Make Your Bed Day: How to Get a Child to Make Their Own Bed

“I’ll let you have one, IF you make your bed!” – how many times have you used this bribe to get your child to, just once, make their bed? If you’re anything like us, this has become a daily occurrence, and not only are your kids sick of hearing it, but so are you! Encouraging your child to tidy their bed isn’t just about taking the cleaning burden off you, it also encourages them to learn to be independent and start taking responsibility for their own belongings.

September 11 is Make Your Bed Day; the perfect time to encourage children to take a moment to make their bed each day. Studies have shown that there are actually various benefits to making the bed each morning, so it’s important to show them how to make a bed.

Why You Should Teach Your Child How To Make A Bed:

Pride

Instilling a sense of pride for your child about their bed will help to inspire them to want to keep their space neat and tidy. Encourage them to make the bed on their own by decorating it themselves (within reason). This can be as simple as picking a new duvet set, or perhaps a slightly more drastic make-over like choosing an entirely new bed.

Children’s day beds are really popular as they allow your child to have their own bed that can also be converted into a sofa during the daytime, making it a great hang out space for when their friends come over. Making a bed as soon as your child leaves it begins the day with the accomplishment of a relatively easy task. Doing so sets the tone for the day, as your child accomplished something immediately after getting up.

More Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a neatly make bed can reduce tossing and turning, and provide a more restful night’s sleep. Other studies have emphasised the need for your child to get adequate, restful sleep in order to perform well in school. Making your bed can help improve your tossing, turning and restless sleeping which in return, can be good for your health.

Reward

As with all things child-related, rewarding your little one’s good behaviour is a good way to encourage them. Whether you create a reward chart and give them a present once they have collected enough stickers on their chart, or reward them each time they make their bed, is up to you. Healthy rewards, such as strawberries or blueberries, are a good option as, if you are lucky, they will be making their bed every day, and that would be a lot of chocolate!

Using National Make Your Bed Day To Help Teach

Make Your Bed Day is an excellent time to update bed coverings or make the move to a bigger or different bed. If your child is ready to leave a cot and move to a high bed, have the fun of a bunk bed, or change from a child’s theme to one for a tween, now is a perfect time to do so.

You can encourage your child to make their bed by providing sheets, blankets, and other bedding that is attractive and comfortable. Keep bedding simple. Your child is more likely to make their bed if it only involves pulling up the sheet and coverlet and plumping the pillow. As your child gets older, you can add pillow shams or small decorative pillows, if doing so is something they want. Also, make sure the bedding fits the bed. Fitted bottom sheets are a pain if they slip off every night and increase the time necessary for bed-making.

Using The Holiday To Your Advantage

• Show them how to make a bed. You may need to do so more than one morning if your child is very young.
• Let your child help you make the bed. If they wish to take the lead in some parts of the bed making, let them do so.
• If your child needs some encouragement, make it fun. Set a timer and play “Beat the Clock” by seeing how fast the task can be completed. Alternatively, play “Simon Says” for each step of the bed making.
• Praise your child for a job well done.
• When you believe they are ready to do so, let them complete the task by themselves.
• Check occasionally to make sure they are still doing their daily bed making task.

Although it is never too late to teach your child to make their own bed, the earlier you begin the better. Make it your habit to straighten their bed when they are too young to do so themselves. If they see bed-making as part of a morning routine, when it is time for them to begin making the bed themselves, they are more likely to accept the task as part of their daily routine. Make Your Bed Day is a perfect time to update bedding and polish your child’s bed-making skills so that your child will have many restful nights of sleep.