How to Put Two to Bed?

I would start the bedtime routine with the baby even before you put him in his own room. Get him used to it now, it will be an easier transistion.

When mine were little, I put the baby down first, around 6:30 or 7. My older one stayed downstairs, usually with Dad while I put the baby down. If Dad wasn't home, I let her go into her room to play or "read" while I put the baby to sleep. We did out bedtime routine and I put the baby to bed. Then, the older one and I had some time together before she went down at 8. It was nice for her to have that alone time without the baby. Then, we went to her room and did her bedtime routine with me.

I used to give them seperate baths, but once the baby could sit up really well, I started putting them in at the same time.

Now they are 5 and 3 and they go to bed at the same time. They get a bath and then they each go to their rooms and wait for stories and stuff. I alternate which one gets a story and tucked in first. They both get alone time while I read to them and tuck them in. They both go to bed around 8-ish.

Good luck! It will take time, but eventually they will get on a good schedule for you!

Hi N.,
I would not change your older sons routine. Keep putting him to bed at his regular time and then maybe 30 minutes later, put the younger one to bed. Eventually they could be put down at the same time, but I would first work on the new routine with your youngest. Let him get established and then gradually put him to bed a little earlier. It will all work out :)

Our 2.5 year old son is hard to put to bed so we do him first. Once he's down he'll usually sleep through other noises. Then we kind of go with the flow with our 2 month old daughter.

To me it doesn't matter what time or order the baby goes to sleep, since she's just going to wake up again anyway. We just focus on getting the older one to bed. We look for the windows of time when the baby has fallen asleep, or is content and taken care of (dry diaper, clean clothes, well-fed, burped, not too hot or cold, etc.), and use them as opportunities to try to put our son to bed. Trying to have both of them fall asleep at the same time would be like coordinating a circus feat for us -- it's hard enough for us just to get each one to sleep! :-)

Sounds like the 4 mo old isn't sleeping thru the night yet, so you need to be prepared for trips to the nursery to care for him during the night. Bedtimes are going to be different for these little guys at different stages of their lives. A teenager will get to stay up later than a middle schooler, etc. Get them ready for bed at the same time. Bedtime activities will be different, like reading a book to your 20 mo old, tucking him in, kissing him good night and turning down/off the lights. The baby is still going to need the snuggle, the bottle/breast, the burp, rock, fall to sleep and then put to bed. The individual quiet times, the one on one attention is needed now for each of them. It's time consuming, not the most efficient way, but it is the most effective way. Sweet dreams for all of you!!!

N....
I have 3 and I have always put the youngest to bed first. It has always worked for us. You are lucky that the 20 month old already sleeps on his own, it shouldn't be that difficult since they each have their own room. The hardest part for us is getting our 5 and 3 yr olds to stop goofing around because they share a room:)

K.

We have three. We do it in shifts kind of. I am not crazy about our bed routine yet but it is working for now. We put the 4 year old to bed first. He normally falls asleep fast. then the two year old who he shares a room with will fall asleep out in the livingroom with dad (that is the part of the routine i would love to change)and then the 7 month old is still co sleeping with us so i head off to bed. i think since they will have different bedrooms if you guys each took a kid and go tthem down that would be awesome and then maybe so they didnt think there were any favorites being played switch every other night. that way if both go down you guys have complete no kid time!!! good luck something will come to you guys that works well!!

My husband traveled a lot (still does), so I was responsible for putting both of my children to bed. I would do our bedtime routine with both of them - clean diaper, pajamas, nurse the younger while reading a book to the older. I would lay the younger child down first and then the older child.

With my girls (26 months apart) I had similar issues. When my youngest was little, little she'd sleep through story time, ect...... About 5 months she became more active and while I tried to nurse her and read stories to her and her sister it became clear that I by myself could not put 2 kids to bed. So I enlisted my husband, I nursed the younger and passed her off to daddy, then I read and tucked the older one in bed. Then if necessary, I took the younger one back from him and got her in bed. It really ran quite smoothly, and generally everyone was asleep within 15 minutes of eachother. Gradually from about 11-12 months I began reading to them both again and putting them to bed and it's been that way since. (really not to sound as if my husband wasn't there participating at all, lol)

hth
E.

N.,

Hi, I have a 2 and 1/2 year old and a six month old. Some nights, I bathe them together, some I don't. I put down my six month old at 7, then have an hour to spend with my older daughter, her bedtime is at 8. I just started the schedule with the younger one, and it has been great, I am pretty well free once my older child is in bed and I can do whatever i want or need to do!!

Take Care and Good Luck,

N.

I have an almost 3 year old and a 4 month old - both boys. I put the oldest one down around 8:15 and he goes to sleep really well on his own - always had (I am thankful for that!) and then I jammie, bath (every other night) nurse and put down the baby. He is in bed by around 9pm or so. I am gradually working on getting him in bed a bit sooner, but until the last night time feeding is dropped (or he weans and can hold a bottle/sippy) it will take about 20-30 minutes to get him to bed after older brother is down. I figure by the time the youngest is 1 they should both be going down around the same time or within 15 mintues of each other. Good Luck.

I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old. We have always put them down at the same time. We go to one room and all read a story together, then my oldest goes to his room while I tuck my youngest in, then I go tuck in the older child.