Bedtime issues.

[MummyIsMagic79]

I really need help.

Background.... Have DS 10, DD7 and DS 3. DS's share a room - bunks, 10yr on top and 3yr on bottom. DD has own room. DS 10 has a tv with Xbox, no arial, and goes up to bed between 8-8.30, watches tv for half an hour and then I t goes off (timer). DD the same in her room, but from 7.30. Prob is DS 3. He goes up to bed around 7-7.30 (sometimes 8) and has the iPad (Netflix kids). I know this isn't great but when we moved the boys in together it helped with transition from cot to bunk, kept the peace, no arguing etc.
Only now, DS 3 will NOT go to bed without the iPad, is NEVER tired, doesn't seem to 'wind down' at bedtime, even though has a routine of bath, milk, teeth, cuddle. He is just still bouncing about. Then he gets into bed with the iPad and watches Paw Patrol or Bubble Guppies. The when we take irbid he goes spare! It's a good hour of rapid return after we remove the iPad. Me sitting in the dark in the landing. Poor DS 10 gets kept awake and hates it.
I'm thinking my only option is just to go cold turkey on the iPad, while we all have a bit of time off work and school (this week).
Any tips anyone?

Yes....the only option is to simply remove ipad as a bedtime option for DS aged 3. Warn him in advance...allow him to watch it after tea or at about 4.00 and say "Ipad has to go away now....at bedtime you can have a story but no ipad"

Of course he will kick off...but don't budge...it might take a week or more but he will adjust.

Also, put DS aged 3 to bed at 7.30 after his routine but allow DS aged 10 to have his xbox time in another room in the house rather than the bedroom. X boxes etc are best off out of bedrooms because of issues like this. Is there somewhere else you could set it up?

Could DS aged ten bunk in with DD for a week or so until you have establised DS's new routine?

I honestly think that with him sharing with a toddler, you're going to need to keep the xbox out of their bedroom...if you don't get a handle on this now, you're going to end up with a 4 or 5 year old who'se playing x box at 9.00pm and later before you know it.x

Is this just a temporary set? I think that the seven year age gap is likely to cause issues around bedtime for a while as surely your older son will have a much later bedtime for many years. Assuming that it's how things are going to be for a while I think that you need to make some changes to your set up.

Personally I'd not have consoles or TVs in bedrooms, and I'd really advocate against screen time just before sleeping as the blue light is too stimulating. So I'd try moving all devices out of bedrooms, and at least for your toddler moving to story time and then sleeping, perhaps with music or a familiar audio story. We used to watch half an hour of bedtime TV after bath with my two and then a story in bed and sleep. We were lucky though because that they are only 16mths apart and have pretty much always had the same bedtime.

The different bedtimes will be difficult though as unless your toddler is a sound sleeper he is going to be disturbed every night when your older son goes to bed. Was there a particular reason why you moved your DD into her own room and your sons together? I think I would have had the older two together and the baby on his own.

I wouldn't. OPs son is approaching puberty and will need his own space. I think that the youngest two should be together actually....it's less than ideal but the oldest boy will need privacy soon.

A 7 year old girl and 3 year old boy would be fine for a while. Then when the youngest boy is 9 or so, he will have to move in with his older brother.