Bath and Bedtime with 2 y/o and 12 week old - any tips?

[Elderberry]

Help - I am struggling a bit with bedtime since the arrival of ds2...... I started out bathing them together, reading bedtime story while I fed the baby but it quickly became apparent ds2 is not happy with that arrangement - he plays up and is basically much better if I can do ds2 first, put him to bed and then have bath and bed for ds1. The only thing is occupying ds1 age 2 while I put the baby to bed. He won't play independently and keeps whining for Mummy - of course we are all tired at that time of day so it's getting to be a bit of a trial! Any one else got any tips for how to manage this? or how I can keep ds1 happy while I put the other one to bed?

will he watch a video whilst you put little one to bed?

Trying to think what we do ... ds1 (2y9m) has his tea sitting at his little table whilst I feed ds2 (7m). Ds2 usually finishes first and is happy to play whilst I help ds1. Then both upstairs for pjs (+/- bath and if so do together). Back down to watch storymakers on cbeebies (best thing we have ever done) and he gets supper i.e. small glass of milk and little biscuit/mini muffin whilst I b/f ds2. Both upstairs after the goodnight song - ds2 straight into his cot and ds1 to bathroom for teeth brushing etc and then to bed for stories. It all seems so smooth and simple written down like that!! Is your ds1 into doing things himself yet? Mine likes to try to undress and put pjs on himself etc and sometimes works as a challenge. The actual putting to bed of ds2 takes about 3 seconds to get him in his cot and sleeping bag on - it's the bit before that's the draining bit.

Invest in Freeview. It's the best £100 we've spent Means that ds(4) can watch CBeebies whilst we give dd(10m) her bottle in her room between 6.30-7pm. Then ds knows it's time for his own bedtime. As suggested if you can't get Freeview then possibly a video?

second the video idea - thats what I did whn I had the same age gap

I used to put the baby to bed (not much choice as breastfeeding) , and dh would put the 2 yr old to bed.
Can't remember how it worked if dh was away - have obviously blotted it out....

I used to put the baby to bed (not much choice as breastfeeding) , and dh would put the 2 yr old to bed.
Can't remember how it worked if dh was away - have obviously blotted it out....

I used to put the baby to bed (not much choice as breastfeeding) , and dh would put the 2 yr old to bed.
Can't remember how it worked if dh was away - have obviously blotted it out....

oops, sorry - pc was very slow

Eldeberry - mine are now 4 and 6, so struggling to remember details that far back. But a friend advised me to try and do as much as possible for them at the same time, and that's what I did. So they certainly had tea together, bath together, story together. If someone was around, then ds1 would get a special story on his own, but if not, he didn't, and we'd have special time at another point in the day when the baby was asleep.

I have 3 darlings, now 4, 3 and 16mths and my life was made so much easier by being a routine feeder from the start which worked brilliantly. With #2 (#1 was 21 mths) I fed at 6pm, so brought bathtime for #1 back to 5.30, then snuggled him up in bed with books or toys or whatever he wanted, on the basis that he would have his story once the baby was down - about half an hour. I bathed the baby in the morning which was a time when #1 was happy and joined in (handing the towel etc). When the baby was a bit bigger, I bathed them together at 5.30, then did the feed as above. Worked as well as anything works with a toddler...!