4 Bedtime Tips From a Mom of 3

Bedtime with young children can often feel like a circus act! Between the juggling of endless requests, tucking everyone in, and convincing them to stay in their bed–it’s the true test of patience for most parents.

Over the past few years (after much trial and error in our family of 5) we have found our bedtime groove. A combination of VTech® products, along with one-on-one time with each kiddo, has helped our kids settle into bed and actually stay there!

Here are 4 of my top tips to make bedtime a meaningful and stress-free experience for all!

1. Make it fun and give your little one control!

Shift the mindset from bedtime being a time of dread to bedtime being a time of fun. One of our favorite ways to do this is by letting our little ones set the mood in their room using the VTech V-Hush Pro Sleep Training Soother. Each night, when they are getting ready for bed, they pick the color they want their nightlight to be. There are over 250 color options! Choosing their favorite glow-on-the-ceiling projector options on the Training Soother is another way to make bedtime fun. The moon projection is our favorite! We also let our little ones pick out their own bedtime story. Some weeks, we read the same book over and over again. Other weeks we’re changing from genre to genre each day. 

2. Keep the flow!

Having a bedtime “flow” has been essential for us to create a solid routine. For us, the flow goes like this: bath, pjs, brush teeth, story time + lights out for our youngest, followed by story time + lights out for our older kids. Our older kids know that when the clock strikes 6:00 pm the bedtime routine begins. I love that the VTech V-Hush Pro Sleep Training Soother has a digital clock built into it. For Luca, my four-year-old, we love the sleep trainer features that help us create the flow using different colored lights and sounds to help him recognize whether it is bedtime or time to wake up. We try to stick to the same predictable bedtime flow every night.

3. Use it as a chance to reconnect.

My favorite part of bedtime is the one-on-one time it gives me with each of my kids. We started a little game we call “Nightly Questions”. Each night after we read their bedtime story, I ask them 2 conversation starter questions. We bought a deck of conversation starter question cards and answer 2 of them each bedtime. It might be a fun question like “If you were a superhero what would be your superpower?” or something related to their day like “What is something nice you saw someone do today?” These nightly questions are something we all look forward to. Regardless of how busy the day has been, we reconnect before bedtime.

4. Create something to look forward to!

We often find the most stressful part of bedtime to be the moment we tuck our little ones in and leave their room. This is a notorious time for bellyaches, water requests, and delay tactics. Having something special for our little ones to look forward to after we leave their room has been the key to keeping them in their bedrooms. For Luca, our four-year-old, VTech Storytime With Sunny is what he looks forward to when we leave his room. This entertaining storyteller comes with 4 different discs ranging from jokes and songs to stories. I love hearing Luca swap the discs and giggle at the stories as he gets ready to sleep. The soft glow of Sunny’s face turns into the perfect nightlight when he starts to doze. My older kids look forward to the pre-loaded bedtime stories on VTech V-Hush Pro Sleep Training Soother. Picking a story to listen to as they drift off to sleep is the ultimate comfort.

Bedtime can be such a sweet time with our children. It’s a chance for us to connect with each other, be fully present, and ensure our little ones drift off to sleep feeling loved and cared for. It has become one of my favorite parts of parenthood!

Author Bio:

Mandy Roberson is a certified childbirth educator, mom of 3 and founder of Momma Society--the community for modern moms. She loves holidays and making memories with her children. In her free time, you will find her crafting and creating fun printables for Magic Playbook--a monthly digital subscription for moms

Just as Sweet: Non-Candy Easter Basket Gift Ideas

Hello, Spring! I was speaking with my mom the other day and she mentioned how early Easter was this year! It’s coming up quickly, and I am so excited to curate thoughtful Easter baskets for the kids. With four children in differing age ranges—we must be very intentional with what we’re purchasing. Our oldest daughter Raegan is 8, Zarie follows at 6, Xander is our 3-year-old, and this will be baby Miles’ very first Easter at 9 months old. As the fourth kid, he benefits from having a mama who is now a pro at what items are perfect to add to his baby basket.

Thankfully, VTech offers a variety of fun toys for children of different ages and interests. I really love to curate our baskets with non-candy items. We do add in a chocolate bunny or some sort of treat, but I really make an effort to choose items they can enjoy throughout the season. Whether you’ve got a little artist, a car lover, or tech-savvy little ones, they’ve got you covered. Add in a new book or Spring staples and you’re all set. I’ve put together a gift guide that will hopefully save you some time and energy creating the perfect Easter baskets for your little ones.

For The Crafty Kiddo

Both of my daughters love arts and crafts, and I have to say I think they may get that from their mom. They express their style and talent through creating, and I love that for them. I was so excited to snag the VTech Make & Spin Bouquet and the VTech Sew & Play Unicorn.

The Make & Spin Bouquet allows them to build up beautiful bouquets, creating different flowers and plants that dance, bloom and spin. Once the flowers are placed, the girls can press the buttons to play relaxing, classical or upbeat music! I can already see the adorable craft and dance parties to come.

The Sew & Play Unicorn is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and my little unicorn-loving First Grader is going to be ecstatic. It comes with everything you need to start sewing away, including a fun bright rainbow mane and tail. The pre-punched stitches and guidebook make it easy to sew, and once you’re done you can sing and play with your colorful new light-up friend.

