Bed time routine with a baby and a toddler

[arcticlemming]

At the risk of starting the most inane thread in living memory, can I ask how you all manage betime routines with a young toddler and baby? DD1 is 3 and DD2 is 1 - at the moment I'm letting DD1 veg in front of Cbeebies while I put DD2 to bed, and then doing DD1. Works well in many ways, but don't particularly like leaving DD1 unattended downstairs for about 20 mins (although it's pretty child proof), and I think the novelty of TV will soon wear off anyway (we've only just got digital - luddite emoticon!). Can't have DD1 upstairs with me while putting DD2 to bed as she keeps disturbing her. If I put DD1 to bed first with DD2 still up its OKish but a bit of a pain as DD2 crawls around making a noise and needs attention etc. during DD1s story time and I can't focus on DD1.
What does everyone do? One joint bedtime? I really like to give them individual attention before bed but am not sure how sustainable this is. Presumably will get better once DD2 is old enough to listen to the same sorts of stories as DD1, but at the moment it's a bit of a logistical nightmare.

[andyrobo237]

I do the same, DS is nearly 2 and DD is 6. She stays downstairs and watches tv while I settle DS - can take half an hour, and two or 3 nights a week DH is not around, so I have done the whole tea, bath and bed myself!

It seems to work fine, as she can watch TV in peace, but I do worry that she is missing out on time with me. She then goes to bed half an hour later.

My brother has same age as you, and they do stories downstairs and then both girls go to bed at the same time, but his wife is there to help, so take one each.

[mumof2andabit]

The way you are doing it is the only way that works or us too. Dh will play with ds while I take dd to bed and then I come down ds and I huggle for half an hour then he's off to bed too. Tried doing their bedtimes closer together before and it was a living nightmare. Tv might wear off but then you just change the channel!

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Can I be a complete dimwit and ask for more details of your evening routines.

How do you fit in and manage bath time with 2 kids and one pair of hands?

I have ds1 who's just turned 3 and ds2 who's 6 months. Everything seems to need to happen for ds2 in such a short space of time that it just doesn't seem to fit with ds1 at all and when dh is away with work I end up with mil coming over to help out

[arcticlemming]

Thanks very much for the responses. DH not around in the week so a need a system I can do by myself. Sounds like my current system is about as good as it gets.

[andyrobo237]

IwishIwasmoreorganised - I take them both upstairs at 6pm and shut the top stairgate. I get the bath ready and undress them both. Shove them both in and let them swish around - I only do hair washing twice a week and on different days! They both do their teeth while in the bath - stops them running away!! (With a little help from me). While getting the bath ready i grab all their PJ's and nappy, and towels and put in bathroom. While they are in the bath I put TV on in our room and bribe them out with the offer of watching tv! I get the youngest out of bath first and quick dry and dress, then he runs off while I do his sister. Then downstairs for milk.

That kind of works in our house, and I then have to have a quick shower myself as I wake DS if I have one while he is in bed! The key to it all is to have everything at hand before they get undressed, and they have toys upstairs to play with as well!

[JolieGirl]

I have DS2 (6 months) in his bath for 6pm whilst DS1 (2.5 years) potters about & plays - I have a big basket of his toys and books in baby room. Baby in bed asleep for 6.30pm ish and then full attention for DS1, who then jumps in same bath water and then comes downstairs until 7ish when DH comes home and puts him to bed. Eldest doesn't seem to mind DS2 time and helps with getting him dressed, bathing etc. But this routine took me a loooong time to get to!!!

[gingerninja]

iwishiwasmoreorganised do you have to bath them both every night? Why not either bath the baby in the morning or do it early and asking DS1 to help you?

lemming? would that be an alternative for you too? I don't know how practical that is.

