Bedtime routine with your kids...

[Pink Elephant]

Did everyone have a bedtime routine with their children when they were babies/younger?

Book reading/story-time?

Bath-time?

Did bedtime take place the same time every night in your home?

How willing/defiant were your kids when it came to bedtime?

Were you strict when it came to bedtime?

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT needed a routine, which was hard for me as I am not terribly routine-oriented. Every night a bath, which calmed her, then she went right to bed and pretty much passed out. Everything she did was intense, including sleeping. She needed a lot of sleep, so bedtime was consistent.

I remember once she woke up, which was pretty unusual, and I was watching Carrie on TV. Miss KT showed up just as the pig blood hit Carrie at the prom. She asked, "What's on TV?" "It's a movie called Carrie." "What hit her?" They say it's blood." "What is it really?" "Maple syrup." "OK." And back to bed she went. She was about 4 at the time.

 

[Pink Elephant]

Miss KT needed a routine, which was hard for me as I am not terribly routine-oriented. Every night a bath, which calmed her, then she went right to bed and pretty much passed out. Everything she did was intense, including sleeping. She needed a lot of sleep, so bedtime was consistent.

I remember once she woke up, which was pretty unusual, and I was watching Carrie on TV. Miss KT showed up just as the pig blood hit Carrie at the prom. She asked, "What's on TV?" "It's a movie called Carrie." "What hit her?" They say it's blood." "What is it really?" "Maple syrup." "OK." And back to bed she went. She was about 4 at the time.

A little tactfulness goes a long ways with younger children.

Sounds like you had it pretty good, KT.

Lots of sleep equals easier bedtimes (for sure).

 

[Pink Elephant]

Did everyone have a bedtime routine with their children when they were babies/younger? I did, and was strict when it came to abiding by such time frames. I was all business when it came to getting everyone ready and tucked-in for the night.

Book reading/story-time? Took place lots, like nearly every single night, especially once the kids were older (younger toddler years). When a storybook wasn't available, I'd pull up my trusty old wooden chair and make a story up, which was always fun, because I could tell it like I wanted to.

Bath-time? Most nights, yes, especially those in diapers.

Did bedtime take place the same time every night in your home? For the most part, yes. Between 7:00 pm and 7:15 pm. I always aimed to have the kids ready, in bed, and lights out by 7:30 pm. I did well for the most part.

How willing/defiant were your kids when it came to bedtime? Oh, it was hit and miss in our home. Some nights went smoothly, while others went terribly, and weeks, even months would go by where bedtime was uneventful, then something insignificant or trivial would come about, and complete and utter mayhem would unfold.

Were you strict when it came to bedtime? Oh, yes, I sure was. Many-a spanking was administered leading up to bedtime in our home. I estimate that I dished-out just as many spankings before bedtime, as I typically did throughout the day, sometimes with repeat spankings for those showing outright defiance of my strict bedtime rules. I tolerated no tom-foolery when it came to bedtime. For those against spanking, keep in mind, most times those who got a paddling, had on two diapers under a pair of rubber pants, so it was more the action of the sound that the spanking made that remedied bedtime woes, rather than an discomfort type effects.

 

[Crayola13]

When we first adopted our son he was two. His grandma did an amazing job with him, but she died right before we got him. Bedtime was hard because he wouldn't sleep. He had many issues from the day he was born. He missed his grandma after she died suddenly and unexpectedly. He would bang his head on the floor and scream for hours. He was angry but obviously couldn't understand that his grandma had died. He was too little to verbalize his anger and anxiety, so he just screamed for months. I had to sit up all night playing with him, massaging him, reading, etc. and just letting him sleep when he wanted. After about a year, he bonded with us and started sleeping about half the night. By the time he was four he was sleeping through the night and going to bed at normal hours.

 

[Lil]

I rocked my son to sleep every night with a bottle (of water). I tried to put him in his crib and did the "let him cry and check on him in 5 minutes" thing. But he'd work himself up into such a state he'd PUKE all over! Then I had a hysterical baby that needed bathed and a bed change too. I was single. Rocking was much easier. So I rocked and sang.

