Moms of Two Kids: Bed Time Routine

septemberdc · November 2011

Hi Ladies,

I have a 4 year old (DD) and a 6 month old (DS). I'm trying to get DS on a bedtime routine. One of my challenges is balancing both of them as they get ready for bed. How do you do it with more than one? Do they go to bed at the same time or different time?

Thanks!

Meeshe · November 2011

It's really hard if you're by yourself. What I usually do is take them both upstairs to do baths if it's bath night, get jammies on, brush teeth, etc. Then I try to read my 4 year-old her story and keep the little one quiet. Sometimes it has to be really quick and I feel bad but what can you do? Then I take the baby down to nurse and then I put him to bed. It took me a while to find a routine that worked ok for us.

QtGinaJ · November 2011

What I do is play off their moods. Like pp, if it's a bath night I bathe them together. Then if DD had a nap that day and is in good spirits I have her do some quiet activity (like her leappad, color, "read" a book) while I nurse DS and get him down. If DD is in a terrible mood I put her in bed and tell her goodnight and move onto DS!

howleyshell · November 2011

17 months apart here so a different dynamic but when the baby was little I'd bathe them both together by putting the infant tub into the regular tub with the toddler sitting in the left over space filled with water. I'd bathe the baby first and then remove the baby and the baby tub so the toddler could play by himself a bit.

Baby came out, got dried off and dressed first and then put into a bouncy, travel swing, etc while I bathed the toddler.

Bed time = more of the same. Swing, bouncy, quiet play on the floor for the baby while I read to and tucked in the toddler and then had time to nurse and bed time routine the infant.

For naps it was the opposite. The toddler had a box of quiet toys for the toddler to play with in the baby's room while I nursed and rocked. Could be a good alternative for you if the baby needs to go down first.

Of course these are without DH home. When he's there it's divide and conquer with each of us taking a child. Each child has mommy "cuddles" so DH would read to 1 while I cuddled the other and then switch off.

Now we all read together in one room and then each climbs into bed and waits for their few minutes of Mamma snuggles.

Smores730 · November 2011

They go to bed at different times (7pm and 8:30) but they take a PM nap at the same time. I tend to base who I put to nap first off the baby's behavior. If he's hanging in there, I help her get ready then we read in her bed while the baby runs around and does whatever. If I put the baby to bed first, my DD just plays in the playroom quietly and waits.

Spin313 · November 2011

Mine are 3.5 and 8 months. DS goes to bed first, and DD follows about 30-45 minutes later. DS's routine is pajamas, teeth, a 30 minute show, and a book. If it's bath night, DS gets a bath first while DD plays nearby or sits in the bumbo. Then I bathe DD while DS starts his show.

AgrippaRidesAgain · November 2011

I typically put DD to bed while DH is getting DS ready for bed. After I am done, I join them for storytime. If I'm on my own, I bathe them together (if it is a bath night) and then DS puts on his own pajamas while I'm dressing DD. Then we all read DD's stories together, DS goes into his room, and I put DD in her bed. Then I read DS his stories and put him in bed.

BackInNewYork · November 2011

My 19 month old goes to bed about 45 minutes - hour earlier than my 4 year old.

KristinKD · November 2011

When DD2 was around six months, I started giving the girls baths together, which made things easier. Back then, after bathtime, I'd take the girls into DD2's room to nurse DD2 and read DD1 books, then I would put DD2 to bed while DH took DD1 to put her to bed. Or, if he wasn't home, DD1 would stay in the nursery with me and pretend to put her baby doll to sleep while I put DD2 down, and then I'd put DD1 to bed.

Now we still read books together in DD2's room, but since she's into her own books now, we'll read a couple baby books before putting DD2 to bed, and then DH (or I, if he's away) will take DD1 to her room to read another book or two and put her to bed.

Most nights they go to bed at roughly the same time, a little earlier for DD2 with the way we have our routine.

shouldbworkin · November 2011

My younger DC went to bed before or after the older, depending on her needs at the time. As naps were dropped, she needed to go to bed earlier. Once her bedtime was more consistent, I got them both ready at the same time, read to them or let DD play in DS's room while I read to him and put her to bed right after I said goodnight to him.

penguingrrl · November 2011

We get ready together and started around 10-11 months. If DH is home we have dinner then DH whisks them away to the bath while I clean up from dinner. After bath we brush teeth, put on pjs, read a few books, sing lullabies and go to sleep. They share a room, so that might make it easier, but if they didn't share a room we'd read in one room then bring the other to their room. We got into the habit of doing bedtime together quickly because it makes it easier on me when DH is traveling or working late (which are fairly frequent occurrences around here)

MrsBalletStar05 · November 2011

What I did when my younger one was a baby, was do the entire bed time routine with his big brother together (they'd get a bath at the same times, older in the tub, younger in the baby bath, do the teeth brushing, we'd sit together and read) then I'd put the older one to bed at his time and then deal with the baby (maybe he needed snother bottle and he usuallyslept later). Now, we do everything together and they go to bed at the same time and sleep in the same room. This works because the younger one naps and the older one doesn't and if they don't lay down at the same time, they wake each other up so they MUST lay down at the same time.

MaddysMama07 · December 2011

Mine go to bed at different times. We followed elise's cues and figured out she's ready for bed at 6:30. Madelyn gets to watch a show while I go in and put elise to bed. After i get Elise to bed Madelyn and I will play a little bit or read books. She goes to bed at 7:30.

mariejamison · April 2012

Theses are really good routines that you have here. I'm sure that parents like me would definitely get some good ideas in order for all of us to learn a lot of things for you kids to be good and to learn a lot of things for the future. I hope that everything would work out well in this one. Thanks for this one. Really appreciate things for this one.

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