Why make the story the highlight?
Children happily give up the last show when what comes next is better: a story they chose, about themselves, read by you. Make the story the best part of the evening and the routine takes care of itself.
Illustrated stories read aloud are “just right” for young children (Hutton et al., 2020), and children engage more when the story is about them (Kucirkova, Messer & Sheehy, 2014).
The plan, night by night
- Night 1: Announce it. “From tonight, every day ends with a story, and you get to choose it.” Pick a cosy story spot together.
- Night 2: Move the video 20 minutes earlier. Fill the gap with bath and pyjamas. End with a story your child picks.
- Night 3: Offer a choice. Two stories to pick from, and the same goodnight words every night.
- Night 4: Make it theirs. Put your child’s name in the story; in Luna, they’re the hero of every one.
- Night 5: Add a reward that ends. A sticker at the end of the story (Luna gives one per finished story, up to two a day).
- Night 6: Let your child lead. They choose the story and turn the pages; you read.
- Night 7: Keep it boring. Same steps, same order, same goodnight words. This is the routine now.
Consistency is what makes it stick: sleep improves with every extra routine night a week (Mindell et al., 2015).
Which stories work best for the first week?
Gentle stories with calm endings, and ones your child chooses. Familiar animals, a cosy setting and a happy “The End” make the first nights easy.
Story ideas for the first week: Woodland Friends Sleep, The Indoor Picnic and The Missing Sheep. Or start with the sleep and bedtime collection, or let the story quiz pick tonight’s story.
