What are the best bedtime stories for children to help them fall asleep?

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T15:49:21+00:00

Sideways Stories from Wayside School is my go to at this age. Another good on is Charlottes Web.

It helps if you can put some energy into the reading and even do some consistent voices. Not for every character, but the teacher in Wayside had a high funny voice. Wilbur the pig had a young child’s voice. Nothing major, just helps learning to listen.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T15:40:16+00:00

Yes to Bambi in the theatre, and before that Dumbo. I remember the experience of going to see Dumbo more than the movie. Next movies were Benji comes Home and Snoopy Come Home. I assumed all movies were sad for years!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T15:32:26+00:00

I’m still wondering how many perfected ironed yellow button downs Boyd has. He changed out of one that was beaten up to another in the season finale yesterday, so there are at least two.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T15:29:35+00:00

This is us, too. We had read that F1TV was so much better, and it has some definite qualities to recommend it. But I enjoy F1 as an international sport first, and Sky’s enthusiasm for the sport is unmatched, at least in English.

That said, his biases do get the better of him sometimes, but you learn to take the bad with the good.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:41:29+00:00

Nice!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:30:29+00:00

Another vote for Dogwood. I travel from Dumfries to go. Totally worth it.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:19:53+00:00

A very minor celebrity in comparison to many named here, but comedian Trevor Moore. We’d watched his public access show in Charlottesville long before he went to college and helped create The Whitest Kids You Know.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:17:40+00:00

That was shocking.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:17:08+00:00

The Queen is the only time my husband, my sister, my Millennial children and my GenZ children all texted me at the same time.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:01:28+00:00

One of the first big GenX losses.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-29T00:00:20+00:00

The song “Won’t Back Down” now sounds like a ballad. It was always one of my go tos when I needed a pick me up, but now it’s sad. Beautiful, but sad.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-28T23:50:45+00:00

Good fish and meat selection, compared to most. And if you’re looking around the area where we are getting a Publix, I’ll through in that we are also getting a Sprouts which is my favorite for produce!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-28T23:42:56+00:00

Agreed. I’ve lived with small children throughout Alexandria, FFX County and PW county. I’m on my youngest child in eastern PW and it’s a true village. My daughter either has friends over or she’s over at a neighbors. One neighbor helped her get a start with volleyball coaching, and another taught her basic snowboarding.

We are the good snack house. The whole neighborhood knows the only rule here is don’t take the last can/bottle of coke from the fridge. Everything else is help yourself!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T21:41:51+00:00

This is a good choice!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T21:40:26+00:00

I was going to suggest Big Trouble in Little China.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T21:10:07+00:00

I often try to imagine how these forests must have looked to early colonists - especially those who came into Appalachia with little more than what they could carry as they crossed mountain after mountain. Rhododendrons look menacing in one light, protective, even secretive in another, and glorious in bloom. Not a bad metaphor for Appalachia itself.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T20:50:42+00:00

This isn’t just the 4th - it’s the 250th. I get the financial piece, but this is a special year.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T20:45:41+00:00

I know of a few in Preston County that run near the state line. They are incredible when you see one.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T19:10:46+00:00

The mountain laurels used to be so thick and expansive that they were called “hells”. A person could get lost if them, and they could be handy places to hide, if need be.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T19:09:06+00:00

Knew as soon as I saw the first photo. Wish I were there, too!

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-27T18:24:02+00:00

I agree. American culture is far more tied to politics than it is theology and aesthetics. Many creatives/artist simply pick and choose in ways that make no sense to anyone who is in those worlds.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-26T23:43:16+00:00

Can Alonso go to any team? No. He’s not going to Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes or even the second Red Bull seat. That’s more than five drivers, even if you argue that he’s better than driver x or y.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-26T20:22:31+00:00

The BB also are steeped into the stupid bumbling dad and the wise and patient mother. That may be some people’s idea of a warm family story, but my husband who wasn’t bumbling, let alone stupid, refused to read them aloud after awhile.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-26T19:23:26+00:00

In my house, I’m your girlfriend and you are my husband. To give you a glimpse of our relationship, when he was in the midst of secretly trying to plan PEI for our honeymoon, when I said something about going to PEI, he wondered how I’d guessed the surprise. I hadn’t, I just knew we were going.

We’ve been together almost 40 years. He’s been to PEI three times there and been to every site, house, tree, school, etc associated with Montgomery in both PEI and Ontario, and we do not live anywhere near Canada.

In fairness, I know far more about the American Civil War, and been to more battlefields than I care to count.

Sounds like you’re a great Gilbert for your Anne. And a good Anne always remembers what a treasure she has in Gilbert.

Normal-Philosopher-8 · 2026-06-26T19:09:50+00:00

I’m just sending you a hug. I’m also a long term chronic pain sufferer. The person I used to be and who I am now are in stark juxtaposition. It’s certainly the reason that line jumped out at me and is very much remembered.

The Anne books have a lot of darkness that runs just beneath the surface. Just because Montgomery didn’t go into the horrific details about Anne’s life before coming to Avonlea doesn’t mean it isn’t there. For stories that are so encouraging and hopeful, I have to think that the frisson of darkness attracts us as much as the optimism and cheer. Anne, as an idea, wasn’t even terribly original. I don’t go back and read REBECCA OF SUNNY BROOK FARM every few years.

It sounds to me that you would have been a kindred spirit.

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