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AIBU?

To think that 39mins to bedtime is a fast job?

125 replies

stealthbanana · 27/10/2020 21:56

Just had this article from the Indy pop up in my newsfeed.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/uk-parents-bedtime-nine-days-year-compare-market-a9700981.html?fbclid=IwAR0m8p6jmMBWshyETjtbf-GmY5-92GdIHaUuDMnSU56-byO57c28SbdYMJE

Am genuinely flabbergasted that people can get their kids to bed in

OP posts:
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Am I being unreasonable?

618 votes. Final results.

POLL
You are being unreasonable
37%
You are NOT being unreasonable
63%
AragonsGirl · 27/10/2020 21:59

I think I’m lucky that mine are both out like a light as soon as their heads hit the pillow (age 3&6). Bath, story etc starts about 6.30 and they’re in bed by 7.15.

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WorksTheDinerAllDay · 27/10/2020 22:00

They obviously didn't include my 8 year old DS who spends about 40 minutes each evening pooping, singing to himself as he does so. Grin

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NancysDream · 27/10/2020 22:00

Takes me approximately 40 mins to do bath, pyjamas, bottle, story, tooth brush, songs and cuddles with my two youngest kids (3 years and 18 months). They love their sleep and go to bed at the same time so I can get it all done pretty quickly. It takes 30-50mins to get them ready in the morning, depending whether they have a bath or not.

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Hardbackwriter · 27/10/2020 22:01

It says it was a survey of parents with children aged 3-10 - I suspect the average for the parents of 3 year olds was quite different to that for the parents of 10 year olds.

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MonkeyPuddle · 27/10/2020 22:01

I think we’re a bit over the average then.
Bath time is 6pm, depends on how much fun DP and DS are having, they can be in there 5 mins or 40. But then it’s teeth, cream, wee, one story and bed.
DS is 3, he was tired tonight and asked to go to bed, he was out cold by 6:40.

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SarahAndQuack · 27/10/2020 22:01

It must be me. We usually shower DD in the mornings unless she's conspicuously mucky (she's not a mucky child) so it's 2 minutes to brush her teeth, two minutes for a quick wash of face and hands and a wee, a minute or two to get into PJs, and on a good day like today, she's into bed and asleep before we finish reading a book.

I admit, on a bad day, it can be half an hour of stories, but that's still well within limits.

I am quite happy to be smug about this as she was an absolute bloody nightmare for the first two and a half years of her life, and I was a broken woman. Now she's 3.5 and it's brilliant.

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fuckfuckingcovid19 · 27/10/2020 22:02

Ds is 4, gets in the bath at 6.30 and can be in bed at 7. Sometimes we read an extra story or have a longer chat and I don't leave his room til 7.15 but it can just take half an hour.
His room is ready for bed, pjs out and bath run before that though so I'm not counting that into bedtime (should I?)
Due my second very soon, I expect the time will more than double Grin

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burglarbettybaby · 27/10/2020 22:02

40 mins is about right for Bath stories bed. Though sometimes mine love to play in the bath so it's bit longer.

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Mellonsprite · 27/10/2020 22:02

I think you can speed them up and cut down on general faffing once they get a bit older. Mine always enjoyed a play in the bath though so I didn’t rush them too much when they were small.

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Drogonssmile · 27/10/2020 22:02

Ours takes about an hour (ages 4 and 7) but that includes a lot of mucking about in the bath and stories.

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/10/2020 22:03

Do you have to count "being asleep"? I don't know what time mine fall asleep. They go into their rooms at bedtime. Elder is allowed 45mins reading time and younger could have some but he declines. I don't check if they've finished reading so I don't know what time they fall asleep.

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hopefulhalf · 27/10/2020 22:04

Sleep clinics advise a maximum of 30 or 40 minutes I think.

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fuckfuckingcovid19 · 27/10/2020 22:04

I'd also expect not everyone will be bathing their kids every night and the older kids will either be showering in the morning or bathing themselves

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Sexnotgender · 27/10/2020 22:04

DS 20 months.

Bath at 6.10, teeth brushed, pyjamas, sleeping bag and in his cot by about 6.40. Pop him down and he goes to sleep. So about 30 minutes altogether.

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Motherofmonsters · 27/10/2020 22:04

Bedtime for DS3 doesn't take very long maybe 20mins. He's happy to potter in his room and tuck himself in if he's not completely ready for bed though.

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Dishwashersaurous · 27/10/2020 22:04

What are you doing for so long?

My record though was 12 minutes including bath and separate stories!

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ChaBishkoot · 27/10/2020 22:05

30-40 mins here. Nearly 4 and nearly 9. Bath is no more than 10 mins. Then get out, changed, older ones goes off to read. I read to the younger one for 15-20 mins. Lights off. Check in on the older one. Chat about his day. He has an alarm and turns off his light when he’s sleepy.
Beyond about a year I haven’t really had to sit with either while they fell asleep. So once lights are off I don’t care all that much what they get up to. DS2 sings to himself and falls asleep. DS1 does fake football commentary.
So 39 minutes doesn’t seem that absurd.

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fuckfuckingcovid19 · 27/10/2020 22:05

I've always found DS settled better when bedtime routine was kept to under 45 minutes (closer to 30), he seemed to get hyped up if it took longer than that tbh.

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ImFree2doasiwant · 27/10/2020 22:06

39 minutes seems rather rushed. My 2 DC like to spend about 38.5 minutes in the bath. They're 3 and 5 so do need assistance and direction, they love a bath, then I dry and get them in pjs. They have some milk. We get in my bed for stories and cuddles.....it goes on, but it's lovely

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borageforager · 27/10/2020 22:06

About 1-1.5 hrs here to get 9 year old to bed, & about 45 mins - 1hr to get the 5 year old to bed. But I do read to the 9 year old for at least 30 mins of that (DH reads to the 5 year old). 12 year old barely goes to bed before us!

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welshweasel · 27/10/2020 22:07

If I’m in no rush then they go in the bath at 6.40, 5 minutes in the bath, get both dressed, little one has story and into bed for just before 7, big one goes up at 7.15 for story and asleep by 7.30. If I need to be quick then can do the pair of them on my own in 20 minutes, if husband here then we can do them both in 15. But then I’ve never stayed with either child whilst they fall asleep!

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moonlight1705 · 27/10/2020 22:07

We take 2 year old DD up for a bath at 6.15 and she is asleep by 7pm. She doesn't have a bath every night but we go up at the same time so she has more storytime.

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OwlBeThere · 27/10/2020 22:09

I voted wrong Grin
At 1 and 3, inc bath i needed an hour, with my youngest —hell spawn—child probably more like 2

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pumpkinpie01 · 27/10/2020 22:10

My ds 7 is probably about 45 mins , always has a bath usually at 7.30 out by 7.45 faffing around - inhaler , teeth , plays with kitten then in bed by 8 I read til 8.15 then he reads to himself and we will pop in and make sure his light is off about 8.30 but we generally don't hear from him after 8.15. We're not strict parents but have always been strict about a bedtime routine .

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GordonsAliveAndEatsPies · 27/10/2020 22:11

Mine must be only non sleeper. She gets into bed ok, but then doesn’t actually go to sleep for hours. But then she never napped even as a baby - one of the reasons I am getting a night nanny this time.

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