Saturday, September 28, 2013

Bedtime routines.

M was at a conference in Sydney last week so I was getting my single parent on.

OK, ok, so maybe I called in the help of my mother, like the sook that I am.

No mum is an island, right? Certainly not I.

Even, I, super bedtime routine person, become challenged in the face of flying solo during the witching hour.

 Despite being a naturally scatterbrained individual with a virtually routine-free (aka disorganised) child rearing habit, I have always maintained a strong commitment to a finely tuned bedtime routine.
These days, mostly it works. Except when it doesn't, if you get my drift.

Anyway, this is what I do.

1. Cook dinner while kids are watching TV. B still doesn't really watch TV, I am trying to encourage it. For a while there I got excited about the concept of sending P to a Steiner school, until I read that they discourage television viewing because it discourages imagination. They can shove it. Imagination is not something my girl lacks *gets bossed around by 4-year old, wears costume, plays Kangaroo mummies*.

2. Serve dinner at 5pm. Kids eat/throw/smear it.

3. 5.30pm. Bathtime for B. It took me freaking ages to develop a proper bathing system for both of the kids when B was born, but now they are a bit older I tend to do them separately. P watches more ABC2. God bless it.

4. 5:45pm. Get B out. Jammies on. Goes out to say goodnight to P. She ignores him because TV!

5. I read him a story. He has three that he chooses from every single night, sometimes we read all three. They are "Each Peach Pear Plum", "Peepo", and one called "Toddle Waddle".

6. Then he has a drink of water, I turn the light off, and I stand rocking him and singing his regular lullaby which is this song that Dad used to sing - it goes like this;
                    
                       Ally bally, ally bally bee
                       Sitting on your mummy's knee
                      Waiting for a wee bobby
                      To buy some Coulter's candy....

This is B's favourite lullaby, but some of our other classic bedtime hits also come from Dad.  Here's one old faithful;

                    Well me Ma, she said to me
                    Would yer like a cuppa tea?
                    I said, no no.
                    I want cocoa
                    Down in the glen...

I have argued with him that the last line seems incongruous and that it sits uncomfortably with me. Surely it should be something like "Down by the sea", which would rhyme with "tea"? But he asserts that his version is correct, as his father sang it to him.

Another chart topper is;

                Wee Johnny's lost his marleys
                Wee Johnny's lost his marleys
                Wee Johnny's lost his marleys
                Down by the Linfield Way.

               He lost them down the gratin'
               He lost them down the gratin'
              He lost them down the gratin'
              Down by the Linfield Way

And so forth. Mum says that when Dad used to sing this to us as children, it was Wee Sammy who had lost his marleys, but Dad denies it. Also, he didn't lose them in a potato gratin, rather down the GRATING, but with the G cut off. That is very important for the FEEL of the song. Also, marleys are marbles. Obviously.

OK, back to the routine.

7. 6 - 6:30pm. After singing the song, I put B down in his cot and say "Night night, love you." These days he often say "Nigh, nigh" back. Sweet.

8. 6:30pm - P in bath. Usually have to drag her screaming from the TV.

9. 6:45pm. Jammies on. Read her a story. She takes about twenty years to choose one. She doesn't have a particular favourite.

10. I lie on her bed and sing her a lullaby. Since she was a newborn baby I have sung Edelweiss to her. I suppose this is probably a weird choice, what with its associations with the Anschluss and the von Trapps escaping Nazi persecution and what not but it was the first one that came to mind back in the day when P was tiny.  We have done the hardcore hard yards with P. She has been an erratic sleeper and has gone through stages where I had to hold her door shut while she screamed and yelled at me at bedtime. Calming. These days we have it down pat. Yay. That's not to say she doesn't creep out a few times and scare the life out of me when she's supposed to be asleep, but truly she is mostly pretty good. TOUCH WOOD OMG!

What does your bedtime routine look like? Do you keep the kids up til 10pm and go to sleep on the couch with them? Do you lie on the floor until they drift off to sleep, waking stiff and uncomfortable hours later? Do you all pile in together? It's a broad church. What's good for the goose ain't necessarily good for the gander. Many hands make light work. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I could go on with the meaningless idioms, but I won't.

Bon nuit fair readers!

24 comments:

  1. That sounds like a good routine. I'm usually still waiting for the Dinner Fairy to arrive at 5pm, so hats off to you, my dear.

    It's also more like musical beds around here which is killing me, so I do need to implement a routine. And I have no excuse since my kids are older, except that having a third child really pushed me over the edge and totally beyond my limits. Possibly because I was a slightly more 'mature' Mum when I had no. 3. Still, excuses, excuses. Ahem.

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    1. Oh god this doesn't mean they don't wake/come into our bed/ get up at the crack of dawn. But bedtime is currently SMOOTH! Believe me if I had a third it would be ALL BETS OFF!

