bedtime logistics question

[urbanmommy]

Last night dh went out and I had to put both girls to bed. dd2 was crying and wanted to nurse while I was trying take care of dd1. This was especially difficult because it was bath night. It ended up taking forever and with both girls crying a lot.
If your dh/dw isn't around for bedtime how do you handle both kids, especially if you have an infant?

[Jen841]

I did it solo about 90% of the time. You can do it! I would do but everything together, including bath time. The baby would be in the infant tub in the front nad big bro was in back. I would read while sitting side by side on the bed and could nurse if needed.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Multi task, like nurse while doing stories and bath. Otherwise, triage and keep people happy enough.

[hillview]

it is hard for sure. Sometimes it works to skip the bath. I would let DS1 watch a show or play quietly while I put DS2 to bed.

[lmwbasye]

When DH deployed the second time I had a 3 month old and 3 year old. I just did everything together. Baths were together. PJs put on together. Stories were read while nursing. It worked well.

[urbanmommy]

I do it myself 95% of the time. My kids are 6.5,4.5,2 and 7 weeks. How old are your kids? Mine don't get baths every night. 2 and 4 yo boys go in together.
My 6 showers independently. I usually nurse baby while boys are in bath. Put her in bouncy and dress 2 yo. 4 up does his own. Get teeth brushed. I will sometimes nurse her while I read a story in bed to them together.
It gets easier.


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DDs are almost 4 and almost 6 mos.
We do bath every other night. i guess once DD2 is sitting up I can put her in the bath with dd1?
Doe your DCs wash themselves/wash their own hair?

[brittone2]

When DH travels, I start bedtime reaaaaally early. I do not do well when I feel under the gun, and ugly mommy rears her head when I'm stressed out and feeling time-crunched. So they have a snack by 6:30, are upstairs by 7 or a bit before. They don't shower/bathe every night. If DH is traveling, sometimes I have them shower/bathe in the late afternoon before dinner. DS1 has been independent with showering for a long time. DD and DS2 bathe together. DS1 and DD can brush and potty independently, but will play around and get off track, so they need reminders. While they are brushing/pottying, I get DS2 ready for bed. We start bedtime super early, but with the understanding that if they don't mess around, we'll have extra reading time. DS1 usually reads on his own at night, but when DH travels he seems to enjoy listening to a book with DD. So I nurse DS2 and read to DD and DS1. Since we start early, they usually get an extra chapter or more of reading, which makes them happy and then they don't complain so much about the early start to bedtime.

We HS, so have more flexibility...no homework, and I can have them shower/bathe in the late afternoon unless we have sports practice or something.

It is tougher on nights when DS1 has a game or practice and we don't get home until 7:30 or 8pm. Then they need something to eat before bed because they are famished, DS1 needs a shower, and it is kind of chaotic. I shorten reading time (we do a ton of read aloud stuff during the day, so I don't feel badly about it) or whatever I can do to make life easier. I hang on and hope for the best on those nights ;)

For me, the key is lots of cushion in terms of extra time. When I feel pressured for time, I get stressed and everyone is grumpy, including me!

[waitingforgrace]

We only do bath every 3rd night. I get diaper and PJs and take to the bathroom, DD1 oes in to play, then get DD2 in to be washed, take DD2 out, get her dressed for bed. Then I put DD2 in seat in the bathroom with a toy or a few Cheerios while I wash DD1 and get her out, dried and dressed. DD1 then gets to watch some TV while I rock and nurse DD2 and put her down to bed. Then I get DD1 we read a book and she goes to bed.

[o_mom]

Either do the bath together or split them up by a long time, giving the baby a bath in the afternoon, before dinner - perhaps even doing them on different nights or skipping altogether.

I tried to get the older one ready, then nursed the baby while reading bedtime stories. I also started way earlier than when we had two people home so that I could have a chance that the older one would be in bed on time and then I could just sit and nurse the baby to sleep.