how do you add a book to the bedtime routine with twins?

SO I have a very nice bedtime routine with the twins, but I am sad that it does not include a book - this was and still is a cherished time with my ODS. But I'm not sure about the logistics of holding two kids and where we would sit, etc. Even once they could sit on their own, I don't know if all three of us will fit in the rocking chair where we used to read to ODS. How do you do it?

 

When my two were less then 6 months old, I either put them on their boppies and read to them before we went upstairs or we would sit on the couch as a family with me holding one and DH holding the other one and reading a book.

 

I put the boys in my lap (one on each leg) and wrapped my arms around them in the rocker. If my DD was with us, I would have her sit on the ottoman or on the arm of the chair. We didnt add in a book to the routine until closer to about 8 or 9 months.

 

This is what I did as well. Now, they love to sit on either side of me in the bed & read a book.

 

Yep - Ditto to the PP. I wrap my arms around them to keep them on my lap and in the chair, and use both hands to hold the book - my guys like to turn the pages, squash my fingers in the book, and rip the book out of my hands often. So I pretty much have to have 2 hands on the book at this time. They do sit nicely in my lap though.

 

I pretty much gave up reading to them together... I got frustrated with them grabbing at all the pages etc, like you said, logistically it was a nightmare. and that is sad to me that we still don't really have a great routine. sometimes I'll read a book outloud and just walk between each crib showing each baby the page and then move to the next crib for the next page...

I try to read a book now a days, but we still don't get the babies to sit very still together for very long... so its usually one at a time

 

We didn't add books to the nighttime routine until they were much older. And of course I felt horribly guilty, because I grew up with a love for reading-I wanted to instill that in my kids as well. But once we started reading at night, I put them each on my knee and wrap my arms around them and read to them that way in the glider. Or I could sit on the floor of their room. It seems everyday we are switching things up!

 

I guess we don't do a story before bed because I read to them every day at random times. I laid them side by side on a blanket and held the book above them. Recently I put all of their books in a very large basket and they love sitting next to it and pulling them out.

 

Thanks for this post!! I've been wondering this, too - books are an integral part of ODS's night time routine, and I'm not sure how to make it part of the twins'. These replies include great ideas!

 

I read to them before every nap (it's their cue for bedtime!), but I can't manage holding both of them. I sit them in front of me on the floor in their bouncy chairs with their blankies. They usually sit quietly while I sing and say a few short nursery rhymes (The Usborne Nursery Rhyme Picture Book is their FAVOURITE). They also love Brown Bear, Brown Bear, because it moves quickly and I can do an animal sound on each page. At night we switch things up and read them Goodnight Moon. At night my husband and I read to them together, alternating pages, or one of us reads while the other holds the book and points out pictures. Lately at night they have been a bit overtired and fussy though, so my husband will hold and read to one in the spare bedroom and I will hold and read to the other in their nursery, with the lights dimmed.

 

We tried and tried to read to them at bedtime, but it really didn't work for us until they were a bit older and able to sit upright in our laps for an entire story. I'd say that at about 7-8 months we finally got it down. We have 2 rockers in their room, so DH and I would position the rockers next to each other, we'd each hold a boy (swapping each night, of course ), and one of us would hold the book in front of us so we could read and the boys could watch.

I have to say, they were *not* into it for a long time and would squirm and fuss pretty quickly. We often would only get half a story read, or we'd read something really short like one of Sandra Boynton's books. When they got to be about a year old they really started looking forward to storytime, and we switched to one of us holding the boys in the big rocker while they drink milk sippies, with the other reading the book. Now they ask for their favorite books by name. :wub:

Give it some time, and try a bit later. Don't be surprised if they don't love it at first; I guarantee they will come to treasure story time!

 

Either they lie in the pnp face up and I stand over them and show them the pictures or we all lie down in the superyard. We don't do books at bedtime. but rather during the day.

 

It only worked for us for a little while just before or around when they turned 2. We sat on the couch as a family to read. We are back to it not working again, it's just too much fighting over who picks the book, holds the book. turns the page, sits with the the adult reading the book, then it just starts over. We go to their room and DH and I each get in one of their beds in the dark and we sing songs. It's become a small bit of quite one-on-one time that is much better than fighting over a book. I do hope we can work that in at some point down the road though.

 

Before they were sitting up we rocked together and read or DH would hold them while I read. Now I have a little corner in the room with a basket of books. I ask them to sit down so we can read before Night-Night and they just sit on the floor with me facing them and showing them the books so they can touch and feel them. Right now they are also not crazy about sharing mommies lap...therefore we took my lap out of the equation.

 

I found reading to them when one was up and the other wasn't was better. I still love to read to them during the day and I think they get more out of it during the day. There is enough going on at night and now with my two older it really works out better to read at night. But when they were younger they bent books, ate book, ripped books..... uuugh !! Now they love to read and I love to read to them.

Try during the day say when they are in their highchairs or something....

 

We didn't include a bedtime story until Aaron turned 2 and the twins turned 1. We did a lot of reading during the day for whoever was interested but I never forced it. When Aaron turned 2, he wanted to sit and listen/look at the pictures so the four of us would go in the bedroom (the three cribs were all in the same room) and get ready for bed then I'd sit on the floo so whoever wanted to could be part of the story. The twins mostly just crawled around while I read. When they got closer to 2, so Aaron was close to 3, they started wanting to be part of it too. Now I rotate between beds where I sit and they sit around me to see. They also get to each pick a song and get alone time on my lap while I sing the one they picked. You'll find what works for you! Reading is what is important, not when you do it.