Child's hand holding little finger of adult's hand

What If Bedtime Didn't Feel Like A Nightly Test Of Your Parenting?

Bedtime Battles
January 27, 2026•2 min read

From Forcing Bedtime to Trusting Yourself

Bedtime often becomes the hardest part of the day — not because you’re doing it wrong, but because it’s where tired children, tired mums, and unrealistic expectations collide.

In this episode, I’m drawing together the core insights from a full month of exploring bedtime battles, and offering a different way forward — one that doesn’t rely on forcing routines or overriding your instincts.

We’ll talk about:

  • why bedtime struggles are often about pressure, not behaviour

  • how an internalised “ideal bedtime” creates guilt and resentment

  • the difference between forcing and responding in real moments

  • how to hold connection and boundaries without sacrificing yourself

  • and why confidence comes from clarity, not consistency

This episode is for thoughtful, cycle-breaking mums who want to parent with compassion and self-respect — especially at the most depleted point of the day.

If you’ve been nodding along to this month’s conversations, this episode helps you land the shift:
from trying harder → to trusting yourself
from forcing → to responding
from doing it alone → to being supported

💛 Join The Calm Mum Community
A supportive space for mums, designed by a compassion-focused therapist.

Inside you’ll find:

  • weekly personalised Q&A support

  • practical tools for bedtime, boundaries, and regulation

  • and a community that understands the emotional weight of parenting

👉 Early Joiner rate: £22 per month until 31 January
This rate locks in for as long as you stay.
Join here: https://go.dyfparents.com/calm-mum-community

💛 Stay Connected

Subscribe for weekly support, tools, and grounded insights for anxious mums breaking free from people-pleasing and learning to lead with confidence and connection.


Connect:
Instagram / Facebook / YouTube → @dreamyourfuturefamilies
Start here for free → go.dyfparents.com/sigh-to-snap-spotter


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Understanding people has always been a passion of mine, and becoming a parent made that understanding even more real. My counselling training helped me explore the emotional challenges of parenting — not perfectly, but with more presence, compassion, and clarity. Now I run a social enterprise supporting families through group work, counselling, and digital learning.

Emma Reed

Understanding people has always been a passion of mine, and becoming a parent made that understanding even more real. My counselling training helped me explore the emotional challenges of parenting — not perfectly, but with more presence, compassion, and clarity. Now I run a social enterprise supporting families through group work, counselling, and digital learning.

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