Who does bedtime in your house?

Just curious how others do bedtime - what do you like about your routine? What do you not like?

At our house, if DH & I are both home in the evening, we always do bedtime together. Usually Emmett goes to bed around 6:30pm & the girls at 7:00pm but if Emmett's bedtime overlaps with the girls for whatever reason then we divide & conquer - I take Emmett & DH continues with the girls. I'll join them after Emmett's asleep if they're still doing stories or songs.

I like that I get to spend some quiet, downtime with all of my kids every night before they go to bed. I don't like that I rarely get a break from "the final stretch" which can be a rough time as everyone's using up their last bit of good energy for the day & sometimes, I just want my glass of wine already darn it!

 

DH gets home from work at 6:45, so bedtime is a rush rush time of eat supper, shower the big kids, bath the little kids (if necessary, that doesn't happen every night), get Kaelyn into bed around 8-8:15, Sean into bed at 8:30, then relax on the couch for a bit before getting the twins to bed at 9:30. We both help at bedtime, but usually it's DH who gets the big kids into bed while I clean up supper dishes and load the dishwasher. Then we both get the twins into bed together.

The only thing i wish I could change would be David's work schedule, i wish he got home earlier so supper/bedtime wasn't so rushed. But eating together is very important to me and I'm not willing to feed the kids earlier just so it's not quite so chaotic at bedtime

 

We alternate nights. And I love it! It works really well for us. Like you, some nights I am just done. I don't want to have to do anything else. Bedtime is so erratic with the times, but we try to aim for 8pm.

When I'm not exhausted and spent after my 14 hours on kid duty, bedtime can be the best time. They are so happy and playful, and it's when you can forget about the trials of the day and savor those little beings while you read and tuck them in. :wub:

Other nights, I curse that it's my turn and not dh's! :laughing:

 

We do bedtime as a family and I really enjoy it. I get them changed and calmed, Paul does a story with the girls in his lap, and then we put them down together. I remember mom and dad kissing me goodnight every night, so I hope we're making good memories for the girls.

They go to sleep at 7:30. After that, mommy has a beer as we clean and straighten, then it's the couch and iPad until 11. I love our evenings.

Mornings? No love there.

 

My husband does it 90% of the time. I'm usually getting myself ready for bed (4:30 am wakeup) when he's reading their stories. Plus for some reason I cannot read a book out loud without yawning at least 80 million times. Like literally every other sentence. He also gets them ready in the mornings since I've already left for the day.

 

I do bedtime. I pick the boys up from daycare by 5, I try and have supper already made and in their dishes before I leave. I stick it in the microwave to keep it warm, so that when we come in the door there is no waiting. I usually bath every 2nd night but with the warm weather this week and the boys playing outside lots, they have been bathed every night this week, they are pretty dirty when I pick them up. Bath is usually around 6-6:15, the twins are in bed by 6:30-6:45 and my oldest no later then 7:30. I do a story with Donevan my oldest. I have tried with all 3 but the twins can't/won't sit through a whole story and I end up chasing them around 3 pages in which then makes Donevan frustrated as he wants a story.

 

Ours is fast, lol. After dinner, dh usually reads a story or two (if they ask, otherwise we skip that part), then we go upstairs, do bath every 2/3 days (going to be more often once it's warmer obviously), then teeth, go to their room, change into PJs (we do it in the bathroom if it's bath night), then they play a little bit with dh and we do the bed, and they turn the lights and go to bed, we give them a kiss and leave... fast and easy! We usually do it together if we're both home (only one of us does bath and we call the other when they're ready to get out).

 

WE both do but if there are any snags, I get the leftovers.

 

On nights that DH works late, I do bedtime. The other nights, he does it. It works out to be about 50/50 and it's nice that we each get our special night time with them and then also get a bit of a break from it.

 

When DH is on the night shift obviously I do bed time by myself. When he's on the day shift it depends on how his week is going. If it's a week like this week where he's training and working 12 hour days 13 days in a row then I do it all and he sort of assists. Meaning I do baths but he'll get their pajamas and the rooms ready for me. If he's having a routine week then normally I get Cooper after the bath and he does everything for the girls. All 3 take a bath together but Cooper gets out a lot sooner than the girls and then he goes straight to bed. I get Cooper ready for bed and rock him to sleep every night. I don't want to share that. :wub: After Cooper is in bed I head to my bed, usually with a snack and my ipad and DH finishes the girls bath and puts them to bed himself. I need a break in the evenings, I am a morning person not a night person. I always get up with the kids in the morning and let him sleep so when he is off he always bathes them and puts the girls to bed. So on nights when DH is on the day shift or off I am usually in bed no later than 7:15. :lol:

 

We both do He usually bathes them and then I get them dressed. We have them brush their teeth together and then I rock and sing Hannah her songs (with the boys help sometimes) and then we both put the boys to bed. I wish I could just sit and let DH do it alone but I feel weird even going on a date and having someone else do it for me!

