For Grown-Ups

Reading it together

This isn't a rulebook, and I'm no expert on your little one. You are. I'm just a mom who dreamed up Dreamland with my own daughter when she was two, because goodnight was hard. It turned bedtime into a place we got to go together, and it stuck. Here's the little ritual that grew out of it, in case it helps at your house too.

Before you turn the first page

Set the scene

"Tonight we get to visit space. Where do you think we'll go first?"
Pick a cozy spot and a soft voice. The quieter it gets, the bigger Dreamland feels.

While you read

Wonder out loud together

"Which planet would you want to land on? What would we do there?"
"That felt a little scary for a second, didn't it? What made it feel okay again?"
"If you had your own glow like that, what color would it be?"

After the lights go out

Carry it into the dark

Pick a planet to "meet at" tonight, so goodnight has a place to point to.
Remind them the brave feeling from Dreamland is theirs to keep, even after you say goodnight.

The next morning

The part that makes it stick

Don't let the story end at goodnight. Over breakfast, keep it alive: "Can you believe we danced on the moon?" "Where should we go tonight?"
We always knew we were making it up, but talking about our adventures in the daylight is what turned them into a real connection, and made the next goodnight so much easier.

by Alyson Schefren

"Meet me in Dreamland, our special place."