are you always home for LO's bedtime?

americanada · September 2010

i always make sure we are home from wherever we are in time for the bedtime routine. i have friends who go out to dinner, etc. and don't worry about being home for bedtime. their LO mostly will fall asleep out, but not always. thoughts?

jazzyag · September 2010

we tried once with a sitter, and it didn't go well. She called and DH went home. it was a work get together for me so I got to stay. I think if we try again it will be with grandparents at home, but it probably won't be for a long time.

mandyclaire579 · September 2010

We are now, but not when he was younger. He was always really great about falling asleep wherever. But we also don't have a strict routine. We eat dinner, brush teeth, some nights are baths but some mornings are showers with DH, then DH puts him to bed. He used to be hard to get down, but DH literally puts him in his bed and he turns over to go to sleep. Take that pedi who told me I haaaaad to let him CIO!

In the end, if it were a football game or night with friends, no, we wouldn't cut the night short to come home. We would put him down to sleep somewhere and carry on. Well, maybe not at a football game with all those crazy frat boys:)

mandyclaire579 · September 2010

I'm sorry! I thought you meant the whole family being out. But yes, DH and I have left bedtime duties to others. Only grandparents and one other friend. DS didn't seem to mind too much

americanada · September 2010

mandyclaire579:
I'm sorry! I thought you meant the whole family being out. But yes, DH and I have left bedtime duties to others. Only grandparents and one other friend. DS didn't seem to mind too much

i did, actually, but appreciate input on both. i wonder if i'm just being too rigid.

NeenTheBean · September 2010

My mom always thinks I'm weird because I am not always home for bedtime. My kids fall asleep anywhere and usually stay asleep. so it doesn't really matter for me.

MrsBeckO · September 2010

If we're out as a family, I am only willing to push her bedtime back 30-45 minutes because she does so well with our routine and I don't want to mess with it. She tends to fight bedtime if we miss our window of opportunity!

As for us/me leaving her with a sitter, I can probably count on one hand how many times in the last year we've let someone else do bedtime.

ditzydi_2000 · September 2010

Even though we don't have a bedtime routine yet, I try and stay home with him until he falls asleep. Then after that I'll go run errands (if anything's still open) if need be. We've left DS with the IL's a few nights when we were celebrating something but since MIL takes care of DS while we work, he's used to being over at their house and has no problem snoozing over there.

aglenn · September 2010

We definitely try to be home, unless we're at a friend's house or something where I can try to put her down for a little while. DD still reaches that point in the evening where she is just DONE and there is no way we could hang out in a restaurant, for instance, once she reaches that point.

And I have yet to be brave enough to try to go out in the evening and leave her with a sitter, much to DH's dismay.

feverof103 · September 2010

So far, either me or DH is always home for bedtime. Most of the time it's both of us, but we both travel (me very little, him a bit more) so occassionally one of us has to do the bedtime routine by ourselves. DS is not a great sleeper overall and he isn't the type of baby who can just fall asleep wherever. Because of that, we make sure we're at home and ready whenever bedtime rolls around.

notreallyirish · September 2010

For the first 3 months or so it didn't really make a difference. Now, we pretty much don't go anywhere in the evenings. DS nurses to sleep and really prefers to nurse lying down, so it's tough to get him to sleep away from home. He will sometimes nurse and take a catnap in my lap or in the carrier while we are out and about during the day, but he doesn't stay asleep long in those situations. At night he would probably just be really fussy and nobody would have a good time anyway. It's not worth it for me. On the plus side, I am losing weight not eating out for dinner so much (and nursing)!

beau2ful · September 2010

I am always home for bedtime and I try to be home by 7 at the lastest. we don't do a strict schedule but we have a routine. LO will not fall asleep places and if she does in the car will not stay asleep. I have not let anyone else do bedtime because I lay down and BF LO to sleep. On time I wasn't here and DH did a bottle and when I came home they were both up. Surprise

LouiseB2001 · September 2010

We are pretty bad that way. Since DD was tiny we took her out to restaurants in the bassinet where she just slept. Now she is not really able to sleep unless it is really quiet, so for example about a week ago we were able to have nice date-dinner with her in the carseat right next to us, she slept the whole time and continued as we got home and I put her to bed. But then another night, we took her with us to a restaurant in the pram and she woke up just as I got my food. I had cold dinner and fed her twice at the restaurant, DH walked around with her while I ate because she was fussy (tired but not able to sleep). I felt really bad, but on the other hand, she never cried and we were home for 8 pm, which is not so late for her (she goes to bed between 7 and 8). I think I would like to get a more stable night routine, but so far this has worked for us. We keep our sanity by getting out of the house, and DD is getting used to being out. She is very social and smiles at everyone.

Uiowachick01 · September 2010

We are almost always home for 7:30 bedtime. If DH and I go out the sitter comes around 8:30. DS does awesome on his schedule but if we push it back to 8:30 he wakes up very early the next day. I still nurse him to sleep/ rock him and cuddle.

sunnyday016 · September 2010

Nope. We meet with a small group every other week about an hour away, so on those Fridays we're not home until almost midnight. DD stays up late, sleeps in the car, and we just dump her in her crib when we get home. On random days I'll have book club or a meeting at church so DH puts DD to bed.

erbear · September 2010

nope. DH and I go out for dinner and have MIL/Mom/babysitter put her down. She's fine.

If we're out somewhere, we do try to get home as close to bedtime as we can, but if not, we're flexible. She's pretty good about falling aslep in her crib if she's been sleeping in her car seat.

Jelliebean1982 · September 2010

No. She is really good about sleeping anywhere. It's nice not to have to cut my evenings short. Usually it's more of a situation where we will be at a friend's house late, not out in a restaurant or another public place.

flowerchild77 · September 2010

My dd doesnt go to bed til pretty late- 10-11 ish. I do try to get home or somewhere for a naptime though. If she doesnt get that nap in early afternoon shes a crankpot the whole day. :P

BelhurstBride · September 2010

The preference is definitely to be home, but there have been times when that doesn't happen. I can deal with the a rare occurrence, but would rather it not be a normal thing- she ends up miserable if we miss our window.

We've left the bedtime thing up to my parents and my cousin (who is our babysitter) a couple of times. Sometimes it's a total fail, other times it works out just fine. I've found that leaving her with a shirt I've worn recently helps.

ljlkm · September 2010

DS is always home for bedtime. I have missed it once and left DH to put Jim down but DS wouldn't sleep. Grandma can get him to sleep when we have date nights, but she has magical powers.

Want a personalized experience?

are you always home for LO's bedtime?

Re: are you always home for LO's bedtime?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards