Staying in bed

[mommy2two babes]

I wasn't sure if I should put this here or the family bed.
DD 5 and DS 3 are getting increadibly sleep deprived. ( Not to mention me)
DD is in school and we have to get up at 6:30 to get there in time.


Both kids are terrible to wake up and DD is so grumpy and tired all day.
She throws temper tantrums breaks into tears at the simplest thing.
( this morning she cried because she said she was scared of DS's hiccups)
The kids are fighting like you wouldn't believe. ( is there a tearing my hair out smilie???)

Come bedtime though it is like a 3 ring circus.
They like to sleep together and we have a family bed. DD has her own room and bed as well.

If they are together they are either fighting, giggling and getting out of bed.
DD seems to be instigating DS to get out of bed and egging him on.
DS spits water from his cup all over himself and the bed and stips off all his clothes. I wouldn't mind him sleeping naked at all except that he wakes up every night teeth chattering.

I have found myself yelling at them and I hate it.
It seems such an aweful way to end the day.

I hope someone has some suggestions as I am at my witts end.

I separate them and they are both scared they say. DD will usually yell accross the hall encouraging DS to get out of bed to come to her room.

[Ravenlunatic]

I would start by staggering their bedtimes.

Can you DH watch Dd while you put DS down? Stay with him while he falls asleep, ensuing that he does go to sleep with dry jammies, etc...

Meanwhile you DH can be with your DD, then 30 minutes after you put DS down he can do the routine - teeth brush etc - with DD and get her into bed.

Also, we have a frenzy period late evening too. I allow this but put a time line on it. Like if your children need to be up at 6:30, at my house that would mean that after dinner (5-6pmish) there would be no frenzy/playtime for the 3 year old. It would be bath at 6pm, bed at 6:30, asleep by 7pm. For the 5 year old I would allow 30 minutes of quite play or tv from 6 to 6:30, then bath and bed by 7, asleep by 7:30.

That is 11.5 hours of sleep for the 3 year old and 11 hours for the 5 year old. In my house this would be enough sleep and leave a slight bit of leeway for flexibility.

I think you need to restructure the entire way your family views and does the evenings.

Also, if 5:30 dinner is too early because of your DH's work, I would feed the kids early.

[Gentle~Mommy :)]

My boys are 5 and 3.5, we have a family bed and all sleep together, they also have their rooms but don't used them for sleeping - they are more for display, if you know what I mean. Sometimes they play in there.

Anyway, NO FOOD or DRINK in the bedroom, that's our rule now after having one too many spill or crumbs or whatever. I have a britta water jug in the bathroom with cups and if they need a drink they go there.

Sometimes they roughhouse and annoy each other and we have had to speak to them less gently then I would like, it's exhausting if one is sick and up all night and disturbing the other.

I don't know what to tell you mama,. I know it's hard sometimes, I feel the positives outweigh the negatives though, I love sleeping with my boys.