Scripts · what to say when…
“One more show” at bedtime
Winding down for sleep
- Make the plan early: “After dinner, the TV is done for the day. Then bath, two books and lights out.”
- When they ask: “Shows are sleeping already. You can pick the first book tonight.”
- If they push: “I hear you. The answer is still no, and I’ll snuggle you while we read.”
Why it’s worth a try
Shared reading is an easy default wind-down. See our brief on screen use and white matter in preschoolers for the small study behind that idea, and how cautious to be about it.
General ideas, not medical advice.