What's your bedtime routine?

[tinselcat]

Am trying to establish a routine for my 7 month old... am not really a fan of baths & he's far too wriggly for massage so looking for ideas - any inspiration appreciated

 

[MrsT2011]

Maybe introduce a story or a nursery rhyme? X

 

[Cakey]

I read Oscar a story as I feed him as part of his bedtime routine. But then again he sleeps awfully so maybe don't listen to me lol xxx

 

[Pin badge]

We do tea, bath (or wash and nappy change if she's tired), milk (breastfed) and a story.xx

 

[Ella1979]

We've never done bath as a part of our bedtime routine. When they were really little, it was wash, change for bed and bottle in a quiet, darkish room. As they've got older we introduced a story. Now they have wash, change for bed and milk. Then up to bed for a story before lights out. I think as long as you do the same set things each night, that's usually what sets them up for a good night.

Recently my 21 month old has decided he likes to play with his cars in his bed before sleep. Seems to work! Obviously wouldn't recommend this, but currently my other option is him screaming blue murder because I removed anything that wasn't a soft toy from his bed...

 

[Toni.C]

My 6 month old has dinner, play, bath (if it's bath night), bare bum time on our bed, pjs, downstairs for bottle then into bed for 7-7.15 and has been doing 12 hour nights since 5 weeks old. When we put him down he might have a wriggle and a chat in bed for 10 mins ute then he drops off on his own. V

 

[buzz]

Similar to above, we do dinner at 6, bath, bottle in his room, toothbrushing, story, bed 7/7:15ish. Once he is upstairs he doesn't go down again.

 

[Rooster30]

We don't make bath part of our routine. We change downstairs, warm milk, In The Night Garden, CBeebies story and song, clean teeth, then upstairs for story then bed (we also say goodnight to sunshine on his geo-clock but yours is too young for that).

For my baby, she gets changed downstairs, a little head massage then a bottle upstairs, a little rock in my arms then into the cot awake for self settling.

 

[tinselcat]

Thanks everyone! What sort of stories do people read to their babies? (or children below 1)?

I have a nice little book called "Good night Teddy Bear" but tend to get through it in about a minute, or 2 if I really manage to string it out!

 

[buzz]

We read all sorts of stories. The Julia Donaldson books are great, and Jill Murphy, classics like We're going on a bear hunt. Anything with a nice rhythm. The Mr Men books, etc.

 

[Rooster30]

At that age we just did really basic books - doesn't matter if it lasts just a minute or two. His favourites were 'Goodnight Tractor' and 'Wow, Said The Owl' - they're too young at that age to understand the longer books. My son is 2.9 and is now very much into Julia Donaldson and Oliver Jeffers books, but back when he was 10 months old 'Goodnight Tractor' was good enough.

 

[Taboo917]

We have quite a few of the "that's not my..." books and Caleb seems to quite enjoy those - they're short too but it's enough for him! x