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If you have 3 or more kids

14 replies

margaritaproblems · 15/09/2019 12:05

How do you do bedtime stories at night time?
Downstairs? Upstairs? All in one bed? Individually? Help?

OP posts:
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Shittiestdayinalongtime · 15/09/2019 12:12

I'm a nanny, but have been with the family for 11 years. They have 3 kids, 11, 10 and 7. We all go up around 7pm, I supervise the youngest while he washes himself, the others will go for a wash or just get teeth and pjs done ect. Then everyone is in their bedroom, colouring or reading, the oldest ones are allowed to do something else quietly in their room. The youngest will have a story and then he's allowed to colour or read to himself. Then I'll go to the 10 year old, she still loles me to read, and shell usually read back to me for a bit and then she's allowed to carry on reading to herself. After that I'll go to the 11 year old, shes just started year 7, so a few nights shes been doing homework but if she wants, I'll still read to her. The 7year old has light out at 8.30, and the older ones, light out at 9pm. Some nights I'm on my own and this is what we've done since they were young, it works for us.

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123bananas · 15/09/2019 12:24

Children 10, 7 and 5.

Read upstairs to 5 year old first whilst older ones read to themselves in bed, then I will read to the 7 year old and the 10 year old can listen in if she wants to. Sometimes the 7 year old will sit in with us when we read to the 5 year old first.

When they were younger I used to allow the eldest to stay up in the living room and play quietly for half an hour whilst I settled the younger two. I would breastfeed the youngest whilst reading to the middle child then settled him after I had said good night to her. Then I would read to the eldest in the living room and put her to bed so that her sister could get to sleep.

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DramaAlpaca · 15/09/2019 12:32

Mine are grown now, but when our three were little the youngest would go up first & have his bedtime story, then DH & I would each take one of the other two & do their story. If DH was away bedtime took a bit longer but it was precious time for all of us. The DC still have lovely memories of the books we got through together. We continued bedtime stories long after they could read independently just because we all loved it.

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Threnody · 16/09/2019 09:48

I have 3, we do bedtime stories in the boys' room - ds1, and dd sat on bed, ds2 in his cot (or sometimes on my lap).

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Crazymummyto3 · 16/09/2019 22:07

Our children are 9, 7 and 22 months. They all go upstairs to get ready for bed at the same time then we all have bedtime story for our youngest on our bed. The oldest two have some chill out times in their rooms while I feed our youngest and get her to sleep. When she's asleep we read a chapter of a longer book on our bed then I let the oldest two have 10 minutes in bed to read some of their own book before they go to sleep

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Verily1 · 16/09/2019 22:17

We don’t do it.

I dont think bedtime is a good time for reading.

We do reading ad hoc, to suit each dc.

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imip · 22/09/2019 07:58

Now with a 12, 11, 9 and 7yo. All go upstairs around the same time - 8ish. Spend time with 9 and 7yo. Talk about day, get them settled with a book. I don’t really read to them anymore, I have some probs with separating from 7yo (ASD) May send her to my bed. During this time, dh with 11yo who has a shower. She has ASD and self harms. I then go to 12 yo, chat, help with homework etc. Settle her down to read. If homework is hard, dh goes to help and I go to 11yo. Then I put 11yo to bed. This can take a while as she has lots of rituals to perform.

It’s always been some form of this. When we are not with dc, they can read, colour, play quietly in their rooms. We’ve always started with the younger dc. When they were small, I would be the babies and read to the oldest. night times are often fraught for us, but we don’t really deviate from this routine.

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Bonniegirl435 · 30/10/2019 23:11

Bath time, pjs and teeth done and then we snuggle on the bed for a story, dc are 11 and 4, although 9 times outa 10 2 of the teens also come in and perch up and listen aswell

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IVEgotthePUMPKINS · 02/11/2019 14:21

5dc

8 weeks, 3, 6, 10 and 11

10 & 11 year olds read to theirselves

I read to 6 and 3 year olds together, one book and they alternate who chooses and whose room we read in.

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RoseToes · 02/11/2019 14:22

DC aged 1, 4 and 6.

We read in our bed and then when it’s done the DC go into their own bed.

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soundsystem · 07/11/2019 22:37

When I'm doing bedtime in my own, I do them all in one bed then the eldest reads to herself for a bit while I read another story to the two youngest. On evenings DH is here, he reads to the two youngest and I read a chapter book with the eldest.

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Ck25 · 24/11/2019 14:54

Hi everyone I'm new here.
I have 5 children.there 14,11,8,3 and 8 months.a real mix bag to say the least,but love them all the same.

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Ck25 · 24/11/2019 14:56

Bedtime is fun for all my kids love Reading books together.

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mummycubs · 27/12/2019 00:19

Six kids, 3, 2 year old twins and 3 month year old triplets Confused.

My older three usually come into my bedroom after their baths and I read to them while I feed the triplets. Once I settle the triplets, I spend about ten minutes with them making sure they've brushed their teeth washed their face been the toilet etc.. and then I brush their hairs and tuck them in. The three of them share a room so we read a bit more of whatever book they've chosen and then they go to sleep.

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