How long does it take to do your toddler bedtime routine?

[Horehound]

We start running DS bath at 6pm, say 10 mins to fill, 20 mins in bath then into his room where he doesn't want nappy on and wants to run around but naked playing. Has cost milk and cosy Weetabix. Into pyjamas, bit more playing then books and bed. Then to sleep takes more time so by the time I come down stairs it's 8pm! 2 hours from bath to bed?! He's almost 21 months.
I don't know how to stop him playing when all his toys and play kitchen are in his room

My routine for my 2 year old is about 30 mins starting at 7pm. Bath (15 mins), get dressed (5 mins), teeth (2 mins), story (10 mins).

If he's running around I just grab him and put his clothes on. There's no milk at his age. After story, I leave but he is free to play with toys in his room if he chooses. The light is off but hall light is on.

About an hour. It depends on how difficult he's being! Usually upstairs at 6.30, bath till 7, milk & stories, teeth and in bed by 7.30.

Gosh, I genuinely never realised people had such long bedtime routines.

Ours is about 30 mins - go upstairs, wee on the toilet, take clothes off, emollient all over + steroid cream if eczema flare-up, inhalers if having asthma flare-up, nappy cream and pull up on, PJs on, teeth brushed, face wiped if necessary, tiny drink of water, one story, in to sleeping bag, into bed, sing two nursery rhymes, off I go.

There's no way we could do a bath as part of the bedtime routine - our bath is MASSIVE and takes at least 20+ mins to fill and DD can easily play in there for an hour so it would be a nightmare to get her out. She has her milk 30-60 mins prior to the start of bedtime to try and avoid her leaking from the pull up.

Oh my DC is about to turn 3, I should have said.

So tonight he was quite grumpy, deffo teething and was obviously in pain. Started bath about 6.20 he didn't stay in for long, the nappy and into jammies and I gave him his milk but didn't want that just wanted mummy milk. He started to play with his kitchen but I just kept reading his book and then DH managed to get him interested in it so he sat beside me and listened. Then he was just coorying in, put him in cot he was trying to cling on to me so became upset in the cot. Had to give calpol and he was asleep within ten mins. So bedtime took 1 hour tonight huzah!

@MeadowHay

Gosh, I genuinely never realised people had such long bedtime routines.

Ours is about 30 mins - go upstairs, wee on the toilet, take clothes off, emollient all over + steroid cream if eczema flare-up, inhalers if having asthma flare-up, nappy cream and pull up on, PJs on, teeth brushed, face wiped if necessary, tiny drink of water, one story, in to sleeping bag, into bed, sing two nursery rhymes, off I go.

There's no way we could do a bath as part of the bedtime routine - our bath is MASSIVE and takes at least 20+ mins to fill and DD can easily play in there for an hour so it would be a nightmare to get her out. She has her milk 30-60 mins prior to the start of bedtime to try and avoid her leaking from the pull up.

But how did you get to the point of leaving without tears? My boy screams if I leave. I have to stay. He likes to hold my hand!!

Ah we probably just got lucky to be honest, I doubt it was anything we did. We did a slow gradual retreat type thing between 9 and 12 months by which time we had gotten to put her down awake and she'd go off to sleep herself once we'd left and she's done it ever since. No words of wisdom from me - Im pregnant again and expecting us not to have such an easy time of it with the second!