Bedtimes!!!

[bunnybartlett]

How do those with more than one child handle the bedtime thing??

My 3 yo has not napped since she was 2.She really needs that 12 hours of sleep while my 6.5 yo only needs 10 or so.Since she stopped napping they continued to go to bed at the same time (bunk beds) I lay with little one on bottom.Then oldest would get up earlier in the mornin and 3 yo would sleep in.But, over the summer it got worse and worse that 3 yo would NOT sleep in and then be cranky for most of the day.Getting less than the 12 hours really affects her personality. Napping is not an option because she won't go on the early side and then won't go to bed if she naps late. She does have quiet time with a movie in the afternoon.

So, with the sun going down earlier I have tried to put youngest to bed earlier than the older but she won't go without her.Oldest DD has been helping me "trick" her by laying in her bunk long enough for little one to go to sleep and then getting up with me and having time alone with mom.She really likes this the problem is I find myself resenting this.Having her stay up later affects my alone time.This is the only time I get.Husband is not one to take kids so i can have time to myself.Two nights a week he is gone overnight...etc. The show I like to watch at 9pm are too grown up for her and we do not have a working vcr and I really want dvr but hubby says no we don't need it and it cost too much monthly anyhow. He says tv is not important ( from the man who has time to watch mulitple movies a week alone on his lap top...er exuse me the " man-cave" ) Our marriage has not been the greatest so I cannot choose this subject to battle about right now.I just want my "ME" time back and the little one to get enough sleep!!

HELP!!

[Alyantavid]

My kids are 2 and 6 and I think I finally figured out what works for us.

They take baths, brush teeth, etc and I lay down with my 2 year old. When he's asleep, I take my 6 year old to bed and we read a chapter of whatever book we're on and then he goes to sleep. I don't keep him up much longer at all, just 1/2 hour or so, so my 6 year old gets that little extra undivided mom time.

I'm doing the laying down thing right now since they just got their own rooms and he's not entirely comfortable being away from his brother.

My 2 year old starts his bedtime at 7:30 and my 6 year old is asleep by 8:30. To get up for work I have to be in bed by 9:30 but at least I do have that little time to myself. I hear you though, my dh works nights and isn't around for bedtime and its taken me a long time to get this figured out.

[Graceoc]

my 3.5 year old and 8.5 year old share a bedroom as well. What I usually do is put the little one to bed first - usually wiht my DH or I laying with him. He is so tired by bedtime that he usually falls asleep in about 10 minutes. Then the older one goes to bed about an hour later.

Is the problem that the little one won't sleep without the big one in the room? Could you allow the big one up, but reading quietly in *your* room so that you can still have some down time? That is what we do alot. My oldest will be allowed to be awake, but quite awake time in my room reading.

[bunnybartlett]

well the six yo thinks

that if she gets to stay up later than her sister mom is going to entertain her...ie: games etc.I have no problem reading her a chapter or two but she wants like 1.5 hours of mommy and her time and I am just not up for it in the evening!!

plus like I said that is my tv time about 9pm which was both of their bedtimes last winter.

I really need dvr that would solve alot.

my kids always have stayed up late till like last winter when we tried to move it back so we could get up for certain morning activities they like to do!!
when they were younger I could watch my shows while they played cause they really didn't get the grownup talk that was happening.

Television is how I unwind....I can't be the only one!!