When Bedtime Feels Hard: Gentle, Practical Ways to Help Children Settle

Bedtime can be one of the hardest parts of the day for parents.

If your child struggles to fall asleep, wakes frequently, seeks extra closeness, or finds bedtime emotionally overwhelming, you are not alone.

In this gentle, calming episode of Under the Moonlight with Penelope Willis, we explore why bedtime can feel so hard for young children and parents alike, and most importantly, what truly helps.

This episode is packed full of practical, proven bedtime tips that parents can use straight away, shared in a calm, reassuring way. Drawing on years of early years experience and real family life, Penelope gently walks you through simple, effective strategies that support better sleep and emotional security.

You’ll hear guidance on: • Why predictability and routine help children feel safe at bedtime

• How daytime movement, outdoor play, and physical activity affect sleep

• The calming power of warm baths and gentle evening transitions

• Why a small bedtime snack can make a real difference

• How shared story time supports emotional regulation and settling

• Using a calm, hushed voice and stillness to help children unwind

• Supporting children who seek extra closeness at night

• Why sleep difficulties affect the whole family, and why that matters

This episode is especially for parents who feel exhausted, unsure, or worried about bedtime struggles, and need reassurance alongside genuinely useful advice.

Everything shared here is offered as gentle suggestions, not pressure. There is no “perfect bedtime”, just small, supportive changes that help children feel safe, soothed, and ready for rest.

If you enjoy listening to this episode and would prefer to read about this topic, there is a companion blog available on Penelope’s website covering the same ideas in written form.

You can also explore Penelope’s collection of calming picture books, thoughtfully written to support bedtime, reassurance, and emotional connection for young children.

🌙 Companion blog and calming books available here:

👉 https://www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk

Thank you for being here.

When children grow up and leave home, parenting doesn’t end, it changes.

In this gentle, supportive episode of the Under the Moonlight Podcast, children’s author Penelope Willis explores what it really means to live with an empty nest and a full heart.

This episode is for parents whose homes feel quieter than they used to, and who are learning how to hold pride, love, and tenderness all at once as their children build lives of their own.

Drawing on personal experience of sons moving away for university, living abroad, and starting new chapters, Penelope talks honestly and reassuringly about:

navigating the emotional shift of empty nest life

staying connected with adult children who live far away

embracing new routines, new families, and new normals

finding comfort, purpose, and pride as parenting changes shape

understanding that love doesn’t shrink with distance, it expands.

This episode offers calm encouragement, gentle perspective, and practical emotional support for parents adjusting to life after children leave home. It’s not about loss, it’s about growth, connection, and learning how to love from a little further away.

If you’re searching for comfort around empty nest feelings, parenting adult children, or how to stay close when children live elsewhere, this episode is here to sit with you quietly and remind you that you’re not alone, and that you’ve done something very right.

You can also read a gentle companion blog post to this episode, Empty Nest, Full Heart, on my website, where I explore these thoughts in a little more depth.

Empty Nest, Full Heart. When Parenting Changes Shape. / Under the Moonlight - Comforting Stories Blog | Books by Penelope Willis https://share.google/3OYlNR7QG7ZS7Xl2V

Oscar and the Whispering Cloud is a gentle, calming bedtime story read aloud in a soft, soothing voice, like a lullaby in story form.

Perfect for listening together with your little one, this relaxing children’s bedtime story helps create a peaceful bedtime routine and a sense of safety and comfort at the end of the day. With slow, reassuring language and a dreamy, calming tone, it’s ideal for winding down before sleep.

This episode is especially suited for:

Toddlers and young children

Sensitive or anxious little ones

Children who struggle to settle at bedtime

Parents looking for a calm, gentle story to share at night

Oscar and the Whispering Cloud is a comforting story about reassurance, love, and feeling safe, making it a beautiful choice for bedtime, rest time, or quiet moments together. Many parents also find it deeply relaxing to listen to alongside their child.

A perfect bedtime story for children aged 2–6, designed to soothe busy minds, slow breathing, and gently guide little listeners toward sleep.

Written and read by Penelope Willis, author of calming stories for little people.

Also available as a beautifully illustrated children’s bedtime story book https://amzn.eu/d/6lLRovO

After the excitement of Christmas, many young children seek extra closeness, feel more emotional, or struggle to settle back into routines. This can feel worrying for parents, especially if things felt settled before the holidays.

In this gentle episode of Under the Moonlight Podcast, Penelope Willis explores why post-Christmas emotional wobbles are so common, what children are really communicating when they seek closeness, and how calm, consistent connection helps them feel safe again.