When he was older I went from crib to twin bed on a bunky board instead of a toddler bed. Then I'd lay down with him and sing to him until he went to sleep. That was no easy task, given that he had to have all his books and toys in his bed with him. LOL And of course, there were the times when I'd run out of songs because it took so long. "Another different song Mama" over and over. There were times I'd sing the Thomas the Tank Engine theme, replacing Thomas with all the other engines and cars, and I'd sing all the lullabies, and all the Christmas Carols, and all the 70's and 80's country and soft rock ballads I could remember...

He was not easy.

 

[BusynMember]

I don't have vivid memories. I didn't really get crazy over bed times as all of my kids needed different amounts of sleep, some napped, and some didn't. I do know that I was more an 8 or 9 o'clock mom and that only Sonic had trouble going to sleep. The others would fall asleep before the first story. I liked to tell stories. I read to the kids all day long. It was one of our big activities so I made up silly stories at night. I was basically a laid back mom so I tried to adjust to each child. No ody ever got spanked for not going to sleep. Or for any reason. I saw no gain in it.

I can't even remember baths. My husband's both helped with that. I think most nights they were bathed. I can barely remember back to the diaper days but I do remember baths if they, say, had a bad poop lol. Right away.

I also let my kids give up naps when they no longer needed them. I tried to prolong Bart's naps when he gave them up at age two. But then he would not fall asleep, even in his bed, until midnight if he napped so I stopped and he started falling asleep at normal times again. So that's how it basically worked. Sonic, with his autism and hyperness, was my only child who didn't sleep well. He often played in his room for hours, talking and singing, rocking side to side. It just seemed to wake him up more if we stayed in his room with him so we didn't. And amazingly he never seemed tired the next day although we swear he didn't sleep for two years!

My granddaughter requires routine, attention and reading to fall asleep and often asks her daddy to do it so they take turns.

I always felt and still feel that every kid is different and has different needs. All my kids eat, sleep and do everything you are supposed to do now....lol. So it worked out fine.

 

[Lil]

You know, I hadn't really read the list.

Did everyone have a bedtime routine with their children when they were babies/younger?

I'd call it a routine. Bath, snuggle, rocking...or bath, snuggle lay down and sing.

Book reading/story-time?

I'm sure I did read to my son at night...but I read often, so it wasn't a big deal. The singing was the night time thing I remember most. He slept with his books! I remember that!

Bath-time?

Yep. He loved his baths, even as a baby.

Did bedtime take place the same time every night in your home?

Pretty much.

How willing/defiant were your kids when it came to bedtime?

Ugh. See above. He was willing after he was older, but only if I lay down with him.

Were you strict when it came to bedtime?

"Strict" I don't know. I tried to keep a schedule. But he was often so sleepy in the mornings. There were times I'd shake him awake. In fact, one thing I remember vividly when he was 2, was a week of having to shake that child awake at 7 a.m. to get to work on time. So on Friday, I thought I'd be smart and I kept him up extra late, so he'd sleep in on Saturday. He woke me up at 6:00! I made him skip his nap, kept him up even later - and Sunday he woke me up at 5:30!!! I yelled at that child until he started to cry! I felt like an absolute MONSTER afterward! All I wanted was one day to sleep in! Never bothered trying again.

 

[AppleCori]

I rocked my son to sleep every night with a bottle (of water). I tried to put him in his crib and did the "let him cry and check on him in 5 minutes" thing. But he'd work himself up into such a state he'd PUKE all over! Then I had a hysterical baby that needed bathed and a bed change too. I was single. Rocking was much easier. So I rocked and sang.

When he was older I went from crib to twin bed on a bunky board instead of a toddler bed. Then I'd lay down with him and sing to him until he went to sleep. That was no easy task, given that he had to have all his books and toys in his bed with him. LOL And of course, there were the times when I'd run out of songs because it took so long. "Another different song Mama" over and over. There were times I'd sing the Thomas the Tank Engine theme, replacing Thomas with all the other engines and cars, and I'd sing all the lullabies, and all the Christmas Carols, and all the 70's and 80's country and soft rock ballads I could remember...

