Putting them down (to bed at night)

[andrea298]

Hi there, I'm in need of some advice please!

My husband is changing jobs soon and will be working longer hours so we will need to change how I put the boys (8 months and 2 1/2 years) to bed at night.

Our normal routine is 6:45 bath for them both then I take the baby into his room to b'feed him and put him down and my husband takes the eldest and reads him a story and gets him in bed. Sometimes the eldest sleeps straight away and sometimes he's shouting from his room and dh has to go in a couple of times before he sleeps. The youngest doesn't sleep through the night yet (used to then got ill in November and just hasn't been the same since and that's a completely different problem).

As my husband will be working longer hours, it means I'll have to start putting both boys to be myself. There won't be a normal time for dh to come home, some days it could be 4pm some days 8:30pm and we'll never know, so it's not like I can wait till he's home.

Anyone got any ideas for how I can get both boys in bed and sleeping without either a war breaking out or one of them still being awake by the time ah comes back? I'm sure it's been done before so looking for any ideas/ tips please!!! Thanks xx

Nanny (of 15yrs and counting) here so v used to having to do 2 by myself! The way I would run it is thus..
.Do bath at 6.30pm
Older DS in bed 6.55pm and read him a story with baby on your lap.
(agree if he lies down quietly with a book/simple toy while you bf baby) you will return and have special storyrytime just the 2 of you).
Bfeed baby put in his room.
7.25pm return to older DS story/cuddles
7.30pm - both asleep (in theory!)
All depends on the children, their temperament/mood/reasonable-ness!
But that would be my starting point .

What do you find the biggest challenge when caring for the two alone?

Thanks for replying selly24! It takes a bit longer to feed the youngest and he doesn't like being put down straight away yet. (Again another issue probably for another post!) it's 19:51 and he's just finished feeding after we started st 19:10. Should be in his cot for 20:00 if I'm lucky!

The biggest issue I have when looking after them at the min is the eldests tantrums. he can be really good then suddenly turn! He went down fine tonight but last night was completely different. I think it's just the putting them both down thing really. Maybe I should put the eldest down first like you say, then try with the baby. Just worried incase eldest doesn't sleep straight away then he's crying while I'm in another room b'feeding. I don't want him crying on his own. I'm trying to wean baby off the boob as he's quite attached to me and it's tough to do anything without him plus I should have been back at work in jan and I've had to put it off till at least July now.

If only baby would go down well and sleep through the night, I'd put them both in the same room, make things a lot easier!