https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 12:25:32 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-771290 Thu, 09 May 2013 17:48:37 +0000 Andrea 771290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: I read that, but most people have two parents around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-771284 Thu, 09 May 2013 17:46:41 +0000 mrbee 771284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: You're tough!!</p> <p>Theres some more accounts of bedtime for two on the blog!</p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/05/30/establishing-a-bedtime-routine-for-two-kids/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/05/30/establishing-a-bedtime-routine-for-two-kids/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-771276 Thu, 09 May 2013 17:43:05 +0000 Andrea 771276@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rubies: woot! you'll be fine!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-771237 Thu, 09 May 2013 17:25:59 +0000 Rubies 771237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm so nervous about this - I will have a 2year old and a new born in October and...OMG. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-771228 Thu, 09 May 2013 17:22:09 +0000 Andrea 771228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: Oooh lucky that your DH switched jobs and is now home! Glad I'm not the only one to use a show, if needed. :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-770843 Thu, 09 May 2013 15:15:39 +0000 Honeybee 770843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: Lol, yes, it gets easier with age! :) Actually, my husband switched jobs so I rarely have to put both kids down by myself anymore, only when he's on a business trip. What I do now (both for bedtime and for naptime) is get both kids ready together (baths, pjs, etc...) and put DD in her room with some entertainment (books, stuffed animals, maybe the Nookto watch a show on Netflix if she's particularly wound up). I tell her that I will be right back to check on her. Then I go put DS to bed, which only takes maybe 10 minutes at this point. Once he's in bed, I go back in and spend a little time with her reading, telling stories, etc... then she gets her books, animals, etc... back to play with quietly in bed until she falls asleep. It took a while to get in this routine, but now she knows what to expect and it's pretty smooth, most of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-770126 Thu, 09 May 2013 12:41:01 +0000 Andrea 770126@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Revisiting this thread ....</p> <p>@Honeybee: I assume you've worked out a good system by now. :-)</p> <p>Now I have two and I do bedtime by myself almost every night. It's really easy when I park my 3 y.o. in front of the TV! It depends on her mood. Sometimes she'll be good and play quietly in the nursery while I put my 4 month old down. If she's too hyper, then I have to get her outta there and TV time it is. I have the baby go to sleep at 5:30 and then I do dinner, bath, and bedtime with my 3 y.o. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-118104 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:29:29 +0000 amy 118104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do this on most night by myself with 2 as my husband works late or is on call at the hospital overnight. They are 2 and 3.5 so its pretty easy at this point. I bathe them together and they take turns on who get to get out first. I lotion, diaper and put them in the pjs right in the bathroom and then the its the others turn, the one who is done can go and play in the guest bedroom which has a their play kitchen in it. When they are both done we go into my daughter room (3.5yr) and sit on the bed and read 2 stories (they each pick out one) and then I sing a few songs then leave her to goto sleep and then I put my son down for the night. It definitely got easier once my son was 18 months. </p> <p>When he was younger I would bathe my son first and have my daughter help me to keep her entertained. Then when he was all dressed i would put him down in a pack and play with some toys right out side the bathroom door so he could still see us and then give my daughter a bath. When she was done i would then bring them both to her room and read a story and put her off then i would put my son down. I would always put my daughter to sleep first because she's just easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-118054 Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:50:28 +0000 purrpletulips 118054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I won't have 2 until Sept but since they'll be sharing a room from the start, I'm hoping for something like this (at least when DH isn't home). Get the baby into PJs, help DD get into PJs then brush her teeth, read her a story (possibly while nursing baby) then put both into their beds. DD goes to sleep really well with the current routine and this is pretty close to that so I'm hopeful it will work, if it doesn't I'll wing it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117613 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 22:22:25 +0000 Honeybee 117613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well at least I don't have 4 to put down; wow what challenge! Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll be putting them to good use tomorrow night when I'm all alone again! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117499 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:11:17 +0000 mrs_t 117499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. bee - a bedtime nanny would be a dream!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117452 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:48:46 +0000 BoogieBea 117452@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I split the two kids most of the time but he does go away on business once a quarter. Our kids are currently 2 years almost 8 months and almost 9 months. Luckily, my younger one never really fussed much for her bed time. I bathed them together, dressed the baby first, set her in a bouncer and then dressed the older one. Just a few months back, the older one took only 15-30 minutes for story time so I would put him to sleep first and then put the baby to sleep. Now I put the baby to sleep first because DS has been really difficult. I'd just do her bedtime routine with DS in the room. Luckily it doesn't disrupt her much.<br /> It's all just trial and error really and knowing what might work for your kids. It's chaotic and I desperately count the days til DH returns but like all things kids related, you'll find a way to make it work.<br /> Also I wonder if it'd be easier if their bedtimes are not at the same time. I haven't explored that yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117448 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:46:41 +0000 Mrs. Pen 117448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: aww thanks :) after I left I vowed to never nanny for that many that young again lol. My next nanny job was one 2.5 yr old girl. It was a cake walk in comparison! