Wash, pray, meditate, sleep well.

In my last post I wrote about meditation and how we practice this at night as part of our nightly routine. My kids, like many, thrive on routine. I think it also helps them feel a sense of normalcy since we move quite often and at the drop of a dime. Since I shared how we use mediation as part of our routine, I thought I’d share how I get my wild, rambunctious crew to sleep every night!

First things first, my boys have to have a snack before bed. Their favorite is Cheese It’s and a glass of milk. I know it’s not super healthy, but don’t worry, they are getting plenty of fruits and veggies. They like to have a treat, and it helps them to sit still and wind down from all the jumping, climbing, and wrestling they have been doing all day long.

Next, depending on the day and whether or not I bathed them earlier, we have a bath. I love soaking them at night with a scoop of lavender salts and lots of bubbles, but sometimes I want to get it over with and give them a quick shower. I also will take this time to put a soothing sleep blend in the oil diffuser. My favorite lately has been Doterra Serenity and Balance. Then we brush our teeth, of course!

After that, the fun starts! The kids love to do bible storytime with the YouVersion kids bible app. We do a different story every night, and it has a fun activity to do after the story, usually a coloring page or a match the picture game. This addition to our nightly routine is relatively new, but it was the kid’s idea, and I am all for it! Once we finish this, we pray! I lead the kids in prayer, and their favorite part is when I say, “I am thankful for…”. They both take turns saying things they are thankful to God for. Jon is always grateful for donuts and broccoli, while Caleb is grateful for his plushies and legos.

This next part, my daughter joins in for usually. We listen to a bible study from the regular YouVersion app. Our favorite devotionals are Through the Word with Kris Langham. We started this in December so we could listen to the advent story in Luke, and the kids loved it so much we never stopped. We change them up sometimes, and I know my boys are little and can’t quite comprehend everything they are hearing, but the fact that they choose to listen to it is incredible! The boys call it, “Listening to Jesus.” They love to see the red words because they know that is when Jesus is talking!

Lastly, we have our nightly meditation time. The kids usually fall asleep during meditation. I know we have a long nightly routine, but I am so happy that my children want to incorporate Jesus into their lives, and they get to go to sleep every night after spending time in his word.

What are some of your family’s favorite nighttime activities?

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