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  2. So from day one we've had a great dinner/bath/bed routine - and our kids, like yours, are always in bed by 7pm unless they are at Little Athletics or their parents are getting rolling drunk at a friend's place and then it's ''routine schmotine, hand me another bubbly)!!
    Dinner 5.30/6 - then bath, youngest to oldest, but never together, all dressed by 6.30 - teeth/TV/visit outside to see moon and stars - about 6.45/7 toilet, books, lights out and LOTS AND LOTS of threatening words from husband and myself!
    It's pure chaos from about 4.30/5pm while I prepare dinner with 3 cranky kids underfoot (husband is home but a bit like tits on a bull) BUT when it's 7.15pm and everyone is quiet I forget about the crazy that is witching hour!
    And usually on Saturdays we do Stinky Saturdays!!! Just to give ourselves a break :) Em

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    1. I don't know how you do it with 3. It took me a REALLY long time to adjust the bedtime routine to fit two!

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  3. I have been hard core with the bed time routine since Toddler C moved into his own room at about age six months. Because I love to sleep! #itsthebest (I am experimenting with hastagging in real life a la that Jimmy Fallon and JT video #hilarious)

    Anyhoo, on the days I work I don't get home until about five so it is straight to the kitchen for me. Daddy R pretends to play with Toddler C but really Toddler C is watching ABC2 while Daddy R looks at bicycles on the Internet. Dinner is usually ready by about 5:30. A bath or some sort of dual shower arrangement happens around 6:00. Then it is trains with a side of milk. At 6:45 my phone alarm goes off signalling bed time. Teeth are brushed, three books are read, kisses are given and it is lights out!
    We generally hear Toddler talking to himself and occasionally kicking his crib but rarely does he do anything that requires us to intervene.
    And like Emily above, all bets are off if wine is involved!

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    1. I must say this is the routine on my non-work days. On work days, of which there are two, I get home after 6:30 and mostly M has done all this. WOO! Also, yay for ABC2!

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  4. I am the bed-time Nazi - mine are all in bed by 7.30pm every night except for school holidays. Prior to that there is a whirl of homework, showers dinner and stories for Max. The big boys read their own books in bed for half an hour. Some days are more manic than others but everything is a LOT easier than it used to be. In fact you've inspired me to write a post on this myself!

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    1. DO IT! I am obsessed with hearing abot everyone's routines!!

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  5. I LOVE each, peach, pear, plum!!! Can't remember the bed time routines although I do remember singing The first time ever I saw your face as a lullaby to Master Mac and My girl lollipop to Miss Mac.These days its harder getting teenagers out of bed rather than into them!

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    1. Each peach pear plum is the most WONDERFUL book isn't it! I LOVE IT. And Peepo. Those songs are the cutest lullaby choices ever!

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  6. I don't have any children, which is just as well both for my sanity and their safety! So my bedtime routine usually involves lying on a sofa sipping gin cocktails. (although something tells me if I'd had kids my gin consumption would be off the scale).

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    1. Sulky, I am living vicariously through you. I did sip a bit of gin last night and by GOd it hit the spot.

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  7. My kid is crap at eating and other stuff but I pride myself on his bedtime routine. His new thing is he likes to fall asleep on our bed and when he is asleep I perform a cot transfer. He is placed in bed and handed a bear and a car and I say "Night Night Bubby". The end.

    He eats dinner early, after his bath, in front of tv. It used to be the Sopranos but now he likes Dora and the Night Garden!

    Love your work xxxxxx

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    1. I am so impressed that you can bath him before dinner! P and B are SUCH MESSY EATERS I practically have to hose them down after dinner. DISGUSTING! Little cheeky grubs.

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  8. Past all that ...hey does my son roughly waking me on the sofa at 1am and telling me to go to bed count?


    Suppose Sydney was a flying visit so to speak ...would love to have met you ..hey I can do conference !!

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    1. I didn't go to Sydney, only M. One day I will though and we shall drink cocktails!

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  9. Dinner, jammies, brush your teeth, either watch a few mins of TV and/or read anywhere between 1-5 books, tuck in, kiss goodnight, leave the room. Thank God for 5 year olds and only children!! He occasionally showers with one of us. :-)

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    1. Oh yes thank goodness for big kids!!!! And there is a LOT to be said for only children!

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  10. I'm reading this from the floor of my boys' room

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    1. I've been there and I'll be there again. Well, not on YOUR boys floor, that would be a bit creepy...you know what I mean...

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  11. Well for these two weeks it's all about me because I'm the only one at home. When A and K are at home, it's all about me at bedtime too because they are both old enough to put themselves to bed whenever they choose !!!! LOL - sorry to tease you !!
    Have a great day anyway !
    Me
    PS - Are you allowed to take little naps under your desk at work during the day ?

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    1. You mean like George Costanza?? BELIEVE me I've thought about it! HAHA!

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  12. My kids are terrible sleepers. Well, the oldest and the youngest in particular. We've always had a fairly stable bed time routine, but I've clearly gone wrong somewhere along the way because the endless needing of drinks/books/toys/'I'm not even tired' etc still goes on for way too long most nights. Plus our three kids' bedrooms are next to each other, so if one is whining, the other two can't sleep. And they roster the whining! I love that you put so much time in reading and singing - precious components of the young years.

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    1. Reading and singing are my only parental talents...

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Vent your spleen! You know you want to.

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