A slow nighttime
routine is always better than a speedy one, and toddlers tend to respond better when they have some semblance of control over their lives, so slow down in the evenings and give your toddler some control over their
bedtime by cutting out colorful pictures of each element of the
routine and pasting them
on magnets or ping - pong balls, then let your toddler arrange the magnets in the
order they want to do
bedtime or pick the ping - pong balls out of a jar for a fun element of surprise.
Or if you know that your child has a hard time following directions at
bedtime, try writing or drawing the tasks that need to be done (i.e. toothbrushing, pajamas, etc.)
on ping - pong balls and put them in a small «
bedtime jar» so your child can feel some control over their
routine as they independently pick out the balls one by one for a «surprise» nighttime
order of tasks or take them all out and decide what
order to do them in themselves.