For The Tiny Tot

Anyone else have a little one that is constantly grabbing for their cell phone? Miles loves to snag mine to play with and chew on, and I am so excited for his new VTech Baby Hello, Hippo! Soft Phone. This is seriously the cutest play phone I’ve ever seen, and I love that it has a plush border that makes it easy to hold. The buttons are also squishy and light-up, encouraging pretend play by introducing numbers, and feelings through music. Another favorite feature is that it has a strap that allows it to conveniently attach to strollers, carriers, and his car seat. It’s already come in handy so many times when I want to give him something engaging so mama can tackle an errand or tend to a sibling. He especially likes the calming heartbeat feature. This is the perfect little Easter basket stuffer for babies 3 months and up.

For The Tech-Savvy Tot

I cannot recommend the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX3 enough! This ultra-cool smartwatch features dual cameras for photos AND video! My girls love mimicking mama as mini content creators, and being able to take their own photos and videos is so fun. It has a variety of games, a flashlight and movement challenges. How awesome to encourage the kids to get up and burn some energy. We can even pair the girls’ DX3 watches so they can play together. Parents, don’t worry about kids getting distracted by these at school, you can switch them to “school mode,” which makes the DX3 a watch only. These are perfect for older kiddos ages 4-12 and come in several fun colors!

For The Car Lover

My son Xander is a car LOVER! He loves to build his own roads, race cars, and use them as pretend play. I got him the cutest little VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Helping Friends for his Easter basket. It features a Police Car that encourages kids to be helpful and a Careful Ambulance that’s always ready to rescue. They’re the perfect size for his hands to play, and I love that the energetic responses encourage learning through play. The lights and music are so cute. Take these up a notch and use them as stuffers for extra-large Easter eggs. What a fun surprise for any child!

Okay, friends, I hope I’ve made your holidays just a little easier by sharing fun ideas for how to create memories, engage your kiddos, and keep learning fun!

Happy Easter and Happy Memory Making!

Xoxo

Shakira

Shakira is a proud mama of 4, an active-duty military spouse, and the creator behind the Occasions by Shakira motherhood lifestyle blog. She shares ideas for intentional memory-making, celebrating the every day, and holiday magic. She is also the creator of the largely loved #OccasionsBin trend.

Show some Love! Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Creative Kids

In today's digital age, where screens and devices play a significant role in our children's lives, the importance of creative toys becomes even more evident. Creative toys serve as a bridge to the digital world by preparing kids with essential skills. They not only encourage imagination and exploration but also foster problem-solving abilities, spatial awareness, creative expression and social interaction—all vital in the digital age.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and you might be looking for the perfect gift for the creative kids in your life. VTech has some of the best gift ideas for creative and musical kids in today’s digital age. If your child is a singer, dancer, photographer or video creator, this gift guide is specially designed for you!

1.   KidiZoom Creator Cam (age 5-10)

As a blogger and creator myself, I know the endless possibilities of a camera and a green screen. The KidiZoom Creator Cam allows full exploration of one’s creativity by allowing kids to create their own videos on an HD video camera. It comes with a built-in microphone and special effects like time-lapse video.

The KidiZoom Creator Cam is versatile with 20+ animated backgrounds. Your child can get chased by a T-Rex, go to outer space or become invisible with the included green screen fabric. It comes fully ready to shoot with a tabletop tripod, selfie stick and wrist strap.

My kids had a blast recording each other, making selfie videos together and learning the different parts of creating a video from scratch.

2.   VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Remix (ages 5-10 years)

My kids absolutely love the VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Remix and can play with it for hours. I love how they can sing, mix music and put on a performance right in the comforts of our own home!

The party lights set the stage and transform the space into a colorful display with 180-degree projection.

The mixer stand is adjustable and detaches for tabletop use. With this karaoke remix kids can scratch and mix songs, add beats and sound effects, and choose instrument styles. It is easy to use and great for family gatherings and parties.

3. VTech KidiZoom DUO Deluxe Digital Camera with MP3 Player and Headphones  (ages 3-9 years)

My son has been watching me use a camera ever since he was little, so naturally, he always wanted his own. The VTech KidiZoom DUO Deluxe Digital Camera with MP3 Player and Headphones is a great first camera for any child who wants to begin learning how to use a camera.

Even though this is a toy camera, it is packed with features like 5.0 Megapixel and 2.4” color screen, a VGA rear camera and a dedicated switching button for selfies. It also has 4X digital zoom and built-in auto flash.

Your child can transfer and listen to his/her favorite music with the built-in MP3 player through built-in speakers or the included headphones.

4. VTech KidiStar DJ Mixer (ages 5-10 years)

The VTech KidiStar DJ Mixer is an awesome gift for any kid who loves music. Kids can mix and jam with a DJ turntable with 15 built-in songs and 2,000+ sound combinations.

This DJ turntable is so fun, as your child can create custom sound effects and vocal tags to lay onto tracks, and then save the samples. They can also connect to their own music wirelessly via Bluetooth and add sound effects.

This musical toy teaches children the joy of mixing sounds with music, the basics of rhythm & beats, and allows them to explore music in a new and dynamic way. It’s exciting to see what they create with these VTech toys!

Which is your favorite? As you can see, there’s something for every creative child. I love that these toys are not only fun and engaging but prepare them for a world full of creative and musical possibilities.

Bio:

Angela Kim is a lifestyle blogger, influencer & mama of 4 at Mommy Diary. She began her online journey as one of the first Asian American mom bloggers to share honest motherhood stories on her blog.

Over the years, she has healed from postpartum depression and is happily raising her 4 children in Orange County, CA, one of them who has a rare genetic disorder. She is passionate about her vocation as a mother, sister and friend as she continues to share parenting tips, lifestyle inspirations and relatable videos across her social media channels.

You can find her on her blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Podcast and TikTok.