Is your baby having trouble falling asleep? Does he or she have trouble finding rest before going to sleep and is it difficult for him to fall asleep? Is sleeping with your child a struggle every time? Then try reading the book 'The elephant that wants to fall asleep' before going to sleep. This read-aloud book by Swedish author Carl-Johan Forssen Ehlin is a worldwide hit because it helps children relax and fall asleep. Who knows, it may work for your child. In any case, worth a try!
Table of contents
The story is about a little elephant named Olivia. Olivia is tired and wants to go to sleep. She and her mother walk through the enchanted forest. The magic forest is very special because it makes your child very sleepy. During the walk, Olivia encounters all kinds of animals, such as a mole, a parrot and a rabbit. All the animals are very tired and want to go to sleep too and say quiet, reassuring things to Olivia. Eventually, Olivia and her mother get out of their bed and fall asleep peacefully.
I was personally very curious about this book because it gets so many rave reviews and parents are also very excited. What I find so special about it is that the writer really succeeds in taking your child into the story. While you are reading it, it really seems as if your child is walking along with the elephant Olivia. This is because the writer has some good tips. Whenever 'name' is written in the text, you are supposed to mention your child's name. This ensures that it becomes a very personal story. In addition, the writer gives some tips for reading aloud, such as emphasizing certain words, yawning or speaking more slowly and softly.
Read also: your baby doesn't want to sleep, how do you do that?
My 4-year-old daughter Laura has a hard time falling asleep. She is not an easy sleeper, never has been. She is often very busy before going to sleep, when I know that she is actually very tired. Fighting sleep, she prefers to stay awake as long as possible. So I was very curious if Olivia would be able to get her to sleep 😉 . T
When I started reading, Laura was very enthusiastic. She thought the elephant was very cute and fun. The drawings in the book really appealed to her. As I was going to read, I noticed she calmed down a bit, despite being very curious about the next few pages. She couldn't fall asleep yet, but she liked the book. The next day I tried again. The novelty wore off and indeed, during the reading she became completely calm and she even started to nod. I did not know what I saw! I hoped she would fall asleep like that, but unfortunately, when I put the book down, she had a revival. It turned out that she still had to pee. But she was relaxed and relaxed and she eventually fell asleep peacefully.
Read also: Beautiful ritual for your child's bedtime
If you have a child who has trouble falling asleep, then I think this book is definitely worth trying. Laura couldn't get her to sleep while reading, but it did make her calm and relaxed. Much nicer to fall asleep like that, of course. I do think that if you also apply the tips with another book, it could also work.
The only drawback I think is that there is a lot of text on one page. As a result, I noticed that Laura sometimes became a bit impatient. All in all, I think it is a must for this target group of children. Moreover, it is also just a very cute story with beautiful drawings!
The book is also written by the same author:'The rabbit that wants to fall asleep', if you want some variation;).
Image used via Shutterstock
