Bedtime routine ideas please?

[Itsalittlebitfunnythis]

Hi,

Please could I have some ideas for adapting my 10mo's bedtime routine as he gets older? We are just about to move him into his own room. (Up to now wfh meant we needed his room as an office).

Alongside the move, I'm keen to slowly adapt his bedtime routine towards where it needs to be for an older baby / toddler. He is formula fed and currently feeds in the darkened room as the last part of the routine, which makes him sleepy. I know I've got us into a bit of a sleep association with this. Eventually it would be great for him to be able to gave his milk separately and then have a bedtime story before settling himself to sleep!

How can I slowly make tweaks towards this goal? And any tips about moving into his own room? I should add that he is really heavy! I'm struggling to wrap the towel around him whilst holding him after the bath! Do people do this on the floor once their toddlers get heavy?

Finally, our current routine is:
Dinner
Wind down play
Bedtime stories
Bath
Into pyjamas in darkened room
(White noise machine)
Bottle
Bed

We had
Family dinner
Shower or bath at weekends
last cup of milk (bottle refuser so when I stopped bf we moved straight to cups)
bed with bedtime story, cuddles and lullaby
light out

I think stories are part of being in bed, waiting for sleep. If I have read to DD before the rest she wouldn't have settled, she had stories so often during the day, being in bed for one was for her the end of the day and part of getting to sleep.

Sorry, forgot about the towel:

Yes, We put DD just on the mat before the bathtub and wrapped the towel around her to dry her off as soon as she could stand fairly reliable, she hold onto the bath to steady if necessary. Just keep the bathroom nice and warm and it wasn't a problem.

Self settling at bed time in their own room, would you be happy to sleep train? (Not cry it out). We did leave alone for 2 mins return and hush/ rub back, leave alone for 5 mins etc then 7mins then 10mins- then every 10mins until sleep.
So the last thing is teeth and then bed, can still do darkened room and white noise machine- my daughter had a mobile at night- consistent routine is key

I started at 10 months:

Dinner
Bath
Playtime downstairs
Milk downstairs
Play for 15 mins
Up to bed and say night night
Teeth
Stories sat on the floor
Turn off the light and into bed
Songs
Quiet and stay or leave depending on preference

Since birth for my girls:
Dinner when weaned
Bath
No nappy time on change mat when bath running
Lay out towel on change mat and lift straight onto it, cream, fresh nappy, pyjamas and sleeping bag
Story in bedroom (only little lamp on)
Song as I carry them to cot
Cuddle and lights out

Works for us!

Sorry, bottle during story to start with but my eldest now has hers before or in the bath, then I brush teeth in the bath so she goes to bed with clean teeth.