Stories for Bedtime

from The Diary of a First Grade Teacher

Stories for bedtime ... These are appropriate and recommended stories - on video - for first graders and other young children.

While reading to your children is the ideal and standard number one recommendation for helping them relax and settle down for sleep, perhaps a story on video will do –-if and whenever you’re just too busy.

David Letterman Show

Today, I had several sleepy heads in class. And to see if my suspicions - about who is staying up too late - were correct, I asked the class this question …

“Who knows what the David Letterman Show is?”

No hands went up ... Good! Maybe none of my little ones knew him. That’s a good sign!

I was about to ask who knew Jay Leno whenever Weesie - who is always tired and sleepy - yawned and mumbled, “I think he is the good night-night man.”

“Good night-night man?” I asked, wanting more information. “Tell me. What does that mean?”

“It means the same old thing,” she answered, wearily. “When my momma see him, she say, ‘Girl, that’s David Letterman Show ... The good night-night man. GET IN THAT BED!’ “

GOOD Night-Night!

I’m sure you could guess that children who lack sleep are easily recognized in the classroom …

To say the least, they cannot perform at their best level in school or anywhere else. Not for long, anyway.

In fact, often, they can hardly stay awake throughout the day!

I feel sorry for them because in first grade they are not permitted to nap – unless, of course, there are extenuating circumstances.

“I’m sleepy,” is not a good enough excuse.

I know. I know. But I don’t make the rules.

If parents could actually SEE how their children sometimes struggle to stay awake, I believe they’d insist on their children going to bed earlier.

It’s Not Easy!

Getting children to go to bed at a decent hour can be a problem. I know. Been there. Done that.

But as a parent and a teacher, I cannot stress enough to you how much I wish EVERY parent knew and accepted this fact:

Children need sleep ... To grow. To learn. To perform. To excel. To be happy and healthy.

Receiving enough sleep - this one thing - can make a world of difference in each child’s health, attitude, and performance. Both physically and mentally.

Stories for Bedtime on Video

Stories for bedtime include some of my very favorite! Hopefully, they’ll help your little ones quieten down ... And get a good night’s sleep. Enjoy!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr.

Goodnight Moon written by Margaret Wise Brown

Harry the Dirty Dog written by Gene Zion

The Very Hungry Caterpillar written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Where the Wild Things Are written by Maurice Sendak