Jo Frost: The 3 B's (Bath, Book and Bed)

I heard that Jo Frost was trying to tell parents that the three B's will always get your child in bed. I know that she's trained and I know that she's helped a lot of families but when it comes to bedtime routine she doesn't really have to deal with getting kids to bed every night.  I know this method doesn't overly work for my family and this my reasoning behind it.

Let's start with the first one - Bath:
As a Mother that has a child with eczema, having a bath everyday only exacerbates her eczema. I got told by a doctor that bathing you're child too much can lead to flare ups. Having a bath every day will not work for my daughter. And if you have quite a hyperactive child that doesn't work either because they just get really, well, hyper.

The Second Step - Book:
I love the idea of reading a book before bed but for certain children it just wakes them up again. My child won't sit there and listen to me reading a book - not without trying to distract me or telling me he suddenly wants a different book. I guess this could be just my child, but there must be other children like him.

Last But Not Least, The Finale - Bed:

Okay, if the first two don't work how do you do the third!?

I personally think the best way to get my children to sleep is not to do the things that this Nanny has told me works, but things that I have tried with my own children.

After it gets to a certain time - normally about 6 - I start to make it darker around the home, so it mimics the sunset. (Turning off lights, making the TV quieter and switching off music creates a calmer atmosphere.) I do not let my children eat after this time, because I personally believe it keeps them awake. I limit what they're watching if I choose to let them watch TV. I sit down and relax with them and do not rush around.

We all get into our PJs and brush our teeth. Around about 6:30 we will be upstairs, lying on my bed. At about 6:45 I will lay them down in their beds, and sit in their room until I fall asleep. My kids normally fall asleep at 7 o'clock. This method has worked for me for a long time and I recommend it.