Teaching little kids to stay in bed

Until your kids can read numbers on a digital clock or tell time, teaching them to stay in bed until Mr. Sun is awake can be a chore challenging. When my older son was in his toddler/preschooler stage, he woke us up many, many times at 5 a.m. because he was ready to play. Mom and Dad? Not so much.

We showed the kid how to read 6:30 on his digital clock, followed by the rule, "You cannot come out of your room until the clock says this time...unless you have to go potty and then you have to go right. back. to. bed."

However, I am smitten with this sweet "Good Nite Lite" (US$35). It's a six-inch night light that glows blue in the evening, letting your kids know they need to stay in bed. In the morning, it shines brightly...like the sun. Mom and dad set the time the light changes from moon to sun.

In short, it's brilliant.