Bedtime without any help. How is this done??

julieb00lie · October 2011

DH has a second shift job so he is not home in the evenings for dinner, bath, and bedtime. I have family here helping me right now, but that's over in two weeks. DS will be almost one month. DD goes to daycare during the day while I'm on leave, but will get home at six (when i go back to work, six is also the time we will be arriving home.) How in the world am I going to manage dinner, bath, and bedtime for both kids by myself? I would think my first step would be to nurse and put DS down first, since he's the youngest, but that can take at least 45 minutes (if I'm lucky). What do I do with my hungry toddler in the meantime? And obviously I'm going to have to push her bedtime out from 8 to almost 9. Any tips ladies?

kcisthebombdotcom · October 2011

I'm not quite in the same situation, but I do dinnertime alone as my kids need to eat before 5, and DH isnt home until 530. I always do leftovers from the night before so I dont have to cook for DS seperately. Why not prep a whole bunch of meals for the week on Sundays so you don't have to cook during the week?

Do your kids need baths every night? I only bathe the baby twice a week and bring my oldest in the shower with me in the morning. Perhaps since DH works 2nd shift, he can give the baby a bath every few days so you dont have to do it at night?

mrsseguin · October 2011

DH does the bedtime routine by himself 4 nights a week. He will give the kids baths at 6:30 on bath nights, or I do it during the day if I can to help him out. The baby gets jammies and a bottle at 7pm and goes to bed. We put her in her crib awake and she'll fall asleep on her own. While he's putting the baby to bed, he sets DS up with a snack and a tv show. This keeps DS out of the way for a bit so he can get the baby to sleep. DS goes to bed at 8pm. It works pretty well, but DH does get overwhelmed a lot. Especially if the kids are hard to put down.

blackqueen416 · October 2011

i try and make big meals when I cook so that I have leftover and just have to reheat some leftovers when DH is working late. I tend to wear DS2 he gets fussy while getting DS1 ready for bed. I have also started a bedtime routine for DS2 so I moved DS1 bath time into our bathroom so I can bathed DS2 on in the sink and let DS1 play in our bath tub. I get both of them out ans put them on towels on our bed to dry off and get lotioned up, pajamas, books. Then potty and bed for DS1 and nursing for DS2.

LDQAM516 · October 2011

I will do everything alone for the next month to two months (we farm and my husband is in the field until 9pmish). If I had a newborn on my hands as well...I would either wear my baby and cook for the other two...or get the newborn down in the swing or pak-n-play so I can get things done. If it were bath time...if newborn wasn't asleep in swing or pak-n-play...I would bring the bouncer upstairs with us while I bathed and dressed the two other kids. You can always try to cook dinner early if you have a little down time while newborn is napping...and then reheat it for later which makes things quicker. This is what I do and it works for us...good luck!

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha · October 2011

I'd do meal prep for the next day when the kids are in bed. That or make a big batch whenever you cook and freeze individual servings, so you can just pop one in the microwave when you get home.

jkelly41 · October 2011

Now it's a little easier since mine are older, but I'd feed the baby around 4 pm. Then I'd sit down w/the toddler for dinner. DD would usually nap during our dinner and if possible, I'd get DS in pjs before she woke up. When it was "dinner" for DD, DS would have "quiet" time with a movie. I'd nurse and put her down, then finish up DS' bedtime routine (brush teeth, book, bed). I took the bouncer with me so I could put DD down if need be.

On bath nights, I'd bath the baby before her "dinner" while DS had quiet time. Then DS would get a quick bath after I put her down.

It's a juggling act, but it's doable. Just remember- there's no right or wrong!

ak1234 · October 2011

julieb00lie:
DH has a second shift job so he is not home in the evenings for dinner, bath, and bedtime. I have family here helping me right now, but that's over in two weeks. DS will be almost one month. DD goes to daycare during the day while I'm on leave, but will get home at six (when i go back to work, six is also the time we will be arriving home.) How in the world am I going to manage dinner, bath, and bedtime for both kids by myself? I would think my first step would be to nurse and put DS down first, since he's the youngest, but that can take at least 45 minutes (if I'm lucky). What do I do with my hungry toddler in the meantime? And obviously I'm going to have to push her bedtime out from 8 to almost 9. Any tips ladies?

I actually do the reverse. Put my big boy to bed first. I come in, give my oldest dinner (leftovers or roast chicken and veggies or fruit). He is pretty adept at feeding himself at this point. While he eats, I nurse my youngest if he is hungry. After my oldest is done, I pop my baby in his swing while I bathe and/or get jammies on (depends on the if we have time for a bath) the oldest. A quick book, a hug and kiss, and my oldest in down. I then tend to my youngest. No matter what, I like my oldest to be in bed by 8.

laura1 · October 2011

ak1234:

julieb00lie:
DH has a second shift job so he is not home in the evenings for dinner, bath, and bedtime. I have family here helping me right now, but that's over in two weeks. DS will be almost one month. DD goes to daycare during the day while I'm on leave, but will get home at six (when i go back to work, six is also the time we will be arriving home.) How in the world am I going to manage dinner, bath, and bedtime for both kids by myself? I would think my first step would be to nurse and put DS down first, since he's the youngest, but that can take at least 45 minutes (if I'm lucky). What do I do with my hungry toddler in the meantime? And obviously I'm going to have to push her bedtime out from 8 to almost 9. Any tips ladies?

I actually do the reverse. Put my big boy to bed first. I come in, give my oldest dinner (leftovers or roast chicken and veggies or fruit). He is pretty adept at feeding himself at this point. While he eats, I nurse my youngest if he is hungry. After my oldest is done, I pop my baby in his swing while I bathe and/or get jammies on (depends on the if we have time for a bath) the oldest. A quick book, a hug and kiss, and my oldest in down. I then tend to my youngest. No matter what, I like my oldest to be in bed by 8.

This is what we did, until DD was eating dinner, too. (Except DS would be in bed by 7) Once she started eating her "meal" in her high chair (7ish months?) I would feed her quickly while DS was playing before dinner (sometimes he would share her food with her). Then she would get a bath while DS ate his dinner (in the kitchen sink), then she would nurse while he was still eating, and I would put her to bed by 6:30. Then DS would get his bath, jammies, books and go to bed too.

You will figure out what works for you - it may take some trial and error, but you can do it!

mayowife · October 2011

I'm not usually alone in the evenings, but my toddler goes to bed at 7:30 before my baby. You might want to consider that while your baby is still very young. The baby hangs out in her crib and "plays" while I put my toddler's pajamas on and read him a book.

If my baby needs to be nursed while my toddler is eating dinner then I will sit at the kitchen table and nurse while my baby while my toddler eats in his highchair.

If my baby is awake when my toddler is taking a bath then I put her in her bouncy chair next to the bathtub.

It's a huge juggling act, but you will figure it out!

etude de la vie · October 2011

I do bedtime alone every night since DH works until 8:30 or so. I feed DS in the highchair and try to give DD her dinner(sometimes she isn't hungry yet). Then I make a bedtime bottle and I bring it upstairs with both kids. I do bath time with both -take youngest out first and dress them next to bath tub where older child is so you can still watch them. I have some toys in the bathroom for DS to play with while I get DD dressed for bed. Once she is ready she gets quiet time with the iPad in the hallway with the gate shut while I give DS his bottle and put him to bed. After that I spend quality time with DD until her bedtime.

etude de la vie · October 2011

Just noticed your baby is 1month. At that time I was bathing DS during the day when DD napped. She got her bath after he went to sleep or during one if his late naps.

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Bedtime without any help. How is this done??

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