[arcticlemming]

I sympathise Iwish. Baths are not a daily occurence during the week in the lemming household (not that I think that's a problem actually), and tend to be done seperately and quickly. Long, leisurely and sociable baths are saved for the weekend.
Routine for us is

4.45 - get home on days I work
5.15 - 5.45ish tea
18.00 DD1 (3) installed in front of Charlie and Lola
18.20 DD2 (1) taken upstairs to bed (10 mins earlier if she's having a quick bath). Story, milk, goes to sleep.
19.00ish DD1 taken to bed (again earlier if having a bath). Story milk and goes to sleep.

Not by any means perfect, but sort of works.

[Lilyloo]

I have 3. Bath goes on at 6.30 all go in. I then take each out of the bath and dry them all ,ds 6 does himself and then when in pj's i leave ds and dd1 3 to play in their rooms whilst i sort out and feed d2 11mth. When she is fed and down i read to dd1 and then ds. They usually argue etc but nothing new there.

I still do individual stories as like to have that bit of quality time.
Think this is the hardest part of the day even more so than school run!!

[Chirpygirl]

I have 2 DD's. 2.9 and 13 months.
Everything got a lot easier when I took them up together, bath them both together, DD1 out of bath first into dressing gown and then DD2 into towel.
I dress DD2 into clean vest and then put DD1 in pj's (in room with door shut so DD2 plays on floor for a few mins)
Then I BF DD2 on DD1's bed and read bedtime story to them both. DD1 lies down and natters while I finish BFing DD2 then she goes into cot and I leave.
when they were in separate rooms I used to do the same and then take DD2 into our room afetrwards and put her into cot.

Gets harder now DD2 wants to look at story too so it takes frigging ages, but works!

[AllBuggiedOut]

I've always done joint bath/milk/stories. There's 2 years between DS1 and 2 so it worked like this...

6.30 upstairs, taking milk with me.
Bath the two together. When DS2 was very little, I'd give him a very short bath then bf in the bathroom while chatting to DS1.
6.50ish into the bedroom and dressing gowns on.
Milk and stories for both until about 7 (I found the little one was happy with whatever I was reading but tended to stick to picture books for this or maybe gave him a board book to play with while I read a different one.).
Pyjamas on - me helping DS1 as necessary, then send him to the bathroom to clean teeth while put D2 into cot.
Back to DS1 to finish teeth, and do a last story for him in his room. This worked really well for us, and gave me some time alone with DS1 which I thght was really important. We do pretty much the same now that they are 5 and 3, and DS3 is 9 months.

[ohdearwhatamess]

Routine for me, ds1 (2.7), ds2 (9months) is as follows:

5-5.30 cook dinner for dcs, make baby milk, tidy kitchen etc. Ds1 'helps' so it takes ages, ds2 plays on the floor and is often a bit grizzly.

5.30-6 they eat.

6-6.30 bathtime - both boys in together. Takes a ridiculous amount of time to undress them and reapply nappies and pyjamas. Ds1 will run away and hide, and ds2 wriggles and squirms and crawls away.

6.30-6.40 - feed ds2. Ds1 either looks at a book or we sing merry songs together

6.40-7 stories, both boys together. Ds2 just gets to listen to whichever stories ds1 chooses.

If we get horribly behind schedule, or I am too tired to face bathtime, then I put both straight into PJs at 6pm, then we sit downstairs and watch the news or cbeebies on tv (feeding ds2 at the same time). Ds1 plays with cars.

Both are put into bed at the same time and in the same room. We had teething problems with that, but it is fine now.

[ohIdoliketobebesidethe]

I have 3 now and use TV as a baby sitter- it is still working well 18mo after first using it. The earlier you start the better. At the moment I aim to have tea for kids before 5.30pm and get them in the bath at 6 ish. This will be changing dramatically when I go back to work...

I had always assumed I would go to one bedtime story when they were old enough to like similar things (2.2yr gap) but I really like having the individual time with them so I'm going to delay that as much as pos.

[arcticlemming]

Really interesting to see the way others do it. May gravitate to one story later, but like some of you I currently like time with them on their own.

[thehairybabysmum]

I have 3 yr old and 14 months.

