Routines with more than 1 kid - how strict are you?

[LuckySalem]

Hi All,

Ok so I'm interested in whether you have a routine, what your routine is, at what age you started a routine and how strict are you to that routine?

Sorry for so many questions but i'm starting to introduce a routine to DD1 who is now 2 and 1/2 and I'm sure I should have done it earlier and I'm wondering whether I should start with DD2 who is now around 16 weeks old.
Also whether I should be putting DD2 to bed before DD1 or whether they should go to bed at the same time?
Also how strict? Ie: if your going out with the kids do you ensure your home in time to do the routine or not?

Sorry again and thanks to anyone who answers.

i have a flexible routine. with ds1 i was quite strict (probably unnecessarily really but helped @ the time?) like setting the exact nap times, with ds2 i dont bother with that if he looks tired then i let him sleep, looks hungry then feed etc. do have a bedtime/bath routine for both of them though because i find that makes things easier, i like them in bed early and its good for them to know what to expect every day by doing it the same? if im out and get back late then i will shorten the routine, although normally prefer to be back by bedtime. they go to bed @ the same time, ie starting routine together but then i put the younger one in bed 1st and ds1 is allowed a bit more time although he tends to be keen just go straight to bed once ds2 has gone to bed
i would say flexible routines are best, if you go ott strict and routine obsessive you just make it harder on yourself and may deprive yourselves of a bit of carefree last minute kind of things, but having no routine @ all could get a bit chaos and does benefit them to know what to expect, i think they find it reassuring (well mine seem to)
but no need necessarily to say "we'll start the routine now @ so & so age" just let them fall into it, see what habits they have got and just stick 2 it roughly basing around what they already do?

sorry, only just come back to this.

no, i have no problem in general with getting them to bed. when we're ready to pack them off up to bed we just usually say "everyone upstairs, let's go and choose stories" and up we all go, get pyjamas on, have lots of stories, do teeth and tucked up in bed

In brief...

what age you started a routine:

About 17 months with DS, and birth with DD. Should have done it far sooner with DS!

and how strict are you to that routine?

I was very, very strict once I did it. Less so now they're 6 and 8, but they still have set bedtime and routine to go with it. Nap time was always the same for DD; DS used to have to go up to play in his room for an hour once he stopped daytime naps (which he did the week DD was born).

DD (younger) still goes to bed half an hour before DS. I think he needs some one-to-one time with me to mark out the fact that he's older (otherwise I'm tempted to treat them as twins).

Also how strict? Ie: if your going out with the kids do you ensure your home in time to do the routine or not?
I did when they were younger. I tried not to go out if it meant losing our routine. I worry about it much less now. DS only sleeps for about 8 hours anyway, and the occasional late night doesn't harm DD.

I was very strict about the routine when they were little, partly because I needed a guaranteed long hour period when I knew I wasn't going to see them at all unless they were ill. I felt that being with them for 13 waking hours per day was more than enough for them and me! I felt that much more once I had two. With DS, I was so besotted that I was quite happy to stand and stare at him at midnight.

Routine when they were little was bath, bottle, story, teeth, bed with all lights out. Now DS has very long school days, music practice etc, so it's now shower, teeth, reading on his own in bed (he won't let me read to him any more). DD's routine is the same as when she was a baby, minus the bottle!

Sorry again and thanks to anyone who answers.

Sorry, that wasn't brief at all!

This is really helpful.

I'm not quite happy with the routine we have, flexible enough to allow us to do things but strict enough that I dont have her up till midnight each night! lol

I had the GF routine down to a tee with DS (my first). He thrived on it and struggled without it.

DD is 7 months and like all seconds, alot more go with the flow.

I think sticking to the basics helps if you want them in bed at night.

Fed around 7-8am, fairly routine meals/feeds throughout the day so that they have their last meal/feed whe you do and get them to bed.

I always read DS a story too. It's the signal for him to wynd down.

I put DS to bed first as he is hyper and knackered where as a baby can be popped in a bouncy chair with a toy to chew and wait a bit.