At what age did your dc get themselves ready for bed?

[Leafmould]

My dd6 requires creaming due to eczema at bedtime, so I am still very involved in her bedtime routine.

I remind her to do things like brush her teeth etc. I am wondering at what age most dc start getting themselves ready for bed.

I hope to use this information to encourage her to be more independent in getting herself ready for bed.
Thanks in advance.

Children should still have their teeth brushed for them until 7! (at least some of the time)
DD1 gets her PJ's on, puts her bag ready for next day, brushes her teeth and then I check them. Still likes a story and a chat about the day.

My older boys it was around 7 or 8 that they were relatively independent albeit with reminders. DS3 is coming up to six and still wants one of us with him - he goes to the loo, washes his hands and cleans his teeth while I or DH get his PJs out and DH sits on his bed and waits I pick up and put away a few bits in his room. The he reads to us and we read to him for a while.

Ds1 (9.5) and ds2 (6.5) pretty much get themselves ready for bed most nights, and only want stories sometimes; mostly they'll read to themselves.

However, ds1 wouldn't have wanted to get himself ready for bed at 6.5, probably more like 8/8.5.

Ok, I am seeing older dc than I thought. Maybe I will let up a little on her.
I had forgotten about brushing their teeth occasionally must do this!

I was expecting people to say their dc were getting themselves ready at 5 or 6, and just needing a story and a cuddle.

Anybody else?

DH or me still read to or listen to ds read , have a cuddle and he's 10

Reading and cuddling don't count!

It's the tooth rushing, hand washing toilet pyjamas, put shoes and clothes away stuff I wish she would do by herself!

ds does everything else himself though. uses an electric toothbrush as recommended by dentist. We thought he was brushing adequately when he was younger ie. 7/8 and he ended up needing a filling . Much easier with electric brush.

Yes I like the electric toothbrush too. Trouble is they can't take the heads off themselves [well they snapped the spindle and I had to get a new one]

Any body got any good tips for helping them concentrate on getting ready?

I might borrow the laminator at work and do some tick lists for them.

From 4 mine have got themselves ready , but they bring their toothbrush to me or OH to do the first brush before spit every evening. They are 5,5,5 and 6 now. The 2 year old obviously still has help.

Mine are 5 and 6 and get themselves ready.

They get their pjs on, put their school clothes on the chair for the next day and dirty clothes in the wash, brush their teeth (I don't brush them I didn't realise I was supposed to, I stopped about 4) and then read to each other in bed for half hour. My dd also puts her own eczema cream on.

Aha, this is more like what I thought! About 5.

Brandy, is it all over her entire body eczema cream?

I will be having a chat with them tonight!

Its her arms legs and stomach sometimes face. If its the hyrdo cream on a flare up then I do it but her double based gel she can do just fine. She's 7 and started this herself about 5.

Wow, so lots of cream. The eczema nurse has been encouraging her to do it herself since she was 4, but she really struggles. She doesn't like having her cream on anyway, so her enthusiasm is. . . . .

I will have a chat with her about it tonight.

My dd moans but I am deaf to it my dc do call me bossy a lot

Yeah, I'm pretty bossy too! But not as successful as I might be!

I still like either me or dh to be upstairs pottering about (and making sure ds washes himself properly in the shower) every night when the dc are getting ready for bed. They are 11 and 9 and I am acutely aware that the days where they are happy for me to be around while they are abluting are numbered.

Minty. . . Aw. It's nice if you enjoy it.

Brandy, my dd said thank you for telling us about your dd, it helped her think she could cream herself, so she did!

My 4yr old disappeared the other night whilst i was busy watching Strictly. She put on her 'sleepy pants' and cleaned her teeth and put herself to bed.

Waw I'm surprised how old some of them are!
I tend to be strict of DC being independent. From an early age they got handed their pjs and told to put them on else got to bed cold. They always put them on. Likewise with putting their shoes on in the morning, and I've yet to take a bare footed child to school.
I find the no nonsense approach works for us.

To answer your question DD is 3 and dresses and undresses herself, I help her with tricky buttons etc. If she's playing up and pretending she can't do it, I step over her and make myself a cuppa.

OP thats ok

I am a step over and make a cuppa to type mum am now using the "being strict on independance" line instead of admitting it's because I'm lazy

Mine are 4 and 6. They still have bath with a parent most nights, but then put on their pjs themselves. We brush their teeth/they do a bit themselves then put them to bed. If it's just DS going to bed later which it is sometimes I am a bit more hand off and let him get on with it, but still do the stories.

Haha brandy I was beginning to think I was alone and a harsh mum!
Least I said a cuppa and not a large

5ish with a bit of help with teeth brushing.
ds is 8 now and does everything himself. We read the bedtime story on the sofa before he gets ready, it just fits into the evening better that way. Then ds showers, and gets ready for bed and I just have to tuck him in.