If you have twins + another child, ? about bedtime routines

Hi

DS #3 is 3 months now and I'm trying to work on some sort of a routine with him for naps and bedtime. Strangely, this actually seemed easier with our twins - probably because they were our first children and I didn't have any other schedule to juggle (plus DH was around to help more).

DH works long hours and is usually not home until 8 or 9, long after all three kids are in bed. So, I am trying to get three little ones to bed and I'm struggling with getting the timing right. If you have another child (born either before or after your twins), what was your evening routine like? My twins eat at 5, have a bath at 5:45 and are in bed by 6:30. It's been like that since they were about 3/4 months old. Now, though, I'm trying to figure out if I should get Oliver in bed before that, after that or try to keep all three on the same schedule (though, I'm not sure I have enough hands for that).

Anyone have a similiar experience of juggling 3 or more at dinner/bedtime? Thanks!

-Catherine

 

Yes! I have 5 kids to juggle! I just moved bathtime to before dinner, because of this reason, it's too crazy after dinner.

Our sched is like this in the evening..

3pm twins bottle
330 twins/3 year old bath
430 twins dinner
5-530 family dinner/twins snack
630 twins bottle/bed
7 3 year old bed
745 9/10 year old bed, read til 815

Hope this helps!!

 

I also have 5 and also moved bathtime to before dinner or in the morning. We eat at 5 pm, play a little, and are in jammies, teeth brushed, ready to go upstairs by 6pm. My kids are all on the same schedule. I give my girls one baby to watch (they are 4 and 6) and I take one while putting my 2 year old ds to bed. I tuck him in, sit in his room and nurse one baby (takes 5 minutes), then put that baby down. I then go to the girls, nurse the other baby and talk to them (our bedtime routine is to talk about our day-favorite things, things they are proud of, what made them laugh or sad or whatever). Five or ten minutes later, baby #2 is asleep, say goodnight to the girls and go downstairs DONE with bedtime. It usually takes about 1/2 hour from very beginning to very end. This summer I may push bedtime back to 6:30.

 

I'm struggling with this right now and I do have help most nights. I don't give baths every night. The babies get their baths in the morning. The toddlers get theirs in the evening. Usually about every 2-3 nights in less something happens to require it sooner. M&M go to bed right around 7pm. I usually try to keep the babies up til about 7:30pm--it's seems like right now if I put them down sooner,they don't sleep well.(I might add they are late morning sleepers). I like to try to get everyone down around the same time each evening.

Crystal

 

I have three. The twins were after my first. We put the twins to bed first, because Gavin is more patient. We bath them, and everything first. Then after they are alseep it is Gavin's turn. The twins go to bed about an hour before Gavin. Gavin usually "helps" us bath the twins, by watching and telling us their body parts. If he gets cranky or impatient, one of us will either read him a story while the other one gets the twins ready or we will pop in one of his favorite dvds. this helps him get tired too because we turn off all the lights while he watches the movie.

 

Thanks for the replies!

This is what I did tonight...

4:00 bath Oliver
4:15 bf O
4:30 put O to bed
5:00 dinner for Natalie and Gabe
5:45 bath N & G
6:15 N & G in bed

This worked great except that N & G woke O on their way up to bed. N yells for her favorite stuffed animal and G just runs around the second floor. I tried to keep them quiet, but O woke anyway. I spent 30 minutes trying to get him back to sleep and gave up. He's playing now. I'll try again in a bit. So, not sure if this will turn out to be his late afternoon nap or sleep for the night.... time will tell.

Thanks for all of your schedules. It really helped me work on some timing today!!

-Catherine

 

Well, for us baths are every other day in the morning, right after breakfast. At night, it goes like this:

5:30/6pm dinner
6:30pm clean up / jammie time
7pm reading / prayer time
7:15 Esther (18 months) in bed
7:30 Israel and Ruthie (almost 3) in bed
7:45/8pm Nicholas (almost 5) in bed

The times can vary a little depending on naps and such, but the seperation timing stays the same.

If I were you, I would try to have the baby either taking an evening nap or playing in exersaucer or something, so you can get the twins to bed, then have time with the baby and his bedtime routine.

HTH!

 

I so feel your pain!! DH is knee deep in tax season and isn't getting home until late. Nights with dinner and bedtime alone is really hard. I feed the twins at 6:00 bathe all at 6:30 give the twins a bottle at 7:00 then put them to bed. Oldest DD and I eat after that and usually DH is home by then. She goes to bed 8:15. At that point I'm exhausted and ready to go to bed myself! Good Luck getting your new routine.