We have bath (not every night though). Bath DS2 whilst DS1 generally hares around in the nude...he will then jump in wiht ds1 for a bit. Get ds2 out/dried pyjama-ed whilst ds1 still in bath. Then get ds1 out...promise of telly to get him in pjs and downstairs relatively quickly (thats the theory anyway!).

Bed is at 7 after cbeebies bedtime song. All upstairs, clean ds2's teeth and put him down in cot after cuddles from ds1. Al say night and then into bathroom. Clean ds1's teeth, toilet then into bed for him, story then we're done.

Thats on a good night anyway

[thehairybabysmum]

Aha...see where im going wrong...ds2 has no time on his own!! Not sure this is possible?

He doesant seem to mind, luckily!

[2HotCrossBunnies]

Much the same routine here. I have DS1 3.6 and DS2 19 months.

6pm - up for bathtime taking milk with me. DS1 likes to get undressed all by himself behid the curtains and then jump out to "surprise" me completely starkers . I started a game of whoever is undressed first gets in the bath first to motivate Ds1.

6.25-30 bath finished, boys out 1 at a time and each do teeth. Ds1 gets his pjs on whilst I dress DS2. Rule is no tv until pjs on. TV is in my bedroom.

6.30-6.50 In the Nightgarden for DS2. Ds1 does find this boring though and tends to monkey about . But we quite often managea short chat about the day - esp lovely after I've been to work.

6.50-7 DS2 has a story and his milk in his room and in cot by 7. Ds1 can choose his programme to watch - as he's sitting in my bed I don't worry too much about "child proofing".

7-7.30 DS1 can choose tv or stories in his bed - total of 3 programmes and stories altogether. Some nights it's all tv, some nights just stories, most nights a mixture. In his bed by 7.30.

Took me about 12months after DS2 was born to get it this settled but it was worth it! I too would like less tv and more stories but agree that it's nice to have individual time with each. Also it's the same routine whether its me, DH or the nanny doing it.

[Chirpygirl]

They dont seem to mind not getting alone time as they share a room so see me equally.
During the day I spend time alone with DD1 while DD2 is napping and DD2 while DD1 is wrecking stuff doing drawing so ik dont feel bad about it.

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

23 months and 4 months:

Bath 3 times a week by myself - both in together.
Pull baby out first and dry and dress on bathroom floor and leave him there while finish bath with toddler. Pull toddler out and dry and dress etc.

Put both on our bed, bottle to the toddler and me lying in the middle holding up books that we all 'read' together.

Toddler in to bed.
Feed baby (he won't feed if there's anything else going on around him, hence he gets fed now rather than while toddler is in bath / having bottle) and in to bed. All done by 7pm.

[junkcollector]

DS 1 (5) and DS2 (18 months) have bath together. Whoever is coldest gets out first .

Story on sofa together- DS2 choice (normally, 'That's not my dinosaur' or at the moment 'The Tiger who came to tea) DS2 has nightime bottle

DS1 plays with lego (or watches TV) while I brush Ds1 teeth and put to bed (10 mins max)

Another grown up story with DS1, teeth and bed.

sorted...or at least that's the principle...practice not always so smooth

[TooMuchMakkaPakka]

I am oddly fascinated by this thread. early days as DD is nearly 10 weeks, DS is 2.5.
Recently i have started to bath them on alternate nights, but getting worried this is not a routine as such, esp for DD, although DS seems to understand that one, or other of them has a bath (he likes to watch her bath and help with ducks and sponges).
Does anyone else do baths on alternate nights? I hadn't thought of bathing them together on a regular basis but think this might work when DD is old enough to sit up in big bath.

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

I have the baby on a floaty thing in the big bath (there are all sorts of things that you can use), keeping a firm grip on him as he wiggles, so put the 2 year old in first, then baby. Wash baby then pull baby out and dry and dress baby while the 2 year old plays with the floaty thing , then wash her and get her out. Dead easy.