Real Families, Real FUN: Happy Home
Try a Soothing Video at Bedtime
By By Shannon Maughan for Real Families, Real Fun

"Time for bed!" For kids and parents everywhere, these words signal the beginning of a nighttime routine -- preparing little ones for dreamland. From taking a bath to reading or telling stories, every family has its own way of making bedtime special. As our reviewing families discovered, the right video can make some TV before bed a good thing -- especially if you pick a bedtime-themed video before tuck-in. Here are some calming videos you just might want to add to your list of bedtime (or naptime/quiet time) rituals.

These three titles really fit the bill:

NIGHTY NIGHT (Peter Pan Studios ages 18 mos.-up)
Peaceful music and live-action footage of cuddly baby animals yawning, relaxing, and settling into sleep make this a perfect transition from playtime to bedtime.
BEDTIME STORIES (Time-Life Kids, 800-828-8575, ages 2-5)
Eight gentle, animated tales about going to bed. Whatever the nighttime routine at your house, young viewers will surely relate to Little Panda's adventures counting sheep (and giraffes!), Mole's search for the most comfortable bed in the house, and Bartholomew the bear's many bedtime requests (which try Dad's patience). This is a sweet and soothing way to end the day or spend some quiet time together.
GOODNIGHT MOON AND OTHER SLEEPYTIME TALES (HBO Home Video, ages 2-up)
This winning collection of animated bedtime stories and lullabies originally aired on HBO. The combination of classic books like Goodnight Moon and There's A Nightmare in My Closet, and lullabies like "Hush Little Baby," all read and/or sung by such celebrities as Susan Sarandon, Billy Crystal, Lauryn Hill and Tony Bennett, is hard to resist. In addition to the animation, real kids share some of their thoughts on dreams and imagination.

Parents found much about the Goodnight Moon video worthy of praise. "We liked that it was mellow," said our first mom. Her Nebraska parallel agreed. "I enjoyed the comments and the music, especially the lullabies and the background music for the stories."

Goodnight Moon was a clear winner with the 2-to-4 year-old set. Our first mom said, "Our two-year-old found it engaging when the kids on TV spoke. Our four-year-old's favorite part was the segment narrated by Billy Crystal. But our one-year-old didn't even notice it was on, as he was busy trying to chase down the cats."

A Nebraskan family got comfy before watching. "We shut off the lights and got out the blankets, even though it is summer," Mom said. The Nebraskans "watched with some extended family and they liked sharing the experience." A four-year-old niece "liked hearing the comments by other children, especially the blind boy's comments about what he thought sight was and the talk about good and bad dreams."

A family in Cincinnati thought at first it seemed "too focused on New York children and their experiences, and that it would have a wider appeal if other areas of the country were represented." But after a while, they agreed, "you took this as part of the charm of the video."

Once you've got the tape ready to go, get cozy in front of the VCR to help establish a bedtime mood. One of our reviewing families did just that before viewing Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales. "The kids had just been bathed and were in their pajamas," said Mom. "Normally, we do not allow television before bed but allowed it as a special treat this time. Before we showed the tape, we read the book Goodnight Moon to the boys."

You may want to check your local public library and/or video stores for rental availability of these titles. Or, to purchase these videos, we suggest checking such online retailers as Amazon, Reel, or Movies Unlimited.

So, for a change of pace, give these tranquil titles a try. Sweet dreams!

TAKE IT FROM ME:
By making sure everyone was ready for bed before starting the video, we built up the expectation and prepared them for a soft good night landing. --By Shannon Maughan