help with bedtime routine for 3

[tortoisefairy]

i love being a mum of 3 (ds1 -4 ds2 -2 ds3 - 10 weeks)
But I am a single mum Monday-friday as dh at work. Please can one of you lovely large family mums give me some advice on how to make it more enjoyable at bedtime?
I struggle with ds2 as I have to sing him to sleep...he doesn't sleep during the day...this has only been the last 4 months since he learnt to climb out his cot and is now in bed....I know it is a rod for my own back but when you're heavily pregnant and tired and on your own....

Sometimes he will go off in 5 minutes other times it takes hours! I end up letting him scream whilst i try to put baby to bed....who is often screaming...whilst I try to put ds1 to bed....who ends up with a rushed story whilst I am feeding...so as you can see I need some good advice.
Thanking you in advance

I also have 3 - 4, 3 and 3 months, and DH is often not in until after bedtime!

We have a similar routine to Deborah - Baby has bottle at 6pm, then goes to bed about 6:45. Then other 2 go up to bed at 7pm - story in each bedroom, let both the older 2 pick 1 story each, then listen to each others story, then bed!

When the older ones first went into a bed, I used to threaten them with going in the travel cot, or having the travel gate on their rooms if they got out of bed - they seemed to get the message quite quickly that once they had been put to bed they stayed there! I have to admit though it is hard work doing the bedtime routine on your own with 3!

Mine are now 5, 3 & 1. When at your stage I did as follows:

Tea for 4 yr old and 2 yr old at 5.15ish and bf DS sitting at the table while the other two ate. Up to bath 5.45 ish. Bouncy chair in the bathroom - put DS into bouncy chair and help the other two into the bath, then undress DS and into a bath support in the bath, quick wash over DS then get him out and dressed and back into bouncy chair while the other two continued playing in the bath. Then get other two out and into night clothes. Get beakers of milk for 4 yr old and 2 yr old then all onto my double bed with a load of books. I sat up on the bed propped against pillows and bf DS with other two sitting either side of me and read stories while they drank their milk and DS fed (took a little practice to master feeding and reading stories all at same time). That time all snuggled into my bed feeding and reading stories became a very happy time for us all - an oasis of calm amidst the bedtime chaos.

When DS had finished feeding I would put him into his moses basket and take the girls through to their room, spend 5 or 10 mins saying good night to them, sing a couple of lullabies etc. DS would often be crying in his moses basket but (this may sound awful) as I knew he was fed and changed and warm I would basically shut the door on him and try and concentrate on saying goodnight to the girls. I would then return to DS and maybe feed him some more then settle him.

I don't know what to say about the singing to sleep - I think maybe it has to stop. Can you give yourself a cut off of say 3 songs and that's it - leave..... (I know, likely to be crying, but after a couple of nights he'd probably get the message???). Maybe you could say that once the baby is in bed you will return and sing some more but only if he is quiet now?

I was there once.

Baby down at 6pm

Others together or youngest first.

If the baby wont go down, use the sling.

1 story and 1 song.

Good luck.

thank you everyone for your help. Last few days gone really well. Have put ds2 to bed first with 3 songs...(repeated a few times!) whilst holding just fed baby left ds3 with tv as special treat. Then once ds2 asleep put baby to sleep. than have nice bedtime with ds1.

Has made the world of difference doing them in stages rather than all at the same time.

Thanks everyone