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Creating Our Own Bedtime Stories

Every night, as many families do, my wife and I read to our baby daughter before bed. She's only two months old, but we already have a presidential-sized library of Elmo, Pooh and Dora literary collections.

According to the experts at BabyCenter.com: "Reading to your baby introduces her to the concepts of stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes, and gives her information about the world around her. It also builds memory and vocabulary skills. By the time she's one year old, your baby has already learned all the sounds she needs to speak her native language. The more words she hears, the better she'll be able to talk."

Of course, I want my baby girl to speak eloquently and enjoy reading, what parent wouldn't? But no matter how big your collection, you will get tired of reading the same books over and over and over again. Plus, a majority of the books either end abruptly or are just flat out weird all the way through.

So that's why I've decided to create our own bedtime stories. It makes things more interesting and more interactive. I can control what happens in the book, meaning a strange, creepy narrator doesn't have to give uncomfortable massages to Elmo and no embarrassment from mispronouncing Dora's incredibly diverse Spanish vocabulary. Plus, we'll have a keepsake of our little adventures at night...something to remind us of how precious these moments are.

I started by writing a simple poem and then added some pictures of us as a family to make a tiny flip book. If you want to do something similar, I suggest using Adobe Illustrator or InDesign. They are really easy to use and have a wide array of features to customize whatever look you are going for.

If you aren't a writer or interested in graphic design, please feel free to just take my poem below and substitute in your family's names, add or delete some stuff, whatever. Hopefully you get as much enjoyment out of reading a more personal bedtime story as I do. More creations will be coming soon...

It’s time for bed in the home of the Joneses,

so lay down your head and rest your boneses.

Anlee had a long day of learning, laughing and playing, she talked and talked, but nobody knew what she was saying. 

Mommy was at school, teaching her students well,
The kids all behaved so she didn’t have to yell.

Daddy typed away on his computer at his desk,
and he solved a lot of problems, a great success!

Everyone then came home for dinner and it was good,
we may have ate way, way more than we should.

We got to laugh and share our big news of the day,
Mommy squirted milk out her nose…but that’s ok.

To the living room we go to spend some quality time,
Anlee likes to crawl around, dance and climb.

Next it’s time for a bath and Anlee likes to splash,
but we get out, get dry and get PJ’s on in a flash.

Finally it’s story time, that’s what we’re doing right now,
reading books that make us grin and smile like a happy cow.

We’ve finished our story, time to turn out the light.
Go to sleep all, go to sleep everyone, good night. 

What Do Princess Snores Sound Like?

13 Signs You May Be a Sleep Deprived Parent

13. You lose things you were holding in your hands three seconds ago.

12. Car commercials and country songs make you burst into tears.

11. The baby is wearing a diaper on top of a diaper, on top of her clothes.

10. You put a shoe in the refrigerator...and didn't notice it for two weeks.

9. You walk into a room and immediately forget why you went in there..and why you're holding a knife.

8. The neighborhood dogs are enjoying your breakfast, coffee and phone because you left them on top of the car...again.

7. The last dream you remember wasn't yours.

6. You arrive at work to discover your socks don't match, your shoes don't match and you're writing notes with a tube of toothpaste.

5. Your baby is crying in Spanish. That's why you can't understand her!

4. Five minutes after you started feeding the baby you realize the bottle is still full...because you're feeding the pillow.

3. You've got the clothes in the dishwasher and dishes all folded, chores done!

2. "Hey you" is your new catch phrase because you can't readily recall the names of your family, friends or coworkers.


1. This week, you've fallen asleep standing up, sitting down, behind the wheel, while eating dinner and during a conversation with yourself...and it's only Wednesday.

Moment of Clarity

There are certain moments that allow you to pause, examine things around you and see...just see. It's almost like waking up, when you're already awake. Most of the time, there's some kind of realization that comes with this temporary awareness just before life's chaos drowns your quiet epiphany in noise. Things just become clearer.

This moment of clarity came to me while holding Anlee the other night. Sitting warm in our nursery, rocking her to sleep as the cold night howled outside the window, she wrapped her tiny hand around my finger. It's something she's done a hundred times since she was born, but tonight, I looked a little closer.

What I saw was my little daughter's grasp, the eternal effect she'll have on me. 

For any parent, life changes when you have a baby. You go from telling stories of a crazy night out to telling stories of a great night's sleep. You add another mouth to feed, you lose any resemblance of a set schedule. You worry about little sniffles, you rejoice for poops. What happened to the cool me?

But this little angel blessed me with perspective, added meaning, gave me life...at least a better one.

Right now she's holding my finger tight, falling asleep in my arms, but she will grow up so fast. Before I blink, she'll be walking, talking and eating Pop Tarts. Soon she'll be riding a bike and making friends I don't like. Next she'll be driving a car and dating a boyfriend I don't like. Then she'll be headed off to college and doing a lot of things I don't like. Where next? 

Right now she relies on mom and dad for everything, but she will grow up so fast. Before I blink, "no" will be her favorite word. Soon she'll be annoyed with my very presence. Next she'll be talking behind my back...and I can't be cool no matter how hard I try. Then she's moved out, I rarely get to see her and I long for the days she sassed back, because at least I knew she was thinking of me. What next?

This moment I have with her in the nursery right now, I might not ever get again. To recognize and accept that, brought me to tears.

To appreciate every minute as a parent just isn't feasible - an unaccomplishable dream. Everyday errands, soothing tantrums, corralling excitement over sharp objects, busyness rules our lives. But I challenged myself to step back and look at the big picture, especially when patience is running thin. Try to revisit this moment of clarity that time will not stop.

What can I do to keep my baby from growing up? Besides feeding her caffeine by the bottle to stunt her growth...absolutely nothing. But I can do everything in my power to be the best dad I can be, to always be there for her, to always listen, to always hold her close no matter how big she gets.

So for now, I get to fix all of her problems. It's my duty as her father, my responsibility as her parent and my joy as a man who knows he's always running out of time.