Two under Two: Bedtime Logistics?!

[Sunnie1984]

Hi Everyone,

It's only just starting to sink in that I'll have two babies only 18 months apart, and I'm starting to panic

DH often works away/late, so bath and bed is quite often going to be a solo job!

So for those with two under two, how did you get them both bathed and into bed?

My DD used to go to bed at 6pm - any later and we got a huge meltdown. As she's turned 1, she started going to bed at 7:30pm.

Do your kids just work on the same schedule because they have to, or do you have to manage two separate bedtimes?

Help and advice much needed. I think the rest of the day seems ok, but bedtime just confuses me at the moment!

x

 

[CLH_X3]

My daughter still goes to bed at 7.30 as normal, and then when she's in bed I take my son up to bed, feed him and he's down by 8, there not in the same room yet but When they are bed time will be together

 

[Sunnie1984]

Thanks CLH!

Did you just find that happened naturally, he just got into the routine you already had with your daughter?

My DD was very specific about a 6pm bedtime, and I worry the next baby may be the same!

 

[daddiesgift]

my two are 15 months apart. We co slept till my oldest was two and we decided to take him to his own room, so we decided to take the baby too as it wouldnt be fair to move one from our bed and not the other. They both share a room now, toddler in his own twin bed on the floor and the baby in the crib. My OH is gone a lot for work so I know how bad it can be trying to get them both ready for bed at same time. Usually I just bathe them together, now its quite fun for them since they can both play, before I had baby in his little bath tub at the back of the tub and toddler in the front, then when baby could sit up on his own but still I little unsturdy I put him in a small laundry basket and toddler in the front. Sometimes when I was just too tired to even do all that I would just run the bath and put them both in the tub with me and wash them and me. Then toddler could climb out while I got out with the baby. Sometimes I just skip bath all together if they are still clean!

As far as bed time, when we co slept we all went to bed together. Now the baby seems sleepy about 7pm so we would eat dinner, bath or not, and put him in his crib in their room and he goes right to sleep! Sometimes we will have to go in there and sit next to crib and he goes right to bed. Our toddler stays up later since hes usually not sleepy at 7pm. And hes a HUGE mommas boy so I have to lay in his bed with him to start him off to sleep. So when he gets sleepy he just tells me he wants to go night night and we go to their room and lay in his bed till hes asleep. So I really go off their ques. Sometimes they go to bed together or nap together other times they dont. It never cuts into my bedtime though. I think trying to get them on the same schedule is just too much hassle for me and Id rather not spend an hour listening to both scream.

Good luck! Its not that hard and after the first month youll fall into a rountine and it will be easy! Now Im pregnant and they will have 18-19 months apart.

 

[Saphira]

My husband had a late schedule too meaning bedtime was up to me alone! I found putting them down at separate times but within an hour of each other to be easiest. I tried getting them down around the same time but it ended up being too stressful.

I'd bathe my youngest in the morning so I didn't have to worry about 2 baths in the evening. I'd put her down around 6:30 - 7PM after a bottle and would have my toddler come in for that to help. She'd turn the crib soother on and hang out while I said goodnight. Thankfully she rarely had probs getting to sleep but I sometimes had to run in to give her her pacifier again and reassure her. After she was in bed I'd give my toddler dinner. Then it was bath followed by bedtime around 8 every night. Then I'd clean up the apartment, wash bottles, start the dishwasher, clean counters, etc. etc. !

It seems overwhelming and certainly is the first few weeks but a routine falls in place and life becomes manageable. You can do it!

 

[Sunnie1984]

Thanks Daddiesgift, and congratulations on your pregnancy!

It sounds like most people seem to find slightly different bedtimes work better, at least in the very beginning.

We usually have dinner about 6:45 at the moment and DD is in bed at 7:30-7:45.

Hopefully the new baby will go to bed before dinner, to make life easier! Or I'll have to tweak that routine.

Although it'll all go to pop on the days DD has nursery until 5:30pm!

Thanks Saphira, that really helps. Do you feed bottle in the bedroom or in the living room before taking them to bed?

X

 

[Banshee]

When they were little I'd bath ds2 first and then put him in the cot to chill while I bathed ds1. Then when they were both bathed we'd watch a little tv while I breastfed ds2 and ds1 had some milk. Then I'd put ds2 down and read ds1 a couple of stories and them put him to bed as well. Now they are older they go in the bath together and then I get then out and dry them, have their milk and put ds2 down at 7.30pm and then ds1 at 8pm.
I found the key is to be organised and have everything to hand so that you are not constantly running around trying to find things you need.

 

[little_lady]

Different bedtimes all the way. They just wake each other up otherwise. At the moment Joel goes to bed at 6pm while Isabelle watches peppa pig and then she goes to bed at 7.30

Good luck, sure you'll be fine - it's a lot easier than you're probably imagining!

