Sorry, v boring, but how do you go about starting bedtime routines when the baby is going into the same bedroom as an older child?

[violetbouncer]

Baby is now considering going to sleep at a more reasonable hour in the evening. Time for a routine methinks. But there's only one room and there's already a 3 year old in it. Not quite sure where to start to be honest. Has anyone who's done this already give me any tips?

Could, not Has

We used to bath both together, then put ds2 in his cot and let ds1 have some downstairs time for half an hour. this was enough time ( usually) for ds2 to settle, then we would put ds2 to bed, stories , kiss, lights out. They are in a semi split room ( glass door divides them) and it worked really well. Ds2 went into the room at a few months od. He is 3 now and they both settle to sleep really well.

You could put the three year old to your bed and carry him/her through when they're both asleep.

We gave them a bath together then dd went to bed while ds had special time in the livingroom for about 20 minutes then he went to bed. If dd was not sleeping then ds went to bed in our room and was taken through later. Once ds was at school - and dd was about 2- they went to bed at same time with a story. Usually dd would fall asleep quickly and I would sneak in once she was asleep and give ds an extra cuddle while he fell asleep.

Can you keep the baby in with you until routine is established?

My DDs shared a room for a bit. Baby went to bed at 6:45, asleep by 7, 4 year old had a story downstairs and went to bed at 7:10 very quietly. But even on the days when the baby was awake they just giggled for a bit and then went to sleep.

Hmm. See, we have a cotbed rather than a cot, and it's currently in our room next to the bed for cosleeping purposes, so not easy to get a baby into once asleep. Currently baby either feeds to sleep downstairs and then gets put in Moses basket which gets taken up and put in cotbed when we go to bed, or on bad nights just cosleeps with me from the start.

The plan would be to move cot into 3 year old's room and try to get baby to start the night there. Then we all cram into bed at whatever point during the night they wake. Although HV coming to help sort 3 year old's incessant waking next week so hopefully he'll be staying put.

General consensus would be to do them separately for a bit longer then?

I think if you are trying to sort out the 3yr olds sleeping, you may aswell put the baby in the room now, otherwise youll only have to sort that bit out again later on. Might aswell get the 3yr old used to his younger siblings presence sooner rather than later. There is 2.5 yrs between my two and, apart from the odd night where they play together rather than sleep, it has worked well and they settle well. Id start as you mean to go on.

I found it easier to have one asleep before putting the other one through to the same room. They never woke each other up but would keep each other from falling asleep if both put down together.

Thanks for all your thoughts. Maybe I'll let the HV decide for me when she comes