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117433 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:35:53 +0000 Andrea 117433@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: @Mrs. Bee: ok, there is my solution then. bedtime nanny FTW! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117430 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:33:14 +0000 chopsuey 117430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@miss-spunkin: WOW! I can't believe you handled 4 kids at once! You're a pro. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117427 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:32:32 +0000 Mrs. Bee 117427@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: @chopsuey119: some people have bedtime nannies in ny when the dads aren't there for bedtime. they come in from 4-8 to help with dinner, bath and bedtime! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117426 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:32:23 +0000 chopsuey 117426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: Shoot. If he's traveling more than 1 day a week it'll be a live in nanny. M-F. The days he's home she can clean my house and cook for us..? :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117423 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:31:38 +0000 Mrs. Pen 117423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: I used to be a nanny for four children under the age of 4 and bedtime was the most chaotic time of the day! I usually told the 3 and 4 yr old to go get their pjs on and pick out some books while I put the 1 yr old down. I kept the baby for last. I then had the two older ones brush their teeth and we'd read a couple books. I'd get them to bed then tend to the baby. It was a challenge.</p> <p>When we have another one it'll be the same thing cause my husband works nights..</p> <p>Good luck, I hope you figure something out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117422 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:30:01 +0000 Andrea 117422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: it would have to be a live-in nanny??? or just a bedtime nanny?? hahaha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117417 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:27:25 +0000 chopsuey 117417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: muahahaaah. just curious to know why you're so curious! dood. i can't imagine having to put 2 down on my own!!! if DH's still traveling when we have #2 I'm totally hiring a nanny! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117416 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:27:15 +0000 Mrs. Bee 117416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i asked all my friends about this too. most divide and conquer. one friend nursed her younger one while reading her older one stories and she put them down at the same time. and another does the tv thing with the older child.</p> <p>honestly i can't imagine putting both of them down by myself! olive takes forever to nurse before bedtime, and charlie is so loud that he'd wake olive up. thank goodness mr. bee can be here for bedtime.</p> <p>sorry i don't have any better answers! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117415 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:26:40 +0000 Andrea 117415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: niiiiiiiice try! because none of my friends IRL do it on their own so i'm like wait, how would i ever do it then?? :-P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117412 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:24:20 +0000 chopsuey 117412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: Why so curious? ;D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117408 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:19:36 +0000 Andrea 117408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs_t: Thanks for letting us know your routine. :-)</p> <p>@Honeybee: :-D I am sure you will be a pro soon enough!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117405 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:14:55 +0000 Honeybee 117405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ Andrea - well I guess when I figure it out I'll let you know, then! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117404 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:14:41 +0000 mrs_t 117404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 22 month old and 7 month old, and honestly, the only way I've figured out how to do it alone is to get them both in pjs, set the 22 month up old with his lovey, blanket, pacifier, and some milk on the couch and let him watch a super mellow tv show (we love Kipper on Netflix) while I'm nursing the 7 month old in the nursery w/ white noise &amp; the light off. Then, I get the 7 month old settled in (he's still sleeping in the Rock-n-Play sleeper -gotta break that soon!), and work on bedtime routine with the older one (teeth brushing, story, bedtime prayers, lights off &amp; white noise on). </p> <p>It's not ideal. I'd love to be able to do it without the TV, but right now, I can't figure out another way. It definitely goes more smoothly when my DH is home, but it doesn't fall apart when he's not, so I guess that counts for something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-117396 Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:04:34 +0000 Andrea 117396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Honeybee: I think I have asked this question several times here since I am very curious about this --- and most of the responses I got was ... DH and I do it together! I don't have 2 kids but this is a question I have since I have to do bedtime alone now and that would still be the case with the addition of more children. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-113846 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:10:14 +0000 banana 113846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No advice because I don't have 2 kids yet (not until July/aug anyway). But would LOVE to hear some responses from other Bees. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bedtime-with-more-than-one#post-113839 Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:01:41 +0000 Honeybee 113839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does anyone have any tips on setting up a bedtime routine with more than one kid? I had to put both DD and DS to sleep by myself the other night, and it was a bit of a disaster! As we're moving into DH's busy time at work, I'll be doing this a lot more often, and I could use a few tips on how to make it run more smoothly.</p> <p>The other night, I bathed/changed/swaddled DS while DD was in the bathtub. Then, I washed DD and all three of us went into her room. DS started to get tired and fussy while I was dressing DD, and by the time we sat down to read a story, DS was a mess. I ended up just leaving DD in her room by herself while I fed DS and put him to sleep. When I finally got back to DD, it was half an hour after her bedtime and it took her forever to calm down and go to sleep. </p> <p>Suggestions? How do you handle bedtime with two or more kids? </p>