Bedtime with 3 under 3

amother

Pink

Wed, Sep 30 2015, 6:46 pm

Can someone help me out here?

Bedtime is a nightmare!!!

I need help!

Please break it down for me or recommend a book.

I yelled at my 1 year old baby tonight.

That's why the 2 year old and 1 year old finally went to sleep, after the woke up the newborn for the 3rd time.

There must be a trick that I don't know about.

Yawn

yOungM0mmy

Wed, Sep 30 2015, 6:54 pm

Can you separate them, even just for bedtime if you have to then combine them for the night once they are asleep? Or the two bigger ones share a room, and you sit on the floor there with the baby (nurse, etc) and make sure they do not get out of bed. You can read a book, sing a song to them (a really really long song), or just do a crossword puzzle yourself and repeat gently and soothingly "go to sleep, go to sleep, shhhhhhh, shhhhhhhhhhhh... etc" Or play music (classical or something gentle) and you sit outside their room so catch them before they get too out of hand, and you do whatever you want there - laundy, laptop/tablet/your phone, etc. I definitely think you need to be there, plan to be there for at least an hour, without losing your cool (easier said then done, I know), it's not a bedtime routine, into bed and you're free kind of situation.

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Sep 30 2015, 11:27 pm

Hi,
G-D willing, I will soon have 3 under 3 (with the oldest being a week "short" of 3 years old) but just wanted to say it is MUCH easier if you can bathe the oldest two together. In that case, bathe them both with the newborn on a rocker or swing next to you in the bathroom or hallway. Or have your dh (if he's home) watch the newborn while you bathe them or vice versa (you watch the newborn while he bathes the older two). It might be worth it to even push off bedtime to a bit later just in order to have your dh help.

We personally do not shower my 1.5 and 3 year old together due to tznius issues, and that makes things a bit more complicated.
I have started to give them bathes earlier in the day - like before their afternoon naps, when my son comes home from playgroup (anyway he is usually somewhat dirty then). I find it much more practical than evening bathes when they are super cranky.
Then in the evening they have dinner, we put pjs on, brush teeth, read a story on the couch, and I sing them a good night song and put a night light on in their room. I give them both a sippy cup or bottle with cold water. In the beginning, this routine was challenging for them, as they did not want to go to bed so early, so I let them cry it out a bit and now they learned how to talk to each other until they go to sleep.

Just want to add that you do not have to shower your kids every day. I aim for every other day. It keeps my sanity Smile

or I'll often just wash their faces, hands, and tushies and that is enough.

Good luck Smile

chani8

Thu, Oct 01 2015, 4:39 am

You do sound frazzled, OP. You're doing fine!!

The toddlers need to stay in their cribs. Sit in the room with them until they fall asleep.

They should not be told to be quiet for the baby, never blamed for waking the baby, or else you will surely create sibling jealousy.