to wish my DC would just take themselves off to bed occasionally.

[scrambledlegs]

They are 6 & 3.

I'm exhausted from the tennis watching, really want to open some wine.

Now have to do bath, stories, songs etc etc etc.

When do they start sorting themselves out (at least on a Friday!)

Depends how slack you are! At that age I sometimes did bath as soon as we got in from school then mooched about in PJs (me included!) then they went to bed with a story CD.

Ooh odd boots. Loving your work.

My DC are quite difficult to wind down - get very hyper in evenings but sometimes I do think we make hard work of bedtime.

Yanbu to want them to do it, but at 6 and 3 I think you're asking a leetle too much.

I'd say they can get straight into their pyjamas and they can have a bath tomorrow morning.

scrambled are we the same person?

mine are the same age, share a room and im trying to work (inc calls with customers) 5pm (dinner time) til 8pm (bedtime).

I swear its drugs only that keep me sane.

It only gets worse, mine are teenagers, they're still hanging about late evening, now they pinch the wine!

Celia, I do realise that.

And I do love reading stories etc.

Just tonight would be nice

DH already in the pub and I haven't the energy.

DD is coming up to 3, and I've been wondering about this. DP is home at bathtime for the first time this week - I can hear mixed screeching coming from upstairs while I waste time on MN do important things. Bliss.

OddBoots you are the new SuperNanny in town!!

Sorry to tell you scrambledlegs you have a few years of this left!! BUT you do not have to bath them every night!! They will not die for want of a bath! I hope they are snuggled up in bed now and you are relaxing! It is Friday after all!

I feel your pain. My left tit has been in dd2s mouth for 45 feckin minutes. DH is happily lounging in the bath. Dd1 will not go down without a fight either.

Sick of it!

Skip the bath, have a glass of wine with the stories. Congratulate yourself on multi-tasking.

Leave them to it. Let the 6yo play at babysitting the 3yo. Job done.

My son never has a bath before bed time as I hate it being dragged out. He actually showers himself now (he's six) sometimes in the morning at weekends or when we get home after school. He goes up to bed and gets himself dressed and brushes his teeth and gets into bed unsupervised then I come up to kiss him goodnight ten mins later (during the break in corrie :-D). All very fuss free.

Rite stop with the bloody songs!!!!

One story, hug, kiss, nite nite!!!

Sorry of short, just watched outnumbered and soooo want to slap the parents!!

I love Outnumbered. What channel did you catch it on?

Yes, stop the songs. Start bedtime half an hour earlier than usual and make it a bit brisker. Be strict - only 1 story.

Good luck.

Somebody told me that a bath every night is bad for the skin. So that's bath time sorted every other night Mine are playing more and more together lately (I don't know what's hit me - I sometimes get 5 minutes to myself these days).
LOVE the idea of bath at 4 and lounging around til bedtime... I must try that next school night.
Oddly enough I had the most horrific sick bug this week and my two pretty much had to put themselves to bed on the worst night of it (they are 2 and 6). And they slept all night - which they don't always do. Not that I'm advocating bedtimes with no stories and no cuddles, but it shocked me that they could do it!

Love outnumbered too but still want to slap parents!! It's in gold, us and 4 Dcs aged from 22 to 10 out loud laughing...

I don't do baths on Friday night.

I will get em up early on Friday morning and bath them then to get out of doing it.

Friday afternoons in this house consist of taking them to sainsburys cafe for tea, buying wine then chucking them into bed at 6.

Cheers!

Excuse me, I have to give DD2 (12) a kiss and say hi to DD1 (14) she may be in bed, but not necessarily asleep.

She reads till 12+ for nights and nights then crashes out another 9.30 to catch up.
I long ago learnt to leave her to it.