He was not easy.

No wonder you didn’t want any more kids!

 

[AppleCori]

My older girls were great sleepers and loved bedtime. They needed a lot of sleep, so after bath, snack, and read-alouds, they went right to sleep at eight or nine o’clock, depending on their age.

My son was younger but needed less sleep, so after the girls were in bed, I would read with him books that interested him specifically. He loved all science, so we would have tons of books from the library that he would choose and we would read. Or we would talk about math or building and construction, or money and stock markets, or the gold standard and economics, or whatever else he was interested in at the time. He was like a little adult, even when he was young.

My youngest never needed much sleep. Even as a baby or toddler. At a year old, if she had a nap, she was up till midnight. If my older kids had friends over, she loved to stay up and hang around them (not always welcomed, I’m sure).

I got used to waking up several times per night, as she would toss and turn.

I had this book on things you were suppose to do at each week, from the first week old, to promote development. I did the flashlight in the dark room while playing classical music, and hanging different stuff from the ceiling fan for eye tracking, and emphasizing different letter combinations and all this stuff that probably didn’t make a whole lot of difference, but it was fun.

 

[Lil]

I had this book on things you were suppose to do at each week, from the first week old, to promote development. I did the flashlight in the dark room while playing classical music, and hanging different stuff from the ceiling fan for eye tracking, and emphasizing different letter combinations and all this stuff that probably didn’t make a whole lot of difference, but it was fun.

LOL - I just wanted mine to go to sleep so I could watch something on TV besides Nickelodeon.

 

[AnnieO]

When Rose was very small, I would lie on the futon across the room from her crib while she fell asleep. Usually, though, she fell asleep while nursing, or later, after being rocked for just a few minutes, so that didn't happen much.

When she transitioned to a toddler bed, I would sit on the floor and let her play with my hair. I had a CD with a thunderstorm playing. Didn't take her long to fall asleep.

Then into a "big girl bed" which was a full-size that was mine and Bill's before we got the king. I would set a watch timer (vibrations, no noise) for 15 minutes and snuggle her, while the CD played. Somewhere in there, I made a lullaby mix with the thunderstorm. If she settled, I'd snuggle her and she'd fall right asleep. If she didn't settle, I would leave before the timer was up. Sometimes, if she was settled but couldn't sleep, I'd stay a bit longer.

Now, I've started dropping the timer down - we're at 10 minutes now. We snuggle and talk with a CD of lullaby-type music playing (including some pop hits like Silent Lucidity and Rainbow Connection). When the timer goes off, I get up and do hugs and kisses, and promise I'll be back "in a little bit" to check on her. Usually that's about 5 minutes and she's out cold. Bedtime is 7:30, but sometimes she stretches out brushing teeth, etc. a bit longer!

We sometimes do bedtime stories, but rarely as we push reading all the time... And sometimes if she really can't sleep she'll grab a book. It's funny to go in and see her asleep with a book on her chest, just like Mommy used to do!

Baths are 3x a week - Sunday evening (after swimming lessons, with special swim shampoo), Tuesday evening, Thursday evening. Then I braid or twist her hair to sleep on, for less tangles in the morning. THEN snuggles.

Daddy snuggles, too. Not as often as Mommy though.

With the older two... It was hard. Belle barely slept, so we TRIED to institute a bedtime. Pat, we'd hug and kiss and let him fall asleep on his own. Too many false allegations against Bill by bio mom...

 

[Pink Elephant]

What a pleasure it is reading everyone's experiences!

Thanks for making this a fun conversation girls!

Yes, there were baths that happened in our house as a result of overly filled diapers... usually waist-down baths, and then there were times when I'd attempt to bath 2-3 kids at once, or one after another, and someone would use the bathtub as a toilet, and boy-oh-boy, you should have seen the uproar that one caused! LOL!