Struggling with overstimulated evenings right now?

Here’s how we create calm after nursery — and what a Hygge bedtime looks like for us 🤍

Creating calm after nursery or school on a winter’s evening ❄️🕯

These long, dark afternoons and evenings in the lead-up to Christmas can feel so tricky. Juggling your own exhaustion alongside the dysregulation of a little one who’s had a full, busy day at nursery or school.

So at home, we really try to bring a little Hygge glow and gentle connection into our evenings to help everything slow and soften again.

When I collect my little one, I often park a little further away so we can walk together and reconnect before heading home. I’ll offer a simple snack — apple for that crunchy reset, orange for a citrus burst, or sometimes a little oaty flapjack. It helps regulate and transition out of the day.

On the way home, we usually listen to an audio story — a quiet, shared space for resetting together.

My little wildling loves Christmas… but after a full day immersed in it at nursery, we like to keep home calm in the evenings. We light candles, switch on twinkly lights, but save Christmas music and even festive books for earlier in the day. Instead, I’ll set out a small sensory invitation — maybe porridge oats with orange peel and winter spices in his play kitchen, or some kinetic sand or playdough to gently decompress.

At dinner time, we might play some soft Christmas piano music and share gentle stories around the table.

We also have a little quiet nook in his bedroom — a calm space he can choose when he needs it. Soft cuddly toys, a few sensory bottles, some fidgets, and a weighted blanket all live here.

What a Hygge bedtime looks like for us 🤍

A Hygge bedtime isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence, predictability and warmth.

After dinner we begin winding down slowly and make time for a warm bath. After bath time, we wrap up in a cosy towel, dim the lights, and move into gentle massage. I sing nursery rhymes while doing soft strokes and actions on his back — something we’ve invented together over time (and I know not all children enjoy this, but he absolutely melts into it).

Then he chooses three favourite books to read together. I keep these non-Christmassy — usually classic comforts or gentle winter tales like Brambly Hedge. Familiar stories feel so regulating at this time of year.

We finish with affirmations — quiet, steady words of safety and love — before sleep.

Not every night runs smoothly (because, real life 😅), but we find that removing the constant talk of Christmas, anticipation and change before bed really helps bring calm. Alongside that, the deep consistency of a regular rhythm makes such a difference.

I know many of you here are parents too — and if this season feels tricky, I hope sharing what we do brings comfort or inspiration. We try to make our evenings full of connection and presence, even when the world feels loud and busy.

✨ I would genuinely love to know — is there anything in particular that helps bring calm in your home in the evenings?

Disclaimer: We absolutely love the joys of Christmas in our house… we just gently turn the volume down before bedtime.