ChartKidA bedtime routine that runs itself
Sleep researchers and tired parents agree on one thing: the same steps, in the same order, at the same time, is what gets children to sleep. The chart's job is to make the sequence visible so that nobody has to negotiate it at 7pm.
Start the chart before the tiredness
The first step on the chart should be something that happens while everyone is still cheerful, such as tidying up toys or bath time. If the chart starts at "pyjamas on" the hardest part of the evening has already happened without it.
Keep the ending the same
Whatever the last two steps are (story, then lights out, say), keep them identical every night, including weekends and at grandparents' houses if you can take the chart with you. That final pair is the cue the body learns.
Add tomorrow to tonight
"Lay out tomorrow's clothes" and "Pack my bag" belong on the bedtime chart for school-age children. Ten minutes at night saves twenty in the morning, and the morning chart gets shorter.
Ticks, or not
Some children like ticking off each step; for others it keeps them awake. If your child is the second kind, print the chart, pin it up and never mention the boxes. It still works as a sequence.
Stalling
"One more drink", "I need the toilet": put the common stalls on the chart as real steps ("Drink of water", "Use the toilet") before story time. When they're already done, there's nothing left to ask for.
Where it goes
On the bedroom door or the bathroom wall, at the child's height. The Chores & routines theme is set here so each step shows what it means; switch to Space for a moon-and-stars frame if your child prefers it.