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XP - Moms of 2 or more - Please help, bedtime with DC and new baby!

Meggie1129Meggie1129
in Stay at Home Moms

XP (a 3rd one!)-

Ok, I am only five months pregnant but I am really freaking out about this right now. DS will be about 3 1/2 when the new baby comes in October. My concern is being able to keep his bedtime routine but get a new baby down around the same time (once the new baby gets on a schedule), without it taking three hours to put the kids down at night!

Right now we start bedtime at 7:15 for DS. By the time we coax him upstairs, get him in the tub, bathed, jammies and stories it is 8:15. We usually read him about 5-6 stories and I don't want to take that away from him because he loves that special snuggle time. I really don't want him going down any later than that, but I cannot logically imagine how we are going to do this.

When DH is home, right now we take turns putting him to bed. However, DH travels a LOT, so most of this is going to fall on me. Can you please help me out here and tell me how you do it, what works for you, how I will not slight DS, etc? Thanks!

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Re: XP - Moms of 2 or more - Please help, bedtime with DC and new baby!

  • AndrewsgalAndrewsgal member

    First of all why in the world does it take you an hour to get him ready for bed? That is crazy!

    Put the baby down at 7:30, begin bedtime for DS at 7:45 bath 15 mintues, teeth 5 and pjs 5 mintues 15 mintues to read books and he is in bed by 8:20. Pu the baby down while your DS is waching a show, babies sleep a lot at the beginiing, DH was not home for bedtime for the first 8 months of DS life and it was easy to keep DD's routine and put DS down toon

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  • Meggie1129Meggie1129
    I think it is the stories that take the largest chunk of time, and that is something I really hate to diminish for him. He always wants to keep reading more, you know, and I want to encourage that.
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  • EnglishMajor03EnglishMajor03 member
    Three thoughts: one start bedtime earlier so your 3 year old.  Two, do your reading of books before bath. Three, there is no reason to bathe every night.
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  • Stacyc625Stacyc625 member

    Sorry- but 6 is just too many.

    We have a 2 story max before naps and bedtime.

    I also do bath time earlier and don't include that as part of bedtime- and its not every nigh unless either one of them got really dirty. BOTH of my kids have ridiculously dry skin.

    I get that you like the snuggle time- but you just need to move it during the day when baby is napping and cuddle on the couch.  

     I put both kids to bed by myself most nights- it takes me about 15 min for the 3yr old and longer for the baby (but I nurse)

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  • SammysuSammysu
    imageAndrewsgal:

    First of all why in the world does it take you an hour to get him ready for bed? That is crazy!

    Put the baby down at 7:30, begin bedtime for DS at 7:45 bath 15 mintues, teeth 5 and pjs 5 mintues 15 mintues to read books and he is in bed by 8:20. Pu the baby down while your DS is waching a show, babies sleep a lot at the beginiing, DH was not home for bedtime for the first 8 months of DS life and it was easy to keep DD's routine and put DS down toon

    This was my thought as well.

    DD#2 was 3 1/2 when I had DD#3 and I always put baby down first and then my older ones. I never did story time on her bed since they all shared a room at the time, instead we did it in the living room so that the girls would not wake the baby as they tend to get involved in the story with acting things out.

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  • kcisthebombdotcomkcisthebombdotcom member
    My DH works late 2-3 nights a week and I do bedtime myself. It is doable. If you really want to keep that long bedtime routine, you can make it work. I put the baby down at 6pm (sometimes 5pm if she's really tired) and then do my bedtime routine with DS. My DS is pretty independent, so as long as I give him a cool toy (like a plastic bowl and spatula, lol) I can get DD to bed. If your LO isnt as independent, it might be a good time to throw a TV show on so you have 20 minutes to put the baby down to sleep.
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  • naturelle25naturelle25 member
    yeah, I dont see how you would be able to keep that hour long routine with #1 once #2 is here, especially when he or she is still really little...IF they go down at the same time. My DS goes to bed at 7:30 and his routine takes about 30 minutes and my DD goes to bed around 9, so I can spend as long as I want doing it.
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  • Liz342Liz342 member

    I don't really think your routine right now it crazy since it includes the bath.  Last night, we played outside and came in to do bath and put the kids down immediately following.  This was with me and DH and we were rushing and it took over 30 minutes to get both kids down.

    Normally, we do bath right after dinner though.  When DS was a newborn, I would do his bath right after his afternoon nap and get him into his pjs really early.  I would do DD's bath after dinner when DS was either taking his cat nap in the swing or he was upstairs with us in his bouncy chair. (If DH was gone)  Honestly, it sucked.  I'd pray he wouldn't be fussy while I put DD to bed.  I would keep it to 1 book, you will have to read another time if you want to do more.

    Now, we have a new routine since the kids are older and DS has a new routine.  I am JUST at the stage where I feel I can leave DD downstairs for a few mins while I put him down and it still freaks me out. I HATE when DH has to work late. I put DD on the couch with a snack and Dora and then nurse DS upstairs for a few minutes before putting him down.  (I can still hear DD) Then I am free to do her bedtime routine any way I need to.

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  • Emcat1980@yahoo.comEmcat1980@yahoo.com

    We also have a long bedtime routine...... Dinner, bath, lotion/PJs, a little playtime with a cup of milk and then brush teeth. Climb into bed and read - we read at least 20 minutes, sometimes 30.

    I plan on just bringing baby (if it's awake) with me for most of DS's bedtime routine. I am going to be nursing and I can do that in the bathroom while older son plays in the tub or in bed while I read to him.

    My H works late a lot also and I know it won't be easy, but newborns are easy to transport around and plus they sleep a lot - maybe you'll be lucky and the baby will be asleep for a lot of that time.

    I am in the minority here but I am not interested in cutting down DS's bedtime books. It's a part of the day very important to all of us. I have always read to him for a long time and I'll just incorporate the baby into that from early on.

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  • HarrietNJMommyHarrietNJMommy

    I think you're going to have to streamline your routine if you want to do it for both kids and have it not take that long.

    I put all 3 to bed a lot, and it doesn't take me more than 1 hour and that includes bathtime........ 

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