2 kids under 2 - bedtime routine

[jasmin93]

So ladies,

Walk me through your evening bedtime routine with 2 children under 2.
How do you cope with your toddler & newborn on your own - with no partner to help.

Thank you!

I bathed them together when LO was about a month old, read stories to toddler whilst feeding baby and used to sit outside his room feeding when he wanted me close. Then me and baby would go downstairs and go to bed around 10. It sounds easy, it wasn’t but we survived it.
The hardest bit was usually before bath when toddler wasn’t quite ready for bed but baby was grumpy then when baby was grumpy and cluster feeding whilst we sat outside toddlers room.
I do have a DH so only did this when he was working away, about 2 nights a week.

Thank you for your response.
How did you manage when baby couldn't stop crying and kept your toddler awake?

Was your toddler confident sleeping in his own bed (open) for a long time or still sleeping in cotbed with barriers?

I never really had a routine tbh. The baby always stayed with me and the toddler would go to bed anywhere between 6pm and 8pm depending on how tired they were. I always did bath in the morning as I found the whole huge routine a pain in the arse. My method was just when kid starts to get tired, put it to bed

My toddlers never woke when baby cried. They were not like Mumsnet children for whom people tiptoe about the house and are scared to flush their own toilets for fear of waking them! Mine just slept. Except my youngest who didn't sleep through the night until she was 7. It wasn't because of noise in the house though. She just wasn't isn't much of a sleeper

Was your toddler sleeping in his own room?
Or did your toddler also sleep through babys cry in same room at night?

DC1 had his bedtime priorised over DC2. So I'd bathe them both and eldest had a bottle of warm milk whilst I fed the baby. Then I'd put baby in the cot whilst I did eldest bedtime. If baby cried whilst I was doing stories for eldest it was tough. Baby was safe and eldest had that valuable time with me. To be fair no.2 was an easy baby most of the time so even if there was crying, it didn't last long.

Hello there!
So I use to try and get the newborn settled so then full attention for the LO at bedtime. So then I almost didn't have them both needing me at the exact same time.
That's obviously really difficult if neither of them actually want to abide by what you're trying to do!
My LO was difficult to settle when the baby first came along, however, lots of reassurance.
I think it's a really hard time, I was actually speaking to my husband today saying I don't know how I survived.

Thank you ladies for your responses.
Keep them coming as i am really nervous doing this on my own.

Are there any tips or things that kept you sane?

That you're not alone & you're doing an amazing job even when you think you aren't.
Get as much sleep as you can.
Is the older one in a sleep routine?

@jasmin93

Was your toddler sleeping in his own room? Or did your toddler also sleep through babys cry in same room at night?

Toddler in own room, but we leave all the doors open and they were never woken by baby crying either at night or during the day if they fell asleep on the sofa. Sometimes if we were out and they fell asleep in the pram I would just wheel it into the living room and let them sleep still and they were never disturbed by baby.

Toddler currently asleep between me and dh, baby asleep in the next2me. Toddler won't stay in own room, sleeps through baby crying, and as dh gets up at 3am for work, we are all in bed for 7:30pm (I love it!)

We have no bedtime routine other than teeth, nappy, milk, cuddle, sleep!

Sorry if this is unhelpful I just wanted to share my reality

Oh! One tip, I have a basket on the bedside table next to me with nappies, wipes and nappy sacks for both, lip balm and hand cream for me, nappy rash cream, tv remotes, bottle of pre-made milk for emergency, and bottle of juice for toddler. Also have my phone charger in there - find it handy having everything together 😊

All your messages are very helpful.
Seeing that everyone managed to find their own routine or something that works for them to survive, calms me down.

My son has his toddler bed (open) in our bedroom due to lack of space - going to move out in 2 years... until then we have to make the most of our 1 bed flat. He has his evening and bedtime routine set, goes to bed at 7pm.
He does however come into my bed every night and continues to sleep right through until morning.
I guess i have to wait until baby is here and look for a routine that works for us.

Thanks ladies for calming my nerves xx

I got my toddler into a really good bedtime routine before the baby arrived. Every time she stood up in her bed, I'd lay her back down and did gradual retreat on my hands and knees heavily pregnant. Her cot didn't have a side after 12 months as she could ninja out of it. If she woke she always came into our bed though, and we were fine with that.

Once baby arrived (DD1 was 17months), we always watched in the night garden, got ready for bed (bath first sometimes), then I'd read a book, and sing with baby on one knee and tot on the other (or pop baby in bouncer). Toddler would then go to bed, and baby would stay with me in the living room until both were properly asleep. Baby then went in Moses basket when I went to bed.

Tbh 'baby' used to fall asleep in my arms on the sofa until she was three . And then went straight into a bedtime routine with her sister, no bother at all. I quite liked the cuddles.

I was pretty worried about it all, hence being getting no.1 in a very good routine before hand, but it really was fine. Both had dummies too.