Hellobee Boards Topic: If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?

Hellobee Boards Topic: If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:47:35 +0000 junebugmama on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-390109 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:33:43 +0000 junebugmama 390109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My husband works 2nd shift, so I have to do this every night by myself. I bathe both of the boys together. Then we read a book in the older ones room. Then we all lay down together and snuggle. This obviously works for us because he has a full bed now at this point. I usually will nurse LO on one side during this process. Then I leave and put LO down. woodentulip on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-390093 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:14:06 +0000 woodentulip 390093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Like Mrs. Jacks, we just plop the baby down. But that aside, we have started to get audio book + book combos out of the library for our older gal, and they have been a lifesaver! They aren't that long, so if you are looking for 30 minus plus, you won't get it, but they have been great for shorter bits of time for us! T-Mom on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-390053 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:38:16 +0000 T-Mom 390053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I struggle with this too since I'm in this situation often. Today I let LO cry it out. He has previously been needing patting or someone staying in the room (while Dd watches tv) but today I said tonight is the night. He cried 10 min. chopsuey on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389820 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:41:27 +0000 chopsuey 389820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I'm gonna have to do this 2-4 nights ALonE starting end of January. Not looking forward to it. If anything baby boy will have to chill in the swing while I put m down banana on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389810 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:33:11 +0000 banana 389810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My DH is always home at night so we just divide and conquer. If I'm alone with both kids (which is pretty rare), I just let my son play with his legos or watch TV if necessary. It's not often that I have to do this (since my DH is usually with me most of the time) so I don't mind the screen time. Honeybee on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389792 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:22:15 +0000 Honeybee 389792@https://boards.hellobee.com/ During naptime it takes DS a maximum of 10 minutes to fall asleep, so DD entertains herself by reading, coloring, or playing dress up in her room. At nighttime, I usually let her watch an episode of a kid's show on DH's nook. Her max screen time allowance per day is 30 minutes (and she rarely gets that much), so on the days I have to put both kids down, she has to save her shows until bedtime. Sometimes, if DS is particularly tired, she is fine entertaining herself in her bedroom with books/coloring/etc..., but most of the time, he takes a good 20-30 minutes to fall asleep, so DD gets to watch a show. We're working on getting DS to fall asleep on his own again, so hopefully soon I won't have to rely on tv on the nights have both kids by myself. Mrs. Train on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389761 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:13:00 +0000 Mrs. Train 389761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Ugh.... They just run all over. We do let our kids with tv in the evenings. I do worry about screen time but that is what we do. I almost always feel guilty about tv watching but they still do. BoogieBea on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389743 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:06:10 +0000 BoogieBea 389743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't give him anything. He just wanders around, plays with his sister's things, turns the lights on and off. It takes 10 minutes max after bath time to read my daughter stories and be placed into bed. Luckily, I only have to do this alone for a few days once a quarter. Andrea on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389726 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:00:31 +0000 Andrea 389726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I've never thought to use TV! Dreading this for the future.... Mrs. Jacks on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389721 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:58:21 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 389721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ You have made me realize how spoiled I am. We just finish M.s bottle and then plop her down in the crib... no putting to sleep. Sometimes big sis will come in and plant a big kiss on her... but then we turn on the white noise and walk out. That's all it takes. Now if I have to put Lala down while M. is awake, that's a whole different story and nearly impossible to do. Luckily that doesn't happen too often. Rock n Roll on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389709 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:54:53 +0000 Rock n Roll 389709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I am totally guilty of having my three year old watching TV or my Kindle while I put the baby to sleep. Sometimes if I have her really into leafing through her books she's fine. And honestly, she gets bored with TV pretty quickly, too, so it's not always a sure bet. Sometimes I give her a snack, because that can keep her busy for awhile. And sometimes no matter what I do, she wants to be with me while I put the baby down. Then I just tell her she has to be quiet and turn on the projector on the sound machine so she can look at it. Mrs. Superhero on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389708 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:54:17 +0000 Mrs. Superhero 389708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Such a headache, I have to do this 3 nights a week. Usually she wanders around pretending to be quiet...with varying results. Sometimes she sits beside us in bed and reads her own book while I nurse and read (adorable). And sometimes she runs around getting into trouble, calling for me and mysteriously forgetting how to use the potty on her own, which drives me insane. mrbee on "If you're watching 2 kids alone, how do you get one kid to sleep without using the TV for the other?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-watching-2-kids-alone-how-do-you-get-one-kid-to-sleep-without-using-the-tv-for-the-other#post-389694 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:48:58 +0000 mrbee 389694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's pretty easy to keep one child occupied with a TV, iPad or iPhone... I'm wondering if you guys have any other tricks for keeping a child occupied while putting the other child down. Charlie will stay pretty occupied with his play kitchen or train table, but I feel like that's not nearly as a sure thing as a movie on the computer or iPad. But then your LO is getting lots of screentime. If I'm in that situation though, that's what I'd do. Do you guys have tricks for keeping one child occupied while you're putting the other one to sleep? Do you worry about giving your LO too much screentime?