Mom has heartbreaking realization at toddler's bedtime: "Last time"

A mom has recalled how an unexpected change of routine in her youngest son's bedtime sparked a moment of heartbreaking realization.

Having a regular bedtime routine is a crucial component in ensuring a young child gets the best-possible rest at night. In 2015, a global study published in the journal Sleep involving over 10,000 children aged up to 5 identified a link between bedtime routine and longer, uninterrupted sleep at night.

Routines can change, though, as attested by Beth Mars, a U.K. mom living out in Waikato, New Zealand, with her partner; their three sons, aged 5, 3, and 20 months; and his kids from a previous relationship. For the longest time, the youngest of her three sons would be cuddled to sleep, whether it was at nighttime or even for a nap in the daytime.

"It was definitely one of my favorite times of day with him, although I couldn't help but think about all the other things around the house that needed doing at the time," Mars told Newsweek. "It was something I enjoyed more than I realized at the time!"

That's because everything changed a couple of nights ago. "He'd been a bit unwell and was just feeling tired so went and hopped into our bed with his blanket," Mars said. "I checked on him five minutes later, and he was asleep!"

Mars added that she didn't sleep at all that night and found herself constantly checking to see if her son was fine. "It was so unlike him to fall asleep alone," she said.

Mars was not sure how things would play out the next day, but quickly realized the change would be a more permanent one than she might have been expecting. "Then the next day when I said it was nap time, he grabbed his dummy and blanket, waved me goodbye and went to hop in bed," she said.

Her son now "pretty consistently" goes to bed on his own in a development that has made his mom both "happy and sad."

"It's so amazing watching our children learn and grow and become their own awesome little characters, but also it's, like, where did that tiny little baby go? It takes your arms a while to get used to not carrying them around almost 24/7."

In a video posted to her TikTok, @Beth_Mars, the mom reflects on the realization she may have cuddled him to sleep for the "last time" now.

As a mom-of-three, Mars said that her two older boys started self-settling at younger ages, but puts that down, in part, to herself. "I just wanted to make the most of him being a baby and needing his mama," she added. "You realize one day you're gonna wipe the grubby fingerprints off the walls for the last time and they won't come back … till the grandkids arrive."

Mars said she hopes her video encourages other moms to realize their kids "won't need us like this forever so slow down and enjoy the moment."