Bonfire Night

🎆Bonfire Night 🎆

Bonfire Night can be magical for us, but not always for our little ones! The loud bangs, bright flashes and unexpected noises can make bedtime (and the middle of the night) a little trickier to navigate. Out of my 4 boys, 1 is particularly frightened of fireworks 😩

Here’s how to help your baby or child feel calm and settled on bonfire night 💛

✨ 1️⃣ Prepare your little one in advance
If your child is old enough, talk about fireworks during the day. Show them videos, explain what they are and that they’re safe inside whilst fireworks are outside. For younger babies, keep the evening calm and predictable and stick to your normal routine.

✨ 2️⃣ Bring bedtime forward slightly
If you know the fireworks will start around 7pm, try starting your bedtime routine 20–30 minutes earlier so they’re asleep before the noise begins. Although saying this, they start going off earlier and earlier each year 🤦🏽‍♀️

✨ 3️⃣ Create a calming sleep environment
Use white noise to help mask outside sounds, close windows and curtains, and make the room feel safe and cosy. A familiar bedtime routine will help signal that it’s sleep time even if there’s excitement outside.

✨ 4️⃣ Reassure, don’t restart
If your little one wakes up startled, keep lights dim, voices soft and cuddles calm. Offer comfort, reassure them they are safe and then resettle as usual. Try to avoid adding in new sleep associations unless you truly need to.

✨ 5️⃣ Stay calm and consistent
Your little one takes their cues from you. If you stay calm, confident and reassuring, they’ll settle more easily too.

Fireworks don’t last forever, and with a little preparation and reassurance, you can all still have a restful night. 💫

Have a safe, cosy Bonfire Night everyone! 🧡