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How do you cope at night with more than one child?

11 replies

grey12 · 23/09/2021 14:40

Hi!

I'm not a single parent. But DH has just accepted a job to work abroad and I can't join him for the first year Sad

So that means me alone dealing with 11mo, 3yo and 5yo.

How do you cope at night with a baby and another child that wakes up?

3yo sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night..... can't really let her stay in my bed because she'll just sing, move about, make noises for ONE HOUR!!! Every. Single. Time. So it's a no on coming to our bed. 5yo was an angel but now she's a good sleeper and not a problem.

Any tips? Smile thank you

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BananaPB · 23/09/2021 18:13

You just wing it and hope that they wake up at different times or on different nights.

PumpkinsAndCats · 23/09/2021 18:16

No idea but I struggle with this too, I have 4 children and 3 bed house so two to each room, I don’t know how people do it as I find it hard to get mine to sleep as they keep each other up, people say to put one to bed earlier but mine won’t settle on their own either then when the other goes in they will inevitably wake up 😣

grey12 · 23/09/2021 18:20

They go to bed ok. But the baby wakes up if the middle child wakes up Confused DH helps out so that the baby doesn't start crying. But if he's not around then I'm sure there'll be screaming!! I think I need to reduce the night feedings. That would help

OP posts:
PumpkinsAndCats · 23/09/2021 18:39

I co slept with mine, can you have the baby in your room?

grey12 · 23/09/2021 21:43

The baby is in my room and wakes up when middle child comes in and starts crying when we cart her back to bed......

OP posts:
Jigsawprison · 23/09/2021 21:59

Strict bedtime routine, encouraged self settling, discouraged feeding to sleep /night feeds once they were 9 months. No sleeping in mummy's bed unless ill. No getting out of bed once put in unless need toilet /are ill. I went to bed very early too.
I was a single parent with newborn twins and 4 year old. It's about consistency, child understanding boundaries.

Abzs · 23/09/2021 22:20

Strict consistency as said above. I'm not a single parent but dh works away, so I do periods on my own.
Groclocks work for us. Blue light is sleep time, even it's only ten minutes before the light changes to yellow for getting up they go back to bed until it does. Out of bed for toilet only.

SkankingMopoke · 23/09/2021 22:26

At 11mo I would be stopping the night feeds altogether TBH, rather than just cutting back. They don't need them at that age. Knocking them on the head made a positive difference to both my DCs' sleep. How many feeds are you doing each night?

grey12 · 25/09/2021 09:59

@SkankingMopoke

At 11mo I would be stopping the night feeds altogether TBH, rather than just cutting back. They don't need them at that age. Knocking them on the head made a positive difference to both my DCs' sleep. How many feeds are you doing each night?
You're right Blush it's more of a coping mechanism for me. The only rest I ever get is whatever I can gather at night.

I need to be strong to actually get up and rock her to sleep and deal with the complaining, I know.... I've done it before, I know the drill, and I know it works well Smile

Our current living situation is not ideal.... that's why DH is taking the job away and we can afford to have our own space again

OP posts:
coodawoodashooda · 25/09/2021 10:00

I sometimes just got up, kept them all up and after an hour and a half put them back to bed like it was a normal bed time.

CottonSock · 25/09/2021 10:03

I've got two not 3. I find the very worst nights was when one was ill and the other woke, especially if vomit involved. But it's so infrequent you just deal with it best you can. My kids always pick my husbands night shift weeks to be unwell! Try and set up some emergency back up in case you have to take one or yourself to hospital. This happened to me last month. At last resort you have to drag all along, but that's not fun.
The day to day stuff you will probably settle into a routine.
And yes, time to try and night wean maybe.

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