 

DH and I always tag-teamed bedtime until about a month ago.
We would each take one DS and do our routine.... pj's, milk, teeth, books, rocking, etc.
After our new baby was born, he'd accompany one of us (separate rooms so we could each use a rocker). As littlest DS has gotten older though, he doesn't always want to sit/sleep quietly through the routine. So, about a month ago DH and I started alternating nights. Bedtime begins around 7. We still do the same routine and both of us say goodnight, but only one of us takes them upstairs for books, etc. while the other stays with the baby and cleans up the playroom.

 

We both do bedtime. Bedtime is at 7:30-8 for all three so we tag-team between getting them dressed, reading stories, brushing teeth, helping w/ picking up toys. Whatever we've got going on seems to work for us so I'm happy with what/how we do things. Not sure I'd really change anything!

 

We usually take turns because one of us works late most nights. It is a rare weekend treat if we do bedtime as a family.

My LOs dislike baths and showers so those are not part of the bedtime routine but we shower them as needed in the morning or before dinner. We go upstairs at 7pm and the idea is to have them asleep or nearly asleep no later than 8 pm. The bedtime routine is snack of milk, potty, change into pjs, we then cuddle up and read a story or two (20 minutes), pray and use that opportunity to talk about the day (good bits, bad bits, new experiences, plans for the next day), kisses and off to bed and lights out. If its DH's turn he then leaves. If it's my turn I then sing them to sleep (well, not always to sleep but I do sing for a good while) as I started doing in the womb. I love that because bedtimes are not always as peaceful as I would like but that is always a peaceful loving end to the day.

 

We both do. DH brushes their teeth and I do the hair, ears, wipe down, PJ's and flossing before bed. Because my DH often works 12-13 hour days, the kids like for him to read them stories and physically put them to bed, so he does. He is usually gone in the mornings before they wake up, so I get them ready for the day.
After the kids are down, he goes to the gym, I check in with my Mom, check online and catch up on some TV shows. Then it's off to bed for me :lazy:

 

We quasi alternate based on who has more to do in the evening.

 

lol!!! same here!

most of the time, dh is home in the evenings, so we do it together. if it's bath night, i bathe them, then dh helps them get dressed and blow dries their hair. we do prayer, dh has teeth duty, and i read 3 books, then sing them each their own lullabye (their requests), then bedtime. it's the same every night, and don't you dare try to change any little thing about it lol

obviously, if one of us is not here, the other does the whole thing.

bedtime is 8pm

 

We started alternating just last week. And yes, if there are any snags, I'm the one that has to step in. What I like most about this arrangment is that I know the kids will get to bed at a reasonable time on the nights I put them to bed. And I get the rest of my night free. What I like least about this arrangement is that DH operates a free for all on his nights. The kids will not go to sleep until late, and I will not get the rest of the evening free unless I step in and help.

 

It depends on the night/week, but it's usually 50/50. Although, if I had it my way I think we'd alternate nights. I love putting the kiddos to bed and doing prayers and stories with them, but some nights I'm so tired I think I'll either pass out or throw up! DH is great at moving the night along, the kids don't press him for an extra sip of water or to start tuck-in all over because he didn't shake the covers out just right, etc. Sullivan does better I think when hubby tucks her in, she knows she can work me for an extra song or extra 5 minutes of rocking. Oh well. Needless to say I'm always happy when he's home to help with bedtime. There's always so much to do before and after bedtime...splitting the work is always a relief!

 

Our kids all go to bed at the same time. We switch off nights so that we each do the twins one night, older son the next. It's a precious time.

 

My hubby works out of town during the week so it is just me with the bedtimes. But when he is home, we always do it together. We'll each get one girl and get them dressed, brush their teeth and hair, then we head into their room and they each choose a book to read, hubby and I each read one. Then they hop into bed, we each do our hugs and kisses and what not and that is that