you feel really happy?

It can be anything at all.

Something you love doing.

Maybe a food you love eating.

A game that makes you happy.

A book.

Someone in your family.

Something you did today.

Remember something that made you feel the feeling of happy.

And let's imagine that happy is the color yellow.

Feel the feeling of happy inside of your heart.

Take a deep breath in.

And let it out.

And imagine that I am painting with a paintbrush the feeling of happy.

From the top of your head.

To the tip of your toes.

Feel the yellow feeling of happy.

Going from your head.

Over your shoulders.

Over your heart.

Your tummy.

Over your legs and down to your feet.

And right into your toes.

Take one more deep breath in.

Let it out and really feel the feeling of happy.

You are going to have the happiest dreams tonight.

Tomorrow you will wake up and remember all of your happy dreams.

Tomorrow you will wake up and say good morning to your room.

Tomorrow you will wake up and get out of bed.

Stretch your arms up to the big yellow sun.

Tomorrow you will stretch your arms up to a whole new day.

Filled with all of the things that you love.

But now you will close your eyes.

Put your hands in your heart one more time for the day.

And feel it beating in your chest.

Count to five really quietly as you hear it beat.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Your heart loves you.

I love you.

You are so loved.

From the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

Count to five as you hear your heart beat.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

And as you listen to this music,

Imagine the color yellow filling your body with happy.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And feel your heart beating.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Your happy dreams are waiting for you.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Feel your heart beating.

One.

Two.

Three.

I love you.

And after you are finished your good,

Long sleep filled with happy dreams,

After you are fully rested,

I will see you and I will see your big heart in the morning for another Big Heart Day.

I love your knees.

I love your toes.

I love your belly.

I love your nose.

I love your heart.

Good night.