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Bedtime routine help - toddler plus 3m old

4 replies

Catsonskis · 04/01/2023 09:32

Hi all, looking for advice/examples of how you manage bedtime routines with 2.

DH works away a night or 2 a week, otherwise us incredibly hands on.
DC1 is 2.5 - in toddler bed now, not potty trained (despite best efforts) but gets out of bed sometimes “for a wee” (aka bed time delay tactics.
DC2 is 3m and a really good sleeper at the moment. In a next to me cot in our room. Aware guidance is for them to sleep in same room for all sleeps at 6m but will be using a monitor and owlet plus frequent check ups.

current routine is bath alternate nights for DC1, followed by books on the sofa in their room and nursery rhymes in her bed by either DH or I then we leave the room. Bedtime normally done by 7:30, they usually (though not always) then sleeps til 6:30.

whoever is not with DC1 (more often this is me) feeds (ebf) or cuddles DC2 to sleep downstairs around same time. Wake her up at 10ish, change nappy and sleep suit downstairs (she’s very chatty and loud) then I take her up to bed, throw sleep bag on, get into bed ASAP and feed her. She’s about 50/50 whether she feeds to sleep or just a feed then put her down drowsy and she settles herself.

aim is to do proper routine upstairs for both. But what’s the best way? One child each? Stories together? Can’t bath together yet. Should I even bother changing our routine for DC2 yet until out of 4m sleep regression when that hits?

I need a plan for when DH is away too as can’t leave dc2 downstairs whilst I do dv1 bedtime solo. Up til now family or friends have come over in the evening when DH away.

im probably massively over thinking this. I just don’t want to mess up our working sleep situations, or have the dc wake one another up!

help/advice/examples/head wobbles all welcome!

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Youcancallmeirrelevant · 04/01/2023 09:41

Why can't you bath them together? Thats what i do, and then DS (3 months old) either stays with me while i read DD stories and finish putting her to bed, then i do DS's bedtime.

itsabigtree · 04/01/2023 09:43

I have similar age gap. On regular nights husband puts toddler to bed and i feed 4 month old to sleep at the same time. When husband is working, I put toddler to bed with baby in my lap. This can be challenging depending on if they baby is in a settled mood or not, but it is doable! I then put baby to bed too. It all just takes a bit longer.

Twizbe · 04/01/2023 09:46

I had a similar age gap. 1 boy and 1 girl)

Bath together since daughter was born. After 6 months I had a sort of cage seat for her so I could wash DS' hair easier. Before that, I'd get her out first, toasty snuggled on her changing mat in a towel and then sort out DS.

Into pjs and story together.

DS into his room to play etc while I fed baby to sleep. This was after her witching hours ended at 4 months and she'd go to sleep at 7.

Before that if I was on my own, I'd just feed baby while tucking eldest into bed. We had a stair gate over his door. He wasn't potty trained at all then. He'd play up a bit but he couldn't get out of his room.

Not going to lie there were nights I was on my own with them and both crying at me and it was hard.

Mostly it was ok. If DH was there he'd take over eldest while I fed baby.

They are almost 6 and 4 now and they still bath together, have story together and got to bed at similar times.

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Catsonskis · 04/01/2023 09:57

I thought I was over complicating lol, evidently I am.

bathing together wise, baby is in one of those snuggle mini bath things, I suppose I could bath them at the same time, get little one dry and dressed whilst big one plays then do big ones hair and dry her whilst little one has a kick about.
think we’ll give it a go.

not sure when to start putting baby down upstairs as she doesn’t always sleep through from 7:30 - and worried if she wakes and cries she’ll disturb the eldest before I can get to her. Again, I guess I could just try and see.

i think my eldest (who thinks baby is the best thing since sliced bread) will get too excited at bed time if she’s there too. But can only try!

thanks all!

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