How long does your bedtime routine take?

[nomorechoc]

i have 2 DC - one a baby, one a toddler and it takes from about 6 til 8 pm every night - i am surely doing something wrong here?

Takes us about an hour for ds who is nearly 3.
It used to take 20 mins, but he is getting harder to get to bed: @One more story, please? Mummy, I've fnegotten something, etc, etc...

It depends what you count as bedtime. We have dinner at 5.30pm. Just after 6pm the older 2 dc's (6&3) go up for a bath and I sort the baby out. After bath they go down and watch the rest of the bedtime hour while I put the baby to bed. Then bed for the 3 year old at 7 and bed for 6 year old at 7.30pm. All 3 asleep by 8pm (usually!!!!)

What do you think you are doing wrong? I have a baby and toddler too, takes between 30 and 45 mins but thats usually with me and DH doing one each at the same time! Bit like a military exercise, but works for us!

i've got a baby and toddler.
we have dinner at 5pm ish
they play while i tidy up/run bath
bath at 6pm ish
then stories and milk and both in bed by 7pm

about 15 minutes.
4yr old and 18m old

About 20 mins for the actual "bedtime" bit in the week when it's just ds and dd (almost 6 and 1). DS gets his own PJ's on, while I do DD's, then they both have teeth brushed and a bedtime story each. If dp is home in time, he will read one and I'll read the other or sometimes we read them altogether. Then it's hugs and kisses and into bed.

At the week end when I have my step children here as well (6 & 10) it takes slightly longer as they all still have a story each, so around 30-40 mins then.

SG

we have 6.30pm bath, they are out of the bath and in PJ's by 7pm and we have milk and story and are in bed and 9/10 nights they are asleep by 7.30pm. This doesnt change if it is me on my own or with DH.

PS they are 5 and 3

Ages, but we do a lot of faffing. Only have DS though!

6pm dinner
then a story quietly in the living room followed by a kick about and some playtime for DS with DH while I slump down with a cup of tea.
7ish upstairs for bath
7:45 - final BF before bed, then hugs and kisses and into bed.
Asleep by 8pm - hopefully!

It has gradually extended as dd's wheedling powers have grown.
In theory it's into bath at 6.30 and into bed at 7, but it's usually nearly 7.30 by the time I'm closing the bedroom door behind me

Whole routine for both kids takes from 6-7pm.

Wash DD (6 mths) and get her into PJs and feed her within about 20 mins 6-6.20pm-ish, while DS (4) watches cartoons. Then put her down (lucky as she drifts off as soon as she's down in cot). DS has his shower/bath in the morning, so at night he's easy to get ready. We go upstairs at about 6.45pm and we spend about 5 mins doing PJs/teeth and then 15 min-ish reading stories in bed.

I have a baby and todddler. They have tea at 5:30 and if bath night then they'll be in bed by about 7:45. In bed by 7 if not bath night. I do have to slather them in cream after their baths though as the hard water gives them excema, so thats an extra faff. They have 2 stories too.

I hate doing it, generally it means from 5pm to 8pm i don't stop. Then I have to do my dinner.

my boys are 8 & 10 and it takes us - ooooh from 7pm ish to anything up to 10pm and beyond!

First there's warning them that it's nearly bathtime, then having bathtime, then the toothbrush struggles and pjs and then countdown to bedtime - "bedtime in half an hour" "bedtime in 15 minutes" "bedtime in 10 minutes" "bedtime in 5 minutes" .... then it's getting them to GO to bed, then it's sending them back UP to bed (10 times!) then it's going up there when they yell or bang on the floor (a dozen times at least) then it's going up and turning the light off and getting them back into bed again then it's answering them when they yell down the stairs then it's moving ds2 from ds1 bed up into his own.......

In fact, as I type, dh has just gone up there AGAIN because they are STILL yelling. They've been up there 2 hours and 11 minutes!

gosh! 20 minutes - - mine is also from 6 to 8pm. have two dc - younger in bed by 7, elder in bed by 8. I do both one after the other. tea at 5.30, shared bath at 6, stories and milk at 6.30 for the younger one, in bed at 7. then start all over again for dd!!
dd has developed wheedling powers and can string it out for ages - has trained self to need a pooh at about 8.15 - mmm!

5.30pm Dinner
6pm Bath/Pj's
6.30/45pm Book (lasts about 5 mins absolute max!!! )
6.45-7pm Bedtime

They are 2.2yo & 3.4yo

Ours takes forever too (DS1 2.3 and DS2, 5 weeks)

6-6.45 DS1 watches CBeebies while I run his bath and feed DS2
6.45-7.30 DS1 bath, stories then bed (this takes so long because he runs round the bedroom like a maniac while I chase him trying to apply various eczema creams)
7.30-8 DS2 feeds then has a bath, then has a last BF before going into cot. Asleep at 8.10 tonight but can take til half past.

Luckily DH has dinner and a glass of wine ready for me when I come downstairs!

Also DS1 is the master of procrastination. His latest trick is, when reading a book, pointing to every single letter on the page and saying it aloud. This can make a 5-min book take 20 mins. And don't get me started on needing to brush the teeth of every single one of his toys before he'll relinquish the toothbrush

usually we go something as follows
dp bathes dd2 6.30 , Pj's and bed for 6.45
then bathes dd2 and ds
7.15 dd1 story and bed for 7.30
ds usually comes down for supper and tv before bed at 8.30 and then story so about 2 hours here!
(notes haven't posted routine when dp is away )

Hour and a quarter from going upstairs till asleep (includes, baths, stories,s teeth etc) for a baby a toddler
Longer if DH is helping!!!
I have tried to get it shorter but DS just wont' go to sleep until the hour adn a quarter is up for some reason.

if you include tea / dinner (whatever you call it where you come from) as some people have i think our evening routine is up to about 2 and a half hours

ages
One DS aged 3
Supper about 6-6:30pm until about 7pm (toys and books and chat with supper)
TV for about 15-20 minutes while I get bath and bedroom ready
Running madly round bedroom/ "bet you can't take your socks off"/ dragon hiding in den etc etc
In bath about 7:30
Out of bath about 7:50
PJs, teeth, kiss DH downstairs, water, milk in bed, book
Kiss and snuggle about 8:05
Poo at 8:10
Change nappy about 8:15
Downstairs for large glass of wine and readymeal about 8:30

Gotta laugh, only fresh cooked organic passes DSs lips....

I have one DS (2.3).
He comes home from nursery about 6. Might get some TV then if it occurs to him (but if he doesnt mention it, it stays off!)
Gets a snack/small tea and some milk
Depending on how tired he seems, we take him upstairs between 7 and 7.30pm
Then he has a bath - again depends on how tired he is - might have a good play or just a quick wash
Then to bedroom to change into pjs and he gets to choose 2 books to read
Then its into bed and lights off and night night.
Usually takes about half an hour if he's being 'receptive' to the whole process (i.e. dog tired)
Can take a lot longer if not.

We've one DD, who's 3; it's supposed to be:

Bath at 6:15 or so
Supper in her pyjamas
Bit of a DVD (it's Mr Men this week, every evening)
Teeth at about 7.15 then through to bed
2 stories, possibly 3 - this can take a while though with her chatting/pretending to read/pointing at the pictures and asking me things
Lights out (and I lie with her till she sleeps)

If it works out like that, I'm usually out of her room any time between 8pm and 8:20.

If she's not tired, I'll take her through to bed closer to 8pm.

I remember the good old days when it used to take an hour max (sigh). I am going to have to try and wean her off having me lie down with her till she sleeps. Half the time it's a battle for me not to sleep too!