How do you get 2 kids to bed without duct tape or velcro suits and sheets?

[feeb]

My 2 are nightmares most nights at bed time. They are generally ready for bed between 1900-1930 but some night can be a fight until 2300 to get them to stay in bed.

They were in separate rooms, but decided wanted to be together and even separating them again the just get up to go to each other unless 1 of us is is lieing with other one but can still take a long time.

They get out of bed, get clothes out of drawers, get toys out, chuck doonas off bed and then jump off beds. It gets to the point of yelling and screaming as very frustrating. Some nights we end up with DS1 in our bed with DH and me sitting in boys room with DS2 till both asleep, generally 1 or both of them get up overnight and end up in bed with us.

It is very tiring and challanging and cant be depressing. Hang in there good luck

[Snacks]

Step 1: Put DD2 into bed (after story) & kiss goodnight.
Step 2: Read to DD1 while she is in bed
Step 3: Put DD2 back into bed & kiss goodnight
Step 4: Sing DD1 a song & kiss goodnight
Step 5: Put DD2 back into bed & kiss goodnight.
Step 6: Provide DD2 with whatever she "needs" (e.g. my dinosaur, my book, my ribbon, my painting etc)
Step 7: Put DD2 back into bed & kiss goodnight.
Repeat steps 6&7 ad nauseam.

That's how we roll. Sigh.

[MummyNaomi]

If I am doing bedtime solo I will usually let DS watch a movie and have a later night (it doesn't happen that often here), that gives me time to get DD to bed and often DS will fall asleep in front of the movie (I turn all the lights down, set him up with a pillow and quilt so he can get comfy and cosy)

However when DS is tired and I need to put both to bed at the same time, I take them both into my bed and feed DD while cuddling DS and once one of them has fallen asleep, then I cuddle, stroke, pat the other to sleep. Once they are in a deep sleep I'll transfer them to their own beds.

[MummyNaomi]

double post

[Chrispe]

We turn the lounge room lights down low from 6:30-7pm onward. It has made a huge difference in how fast they fall asleep. Just a dull lit lamp instead of a big light makes them sleepier.

Also my SIL was having a lot of trouble with her 2yo & went to a toddler sleep seminar. One thing they warned her about was over stimulation (eg. TV/movies/news programs) easily over stimulate toddlers & kids. It was suggested at least 30min quiet before bedtime.

Some nights when my kids seem to be wound up I make them sit either on the couch or on a bed & we read quiet stories like A. A. Milne or Beatrix Potter. Or bedtime poems.
Don't get me wrong we don't do that every night (like I probably should) but it does seem to help when they have gotten to the ratty wound up stage.

Another tip for mum: deep long breaths, hard to do sometimes, can help save sanity though.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/04/23/ru3yramy.jpg

[chippyrabbit]

Sing 100 green bottles to them?

[Lenny]

Mine are a little older now, and seem a bit more tired when they first go to bed.

But when they were younger I did find one at a time easier. I'd do the dinner (early, like 5), then play, then tidy up, book, then shower, teeth etc. I would then pick the tired one and we'd all go to his bed and read one or two books. Then the other one would go out of the room (same room never ever worked in this house) and sit in the lounge with an audiobook on their own headphones ($20 from **** smith). They can't walk around much because the headphones and MP3 player restrict their movement a bit. They rarely muck up with them on. No tv at this stage. If I did offer tv, it was always before the bath bit.
Then sit with the tired one until he was almost asleep. Then sit with the other less tired one until the audiobook was over, or start another short book - reward for being quiet whilst I dealt with first child.
Then bed for the second child.
Then pretty much what Snacks said. Lol.

With my older son I used to say to him mummy's going to have a shower now, so I'll come back and check on you and give you water/blanket/dinosaur/whatever in ten minutes after my shower. He seemed to go with this a lot and then sometimes he'd fall asleep and sometimes not, but at least he'd been calm for the previous 10 minutes or so.

I kinda followed this routine when DH was home too. Then they knew that they couldn't get me to give them treats or special treatment when I was on my own.

Bear in mind, this didn't always work. Nothing is ever fool-proof. But it was always what I tried to do.

[HotI]

Also my SIL was having a lot of trouble with her 2yo & went to a toddler sleep seminar. One thing they warned her about was over stimulation (eg. TV/movies/news programs) easily over stimulate toddlers & kids. It was suggested at least 30min quiet before bedtime.

I think that can be an issue here, we try to ditch the tv but sometimes the two of them just stimulate each other. I need to separate them, but don't really want to rely on screens. One of my friends (chippyrabbit!) bored them to sleep singing 100 green bottles. Maybe i should try that more often.

Last night went well, DS had a nap in the afternoon so i got to spend some time just with DD. Bit of fun (painting the cubby), bit of exercise, and she fell asleep on the couch with a heated blanket while i was feeding DS. Worked well, cos when i put DS to bed, he woke and i had to lay with him for awhile.

Thanks for all the ideas, i will find something that works here.

[Jellyfish]

The first thing I do when I know I will be doing the nights alone is have a really big day, so lots of running around outside. I also try and make sure naps are early or skipped if the child is okay.

We eat dinner which is prepared earlier, shower together then all hop in the one bed for stories while DD2 feeds to sleep. Then I transfer DD2 to our room and come back to DD1. If DD2 is resisting sleep then I will put on a CD of music or a story for DD1 and settle DD2 elsewhere. I always do DD2 first as DD1 can understand waiting and being quiet.

I do it alone 3 nights a week and it can be rough