Tips for putting two to bed (6 week old and a toddler)

[mumeroo]

How do you do it on your own and keep your sanity. Please help! Baby first then toddler? Everyone frazzled by the end of the day and things seem crazy and shouty (and that's just me

Everybody I have spoken to has done the baby first but that never worked for me. I used to feed the baby on the toddlers bed whilst reading the toddlers baby and then the toddler went to bed. I then had to go and settle the baby. When the baby was asleep I would go in and switch off the toddlers light.

How old's the toddler?
DS1 is 2 (just) and DS2 is 12 weeks. I cuddle both (while feeding DS2) on our bed while watching Hollyoaks (I usually find this 'wind down' time is great and usually necessary, usually DS2 is 1/2 asleep by then so I just put him into his moses basket and he usually drops off, I then read DS1 a story and put him to bed.

My ds1 was older than yours 3 1/4 when ds2 was tiny. He has (and had) special time after bath time when he generally chooses to watch telly. I would use this time to feed ds2. Then I'd take them both upstairs, pop ds2 in his cot and read to ds1. Quite often ds2 would cry (though not so often at that age) which we would ignore. Then ds1 and ds2 would get a kiss goodnight and that was it.

I did (and still do now) bath both together, feed baby while reading toddler story in bed and then take baby away afterwards to settle him while toddler falls asleep in bed.
Had to do it this way as DS2 had colic for 4 months and screamed all evening so needed to get DS1 in bed and then take DS2 away downstairs to do his screaming!
Now that DS2 is a happy little soul, I stick to the same routine as it works well

Shower toddler in the morning, so no bath needed at night.

Nurse both toddler and baby.
Put baby in moses basket downstairs.
Toddler taken upstairs, teeth then bed.
Back to Mumsnet and baby downstairs.

So far putting the toddler to bed at night is the fairly easy, I find it more difficult to juggle making tea and cluster feeding baby in the early evening.

sorry was so slow in getting back on...
DS almost 2 and a half and stands at stair gate yelling (bit of a half hour process getting him to bed at moment). Then of course DS1 cries and both kick off...
I think the tele is going to come into play here... it has to really. I'm thinking perhaps do baths and then put DS1 in front of DVD, put DS2 to bed and then DS1 after that. ??

Toddler then baby. As 2point4kids says, bath together, feed baby (if necessary) whilst reading story, all kiss each other goodnight then whisk baby off either to bed or whatever. I never found settling the baby before the others worked as either I was too stressed or there was too much noise going on.

If there's any yelling involved, then the yeller needs to be put to bed first. The baby will just fit in with whatever TBH.

yep, think you are spot on there that yeller must go down first. of course DS2 is bound to be a yeller too the more tired he gets... will work on this and see what happens. our house is very unsound proof! should be interesting!

had a little smile to myself as i read your post as it brought back memories. My two dd are now 31/2 and 1 and bedtimes are soooo much easier but the early days were a nightmare. Putting toddler to bed 1st just didnt work for me as she just kept coming into babys room while i was feeding so i decided to feed in her room while reading stories. Now though i feed baby in her own room while other dd sits and plays a bit in her bedroom cos she's happy to wait knowing she's going to get sole attention reading her a story etc.

I used to do baby 1st, toddler 2nd, 6yo 3rd.

Baby was really good at going down, which helped, and toddler needed me to sit with him while he fell asleep.

Sometimes the 6yo had fallen asleep by him self by the time I got to him.

If bf - bf whilst geting your toddler ready. He/she wont really notice you have a baby tucked in your arm. If you're co-sleeping then just carry your little one with you until your bedtime.