A reassuring listen for parents of toddlers and young children navigating emotional shifts, separation worries, and routine changes after Christmas.

If your child is missing someone right now, Whenever You Miss Me, Look for the Moon is a gentle bedtime story about love that stays, even when someone is far away. 🌙

Whenever You Miss Me, Look for the Moon is available as a picture book here:

www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk

& Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/75dW5a1

In this gentle read aloud, children’s author Penelope Willis shares her calming bedtime story, Whenever You Miss Me, Look for the Moon, written especially for children — and grown-ups — who are missing someone they love.

This soothing story follows Mouse and Squirrel, who live far apart but remain deeply connected by the moon they both see in the night sky. Created to offer comfort during times of separation, change, or bereavement, this episode is ideal for bedtime listening, quiet moments, or when reassurance is needed most.

Perfect for families where someone works away, lives far away, serves in the military, or is no longer physically present, this story gently reminds listeners that love does not disappear with distance.

🌙 If this story helped, please follow the podcast and save the episode so it can reach more little ones who need comfort.

🎧 Listen slowly, softly, and as often as needed.

📘 Whenever You Miss Me, Look for the Moon is available as a picture book here:

www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk

& Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/75dW5a1

✨ UNDER THE MOONLIGHT PODCAST

Christmas Cheer Edition

By Penelope Willis

Looking for calm, joy and a little Christmas magic during the busiest month of the year?

This special Christmas Cheer Edition of the Under the Moonlight Podcast is filled with gentle, practical tips to help your little one feel happy, settled and connected all season long.

In this festive, family-friendly episode, children’s author Penelope Willis shares playful ideas, cosy bedtime rituals, simple calm-down moments, fun December activities and soothing parent hacks — all designed to make Christmas with toddlers and young children feel magical instead of overwhelming.

Whether you’re navigating excited toddlers, festive overstimulation, holiday routines, bedtime battles, or just looking for peaceful activities in the run-up to Christmas, this episode is packed with soft, comforting support.

Perfect for parents, grandparents, nursery practitioners, early-years educators and anyone wanting a calmer festive season with little ones.

Inside this Christmas Cheer edition you’ll find:

• Calming Christmas activities for toddlers

• Easy December traditions that spark joy

• Soothing bedtime routines to help children settle

• Gentle parenting ideas for festive overwhelm

• Fun holiday tips to keep little ones happy

• Cosy, connection-building moments

• Ways to create magical memories without stress

• Calm corner ideas for busy December days

• Seasonal support for emotional toddlers

• Soft, comforting reassurance for parents

This uplifting, heartwarming episode is designed to help you slow down, reconnect and enjoy the simple magic of Christmas — even in the chaos.

A perfect listen for bedtime, nap time, or during a quiet moment with a cup of tea.

✨ For more calming ideas, free printables, bedtime tips, festive activities and soothing picture books, visit:

www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk

In this calming Christmas episode of the Under the Moonlight Podcast, children’s author Penelope Willis reads aloud her much-loved picture book Oscar and the Star of Christmas Kindness.

This gentle, heartwarming story follows young Oscar as he learns how simple acts of kindness can shine just as brightly as any Christmas star. The soothing narration and soft festive atmosphere make this episode perfect for bedtime, quiet story moments, or helping little ones unwind during the excitement of December.

Families searching for a peaceful Christmas story for children, an emotional festive read aloud, or a magical bedtime listen will find comfort and wonder here. Penelope Willis is known for her calming, lyrical storytelling that helps little ones feel safe, connected and cherished.

A beautifully gentle Christmas moment to share under the glow of the moon.

🌙 If this story helped, please follow the podcast and save the episode so it can reach more little ones who need comfort.

Oscar and the Star of Christmas Kindness is available as a picture book

From Amazon

https://amzn.eu/d/fUje7tv

And from www.booksbypenelopewillis.co.uk https://share.google/u8sQI4byIrH0f2odR

The Ones We Miss, The Love We Keep is a gentle, comforting podcast by Penelope Willis for anyone carrying the quiet ache of missing someone they love. Each episode offers warm reflection, emotional support and calm guidance for navigating grief, long-distance family life, separation and the lingering ache of someone who isn’t here.

With a soft, reassuring voice, Penelope speaks about love that continues across distance, the ways we stay connected, and how we learn to live alongside sadness without losing ourselves. Her calming tone helps listeners feel understood, grounded and less alone in their feelings.

Perfect for parents, grandparents, and anyone longing for a peaceful space to breathe, this podcast is a soothing companion for difficult days, tender memories and moments when your heart feels heavy. A place where love is honoured, held and gently encouraged forward.