I HATE bedtime!

[petesgirl]

This could be a BP but I really need advice!

How on earth is one person (me) supposed to get 2 kids ( 2.5 yr and 2 months) to bed at a decent time?
DH works a graveyard shift so 5 days of the week he isn't around to help. DD's witching hour is 7-10 pm and she just nurses/falls asleep /wakes up crying 10 mins later for that entire time. She doesn't mind her swing during the day but hates it in the evening. I've wondered if getting a rock and play would be worth a try but not sure if she is too close to outgrowing that.
Meanwhile DS, who has always been a poor sleeper, is going through a major sleep regression which I'm sure is due to the fact that I haven't been able to maintain his bedtime routine because of the baby. He goes to bed late and wakes up several times during the night.
I can't seem to get anyone in bed before 11 pm!
And yes, we are all grumpy around here.

[essnce629]

My kids are almost 6 years apart so I don't have many suggestions, but can you wear DD in a sling or wrap while getting DS ready for bed? That's what I used to do. And make DS's bedtime routine as quick and easy as possible-- pajamas, brush teeth, 1 book, and lights out. And if you're giving DS a bath every night can you do that during the day instead or earlier in the evening before DD's witching hour? I'd put DS2 in a bouncy chair in the bathroom with me while I gave DS1 a quick bath (wash and get out!) My DH is also never home in the evenings.

[HannaAddict]

I'd let baby stay up and get your older child down first. There is no good way, bedtime takes forever when my husband isn't here so I feel for you!!

[TxCat]

What time are you starting to put everyone to bed? Putting the toddler to bed earlier might help significantly.

A few things that have worked for us: don't do baths every night, carrier to wear baby while you help toddler with tooth brushing and bathroom, and then nursing baby while reading to toddler, then put baby to bed last.

As for the RnP, we used it until close to 5 months. Totally worth it.

[MommyAllison]

A few things that have worked for us: don't do baths every night, carrier to wear baby while you help toddler with tooth brushing and bathroom, and then nursing baby while reading to toddler, then put baby to bed last.

This was exactly what I did when dd1 and DS were those ages. It is hard though, good luck!

[flashy09]

I am in the same boat with a 2 yr old and 2 month old. It's crazy town! The nights I have to put both to bed are really hard, but I try to get a very early start. I feed DD1 at 5 and then we take a shower together with the baby in a bouncer or RNP in the bathroom. Then DD1 gets in pajamas and has her milk and teeth brushed. We go into room around 6 and make it dark as possible with the sound machine on. I rock with the baby, swaddle her, nurse her and put her down in the RNP. DD1 usually plays with her dolls and hopefully winds down while I deal with the baby. Around 630/645 I start reading to DD while rocking the baby in RNP with my foot if she's fussy. 7/715 I put DD1 in her crib.

I think getting the toddler asleep by 7 before the baby is really fussy would help. The hour in the dark room helps the toddler get sleepy and is good for getting the baby onto an earlier bedtime as well. After putting DD1 down I stick the hopefully sleeping baby in my dark room with a monitor and if she wakes up a few times, I go upstairs to her rather than bringing her downstairs to the action.

I make it sound easy - of course it doesn't always go this way and I have plenty of nights with a wild toddler running around naked in her room while my baby screams, pukes, has blow outs, etc and nobody gets to bed early!

[123LuckyMom]

It's really hard with two kids! I make the baby wait, too.

Basically tend to the baby's immediate needs, but concentrate on the toddler. Make sure that before you start bedtime for the toddler the baby has eaten and been changed. After the toddler is asleep, you can worry about getting the baby down.

[AngB]

As for the RnP, we used it until close to 5 months. Totally worth it.

Agreed! We used it till 6 months with DS1 and almost 7 months with DS2. Best money ever! It's at my friends' house with their new baby right now.

[marymoo86]

Bedtime is no picnic under the best of circumstances! The RNP and swaddle were a godsend send during that time. Add in a major sleep regression bedtime, was stuff of nightmares for a while until ODD settled back into routine. I worried more about ODD waking the baby instead of the other way around!

We still use the RNP for parking the baby to take a shower - most used baby item here. Still no fun and worst part of the day but bit by bit getting better.

[acmom]

I had to do this a lot too when my kids were younger as DH often didn't get home til after bed. PPs have had lots of good suggestions. I did what many have mentioned and put the toddler to bed first. I kept an extra boppy in DD's and DS would often lay on that while we read books and sang her good night songs so I could snuggle her. Just another option if you don't have room for a RnP (which we loved too!) in your toddlers room or don't want to move gear around. And also I second the idea of only doing a bath every other or every third night to streamline bedtime.