 

[kimberleyrobx]

My two are 18 months apart too... They have the same routine, although emily goes to bed at 6pm and nathan has an evening nap ranging from around 5-7pm and then he wakes up and has dinner/supper and is usually in bed around 9pm for the night... but once he is about a year old and up and walking and dropping naps etc they will have the same routine xx

 

[Saphira]

I'd usually feed her in the living room and keep the door closed so I had an eye on my toddler. Either there or in dd1's room as she has a pull out couch in there. At first she didn't like me not being available while feeding dd2 but I explained to her every time her sister's hungry and I can't come. With time she got it. It helps to have a special set of toys brought out while feeding to keep the older lo distracted, at least for a bit!

Also, some days I put dd2 down a bit earlier, it really depended on her. She was up in the night anyway so as long as it was timed to give me at least half an hour to get dd1 fed and in bed it was enough. Sometimes she woke up while dd1 was in the bath so had to wait but there's little you can do in such moments. :/ Can't be in two places at once so have to decide in that moment who needs you the most, and of course it's the child in the bath. There will be plenty of times like that but there are also days when everything runs smoothly!

 

[MumToEva]

We have a 17 month age gap here (love it btw, hopefully you will be the same! ). Eva goes to bed at 7. We start her bedtime routine at around 6.15 - she gets into her Jammies and then watches In the Night Garden with her bottle. When James came along I just got him into his Jammies just after I had changed Eva right from the very start. We never forced it or anything, just no play beyond 7, and by 2 months he was going to sleep by about 7.30. We have a travel cot in the living room that we use for his naps, and I now just put him into it at 7 and he drifts off between then and 7.30, then we transfer him up to bed when we are going to bed. I wish someone had told me the power of routine when I had my daughter - with hindsight it would have made life a lot easier! I've never done bath time before bed anyway - Eva has eczema so bathing every day doesn't help, plus I prefer to bath my 2 first thing in the morning instead when I have more energy.

Personally I would recommend a really set routine from the start - my daughter isn't an easy sleeper so has to have a strict routine to get her to sleep without a major meltdown, and when James came along he just had to fit in around her routine - I was amazed how quickly he just fell into line with her routine. Bit then he's an easy baby, so probably depends on their individual personality.

 

[hubblybubbly]

Still early days here but I do all bedtimes as oh works abroad.

Dd1 has a bedtime routine of wash.(she's anti-baths), clean teeth, pjs and nappy, one story, cuddle, into cot with music on. It's quite quick at about 15/20 mins, and she's in bed by 7pm.

Dd2 isn't in a routine as such, she stays downstairs with me until I come up to bed, sometimes she feeds all,evening, sometimes she's awake and sitting in her chair and sometimes she sleeps in a Moses basket or on me. At 10pm or so,we come upstairs, nappy change, I lie her in her cosleeper, turn the light off and she goes to sleep.

During dd1 bedtime I've made sure I've fed dd2 shortly before and ideally got her settled for a sleep so I can leave her napping in the Moses basket while I sort dd1, but if she's awake she comes up and lies on my bed. I like to try and focus on dd1 for her bedtime though and nt be fussing dd2 if I can help it....she gets her time in the evening.

I'd like it that when dd2 is 6 months or so that they be having a bath/wash together, story together and then bed at the same time, but for now I settle with dd1 bedtime going without tears on either part and take each day as it comes.

 

[Aphrodite]

For the first couple of months, when DS2 was so little, he just did whatever and came to bed with us when we went. But once he was around 3/4 months I just did everything the same. Same bath, same bedtime same meal times. They are 17 months apart and I got their routines synchronised early on lol they even had the same long afternoon nap and still do

For meal times get something prepared early on in the day if u have to that u can quickly heat up at tea time to save stress if both kids are hungry at the same time. Toddler can eat (in front of cbeebies sometimes if u need to) while you breastfeed if need be. You get used to doing things one handed trust me lol.

If ur bathing get them both in together, (so much easier) quickly wash the baby and get him or her dried on the floor while toddler plays. You might even get away with feeding baby in the bathroom (I did) while toddlers still in the bath. Then, hopefully the baby will be satisfied enough to go in Moses basket or whatever while u get toddler to bed. (I also started varying my bath times as DH would come home and want a showwr right on their bath time. Early afternoons or mornings sometimes, it reduced a lot of stress I can tell you.) If baby goes down aswell, great, if not at least you have one child asleep so you can crash with the baby on the sofa til DH gets home.

I think the second baby slots in more easily so it might not be as bad as you think. And even though DS2 is a more difficult child than DS1 he slotted into the routine so nicely as it was just normal to him from day 1 really. The early days are hard but you can do it!!

 

[lovelylaura]

When freya was little we just did what worked. So we ended up bathing her in the morning instead of night. I put her in a bouncer in the evenings while i bathed poppy. Then i would take them both upstairs and get them dresses and come down to wind down untill poppy's bed at 7. When freya got to around 4 months i bathed them together in the evening and would put them both to bed at 7. They have separate room's though so they didnt disturb each other. Even now they have the same nap routine and bed routine.

 

[Piper84]

My LOs are 22 months apart. DS's bedtime is 8pm with PJs, teeth brushing, books and a song. DD goes to bed with us at about 11pm, although she usually falls asleep a bit before that on me or DH in front of the TV.