Bedtime routine

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

C is 16mo - until 1 month ago we were doing teeth, I was giving him his bottle then putting him in his cot. At the start of jan we started doing teeth and then a story and then putting C in his cot with his bottle. He goes straight to sleep.

I really wanted to start brushing his teeth after his milk and putting him down awake. Last night I started working towards that by doing teeth, giving him his bottle while we read stories and then put him in his cot awake and he chatted for about 20 minutes but went to sleep

Tonight he burst his lip just before bedtime and he wasn't happy so I gave him his bottle in bed and he went to sleep.

Tomorrow I'm thinking bottle while we read stories, brush teeth and then in cot? I'm a bit scared that taking him into the bathroom after his milk will wake him up completely again but I guess I won't know unless I try?

What are others bedtime routines?

[*Ali*]

Maybe keep the lights dim and then go back into bed for a cuddle, story or song? Or what about doing teeth in his room with a flannel to just wipe his mouth after?

We do toilet, teeth, bath, pjs, stories, 5 mins of rough play in the bedroom (probably not a good idea really but doesn't seem to bother my two), toilet (plus night nappy for DS2), quiet chat and hugs in bed, sing goodnight sun, set Groclock, lights out, last tuck in and kiss, we leave the room and they normally fall asleep pretty much straight away. Occasionally we get a call back for help with water (they have a sippy of water in bed overnight they sip from occasionally) or tucking in again etc.

At 16mo we did bath, pjs and nappy, stories, milk (BF), teeth, songs, into bed.

[michaeljacknnugg]

We have his toothbrush and paste and his room, that way teeth can be done last thing.

Can't remember our routine at his age, it's been too long!

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

C is an independent sleeper, he goes down wide awake for his naps and I think it would be nice to do the same at bedtime.

I think I will do both boys together like this: bath (we do every 2nd night) pj's and nappies, stories in Corey's room while he has his milk (L sees this as a novelty as he gets to share story time) teeth in bathroom, quick song and C in his cot and then Lennon into bed, quick chat, kiss and cuddle and done!

I'm trying to make it easier for me as well because I get no help and it gets pretty tiring night after night if it's taking ages to do everything twice, I'm not being selfish am I?

[*Ali*]

Sounds good to me

[Haribo2012]

We do bath, milk in cup, teeth, stories in sleep bag then bed. I changed it when my LO was about same age as yours x

[HenaV]

We do bath, teeth, getting ready for bed  - milk and stories (sometimes puzzles) on our bed with milk and then bed. So to her room, put in sleep sack, lights out, kiss, cuddle, night night, shut the door and leave and that's it!Did the same at 16m x

[michaeljacknnugg]

You're not being selfish at all combining bedtime! It's good for them to have that time together, but also to learn that Mummy needs some off-duty time too.

[Me.and.my.two.boys]

L loves the shared story time as he gets to show off his stories to C. L has hundreds of books and now C is old enough to sit and listen to a story L has a new found love for them there's ones I haven't read in a long time that he is picking out for C now which is lovely for me too

L knows that after bt - that's when mummy tidies up and has a cup of tea. I tell him I will check on him after my cuppa so he's quite good at jumping in bed and knowing that's mummy's own time afterwards

C burst his lip before bed last night but it's fine this morning so I'm on track for the new bt routine tonight after our special valentines dinner

[michaeljacknnugg]

 

BTW, if you want L in bed when he's not quite sleepy, try a doodle or sticker book that he can do before he goes to sleep. We started with these to preserve our evenings and DS has now moved on to reading in bed. It's gorgeous to hear!