Help - working out new bed routines. 2.5yrs & 6mths

[Dackyduddles]

So, dd1 2.5yrs is lights out at 7. 6 is bath and tea generally at 5. Milk as she's starting to wind down for evening starts at 4. (Sorry to work backwards, just thinking)

Dd2 is 6mths. She wants to kip at 7 for the night plainly. (Yay both at once!) she has a "fits in any old how" routine. She gets a bath 2-3 a week.

I'd like to start combining and habitualising (sic) their routines. I'm thinking tea, bath dd2 with dd1 helping, bed dd2, bath dd1, beds. I'm just at a loss to fit it in, and really would like to know what others do please?

Dd1 is recently toilet trained. I need to wean dd2 and fit in moving in a bottle or two as she's bf but I really need a break to (de fluff bits, lose fat tum, run, read a book, LIVE) start to edge in a bit of me time and I just don't know if there's enough time in a day! That's way ott. I know just sometimes my head explodes with it all. Please, help me have a plan???

[TwentyTinyToes]

Ok so my two are almost exactly the same age as yours and we have a similar problem. We also do dinner at 5, bath about 5.50. Currently DD (6 months) tends to sleep/ breastfeed all evening on my lap and i take her up when i go to bed and she co sleeps. I would quite like an evening back soon so this is my plan. We are going on holiday tomorrow (yay) so i plan to start when we get back and also introduce solids properly then too. DS goes to bed about 7. DP is in late most nights so no use to me.

• 4.50 - 5pm dinner for both children and usually me too
  
• 5.50ish - bath DD (blw so probably every night) either bath, shower or wash DS depending on time and how grubby he is. Both children into pajamas. DD sits in her chair and watches or could go in her cot with some toys.
  *6.20ish - both downstairs, supper and watch tv for DS, bored of ITNG so now watches Peter Rabbit for 20 minutes or so. Feed DD.
  
• 6.50 DS upstairs clean teeth. If DD is asleep pop her down, if not she sits on my lap and listen whilst i read to DS. DS is bed by this point. I have to stay with DS whilst he goes to sleep so if i still have DD i will either feed or rock her to sleep.
  
• both children asleep by 7.15, both sleep for 12 hours, i go downstairs and drink wine.

[CreatureRetorts]

Why don't you bath together, do stories while you feed baby, toddler in bed lights out then cuddle baby to sleep (if she doesn't self settle) then into her cot.

[strawberrie]

CreatureRetorts' method is the one which has worked for us. (2.4 year gap)

Dinner at 5ish; both in bath about 6.15. Into pyjamas, beaker of milk for the toddler and BF for the baby while reading stories to toddler. Tuck in toddler then go and settle baby to sleep. It works well if you have do it solo as well.

We only had to tweak the routine once the youngest got too fidgety to sit nicely for the elder' stories, so we now split them up at this point, and do their stories separately in their own room.

[Dackyduddles]

Please. Talk to me like a real beginner. How do you have enough hands to bath both together and dress them at same time? I was wondering to do it that way but baby can't sit. I suppose you take clothes into bathroom to dress baby as well? Then toddler in bedroom? I can't leave one to do other...?

Sounds good though....everyone. Thanks a lot lots to think about tonight.

[CreatureRetorts]

Bath time: all in the bathroom with towels, clothes and nappies. Undress then eldest in first, then baby. Eldest plays with their bath toys. Hold baby, wash baby, baby out, dried, dressed and give toys while bathing eldest. Eldest out, dressed. (when baby was quite young I dragged the bouncer in the bathroom).

[strawberrie]

Get a bath support like this one:

www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Fabric-Bath-Support/956015,default,pd.html

We have a teeny, narrow bathroom so I used to leave the kit just outside in the hallway.

Big child in first, then strip and dunk the baby. I always wash both kids straight away and then play afterwards, that way if either gets upset or fed up, or there's a Code Brown Evacuation, you can get them out quickly.

I got baby out first, dried and into nappy and sleepsuit just outside the bathroom door - pop them into bouncer or onto playmat while you dry the toddler. Dressing gowns are good for instant cosiness.

The trick is to have everything you need for after the bath ready in advance, took me a good bit of trial and error but it soon becomes second nature. So bedroom curtains drawn and lamps on, milk warmed, nappy and pjs and dummy standing by, story books chosen and laid out on the bed.

It just takes a bit of practice, that's all.

[strawberrie]

Link, sorry!

www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Fabric-Bath-Support/956015,default,pd.html

[TwentyTinyToes]

I find both in the bath at the same time tricky because DS seems intent on drowning DD. So i run bath, get everything i need for DD plus bouncy chair and towel for DS, DD in bath whilst DS runs around, DD in towel on bathroom floor, DS in bath, dry and dress DD offer milk in the bathroom, DD in chair, wash DS and out of bath, carry to bedroom in towel, retrieve DD, dry and dress DS. Bedroom easier than bathroom by this point because our bathroom is small.

[Murtette]

Having never had them for DC1, for DC2 we got one of those lie back bath supports & then, when he grew out of that, one of those swivel seats & that meant I could bath them both. So, what I did was (2.6yr gap):

• all go upstairs
  
• collect night nappy & PJs for DC1 and clean nappy & babygro for DC2 & take into bathroom. Check towels already in there. Check DC2 hasn't got a pooy nappy.
  
• run bath & undress DC1 with DC2 gurgling contentedly/screaming his head off on floor of bathroom (sometimes on changing mat, sometimes in bouncy chair, sometimes on floor);
  
• DC1 in bath &, if needed, hair washed. DC2 continuing to do whatever he was doing. ALTERNATIVE DC1 playing in bath whilst DC2 has a quick top up
  
• DC2 then undressed & into bath (in support or seat) & has z quick wash. Depending on time, tiredness, overall mood etc, then a few mins play (DC2 does love the bath) or straight out, onto change mat on floor & into clean nappy & babygro
  
• DC1 then out, dried & downstairs naked & dressed in front of Peppa (realised this saved time/battles)
  
• DC1 continues watching Peppa & DC2 feeds
  
• back upstairs & into DC1's room for stories & songs then tuck DC1 up
  
• take DC2 into his room for a more "appropriate" story (a touch or pop up one rather than Topsy & Tim which DC1 will have chosen) &final feed (he fed a lot between 5pm & 7pm) & then into bed.
  
• go downstairs & collapse! And than realise I need to tidy up, cook dinner etc

[PogoBob]

Marking my place as I have a 2.10yo and a 6mo and bedtime has recently got a bit messy.

Not helped by the fact DD is going through a 'mummy phase' so won't tolerate sharing me her younger brother at bedtime.

Hope you have some luck sorting it out