Anyone have a 3 year old (or any age!) singleton too?

We are very lucky to have a housemaid - all very common here in Dubai. So at bedtime she and one of us do a twin each so a parent always does Lara. Lara has a bath, pjs, books, leave room - this can take up to 40 mins! Seems a long time sometimes - we have decided to do no more than 3 books but even on a good day it can take 30 mins. Is that familiar to anyone? Now I'm writing it, 30 mins for bedtime routine doesn't sound that bad - but on a day of wees, poops, water, more water, etc, etc, it can take 50 mins! We are getting slightly better but just wondered what others do?

On another note I want to phase the housemaid out of bedtime routines. Elliot I can put down awake and leave him. Max is getting there but I can't just leave him awake yet - he has to be pretty close to sleep. They have separate bedrooms.

So was wondering how other families with an older singleton and twins do bedtime?? Do you do twins for one parent the singleton for the other? How do you do the twins on your own?

Thanks in advance for any replies and advice!

 

My older 2 get ready for bed on their own. They are 7 and 10 y/o. Our twins are 3 y/o and our bedtime routine is short and sweet. I do think that 30 sounds short but when you're doing it every night and have a life, it really makes it hard. I do baths in the morning to shorten the routine and so their baths are not rushed. They get a bath every other day unless they're especially dirty. They love to play in the water. They put their own pj's on right after dinner so that's already done by bed time too. We read 2 books, they each get to pick a book. Then it's a last potty stop and brush teeth and off to bed. Then we lay down with them in bed. I lay down for about 2-3 minutes then do the same with the next. Even doing it that way it's about 20 minutes so I really don't know how you can put a bath in there and only have it 30 minutes (sounds more like 40+ minutes).

Anyway, when you do it every night for 5 years, it needs to be short and sweet for our sanity. Good luck shortening the routine.

 

Unfortunately this is just a phase they have to outgrow. Nadia's bedtime used to be very trying for all of us, as she'd do everything in her power to put it off, get cranky, goof off, etc. But, her bedtime has been earlier than K&K's (as she has to get up earlier for school), so one of us puts her down, while the other plays with K&K....and then we start their bedtime.

Now, at age 5, more often than not I'll give her a bath or shower in the afternoon, and then bedtime consists of this -- "Nadia, go upstairs and get ready for bed, please." She goes to the bathroom, changes into PJ's and puts her clothes in the hamper, and then brushes her teeth. I then go up and brush her teeth again, and then tuck her into bed. She reads well, so she's allowed to leave her light on and read for about 20-30 minutes if she's in bed on time. Sometimes she'll ask me to read to her from a series we're working on.

That's it! It takes 5 minutes, tops. So have faith...

 

Check out my recent post in 2-4 about how to get 3-year-olds to bed by 8:30 -- it's a common problem. Our routine can often take an hour and a half from the time we start getting PJs on (say, 7:15) until the lights are finally out (8:45). It's great that you're becoming aware of this now, so you can nip it in the bud when your twins are that age!

http://www.twinstuff.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=129714

 

From your ticker, it seems like your children are very similar ages as mine. For bedtime we all go upstairs together around 6:45. DH changes the twins diapers and I get the bedclothes ready for all 3. He then puts a nighttime diaper on the 3 yr. old and I get the toothbrushes ready. The 3 yr. old puts her own bedclothes on and I brush her teeth then she finishes. DH puts bedclothes on the twins and I brush their teeth. DH goes into DDs room to read stories and give her one last drink and I read one (short) story to the twins and put them in their cribs. This takes us 15 minutes, tops, as I like the kids to be down around 7.

This, of course, is when everything goes as planned. As I'm sure you know, it's crazy when DH or I am out of the house for some reason and the other has to do bedtime alone. Then I start at 6:15 or 6:30 to get everything done on my own....

 

DH reads to the big ones while I brush teeth with the small ones. Then we switch (or more often the small girls hang around in the bathroom watching). I tuck in the big ones then go lie down with the small ones. If there is a bath involved, it's right after dinner, rather than right before bed. With the reading it all probably takes about half an hour, but they're reading more involved books now than they used to.

 

We do one man duty at our house. I do bath time and DH does dishes/cleaning up or vice versa. This is our routine. My DD is almost 6 (so older than yours but I think we would do the same routine if she were 3.)

6:30 dinner
7:00 bathtime- They ALL get in the tub at the same time. I keep wipes in the tub. So I start the bath, older DD gets in. Then I undress one twin and put them in. Then the other. All get shampooed, cleaned and ready to go. Then I take one twin out and put her in the nursery. Then the other. DD then gets out (she does this on her own but I'm sure your LO could too). They all get dressed in the nursery. I lotion and dress one twin while the other plays. Then I lotion and dress the other. Older DD gets her PJs on and brushes her hair. We read books to the twins then put them in bed. The twins are normally in bed by 7:20. Then DD gets to stay up and watch TV until 8. Then we read her books and she goes to bed. It's really a good routine and works well for us. I can't imagine it taking very long. If we need to hurry, we can have the twins bathed and in bed in 10 minutes (minus the books).

 

Ok so I am a single mom with a five ( soon to be six) year old and the 11 month old girlies. one week out of a month my Dh is home. It's lame but we do ok. With bed time our routine consists of

6:30-7 - bath, nurse. Oliver gets a show to "sit done and settle down"
The girls nurse and i get them off to bed. I have mastered the technique of carrying sleeping babies in each arm. We have a rocking chair in the nursey. I hold each babe ob her perspective side in a reverse football hold. With their backs to me with my arm tucked under each noggin with my for arm across her body holdin between their legs. So we rock with a music box and sing a song. With in 15 min, usually five, they are passed out relaxed and ready for bed. I place their buts together and rock up. I then can lay each baby down into the crib. Takes some upper body strength but i find it easy. I then recrute my liitle man to get a book and tucked into bed. We have to limit to one book. He is learning how to read so it takes awile. And at last by 8-8:30 my house is sleeping and relaxed. Bath time

Best Wishes

 

QUOTE(Alaskangirls @ May 26 2009, 04:16 AM) [snapback]1327937[/snapback]
Ok so I am a single mom with a five ( soon to be six) year old and the 11 month old girlies. one week out of a month my Dh is home. It's lame but we do ok. With bed time our routine consists of

6:30-7 - bath, nurse. Oliver gets a show to "sit done and settle down"
The girls nurse and i get them off to bed. I have mastered the technique of carrying sleeping babies in each arm. We have a rocking chair in the nursey. I hold each babe ob her perspective side in a reverse football hold. With their backs to me with my arm tucked under each noggin with my for arm across her body holdin between their legs. So we rock with a music box and sing a song. With in 15 min, usually five, they are passed out relaxed and ready for bed. I place their buts together and rock up. I then can lay each baby down into the crib. Takes some upper body strength but i find it easy. I then recrute my liitle man to get a book and tucked into bed. We have to limit to one book. He is learning how to read so it takes awile. And at last by 8-8:30 my house is sleeping and relaxed. Bath time

Best Wishes

Respect to you momma!