My Children's Bedtime Routine - Updated

Sleep is something all parents obsess about, we are told to sleep when they sleep, establish a routine as soon as possible and never let them sleep beside you. Your friends, family and random on the bus are full of advice about getting your children to sleep at night. Some work, some don’t, and some are just down right crazy!

I have found that its better to sod them all and find out what works for you but if you’re a mother on your last tether I have written my bedtime routine for my children which really does work for us.

It took a few years of fine tuning and by the time Cassi came along we felt we had mastered it, for our children at least. As we all know each and every child is different and what works for one, can be a big NO-NO to another. So, anyway, here’s our little bedtime routine.

After I have served the monkeys their dinner, cleared the plates and removed most of the food I have cooked from the floor, I run the bath. This is normally around 5.45pm

My children get a bath every night and have done since the day I brought them home, I do this as not only is it a great way at helping establish a routine and aid relaxing but its also a great germ catcher. I give them an early bath each night to get rid of any yuck they may have come into contact during the day (hello OCD)

My children love bath time and spend anything between 10 to 20 minutes soaking and playing away. I often play music and chat with them at this time. Its full of laughter and my bathroom floor gets a good wash too. The water never stays in the bath!

I then lift my children out the bath and I’m sure my children aren’t the only ones but the LOVE running around the house with no clothes on! Cue lots of jokes about bums and willies, oh the hilarity, sigh.

After I manage to catch them (no easy task), I apply the Belmond’s baby oil to their damp skin. This oil is not only great for dry and eczema skin, but it’s got essential oils camomile in it. It smells gorgeous and the oil is great for helping the little ones relax and sleep. They also get a clean pair of PJs for each night, that’s how it was in my house growing up.

We then cuddle up on the couch and watch in the night garden and the CBEEBIES bedtime story together. The children know that when the song plays at the end its time to go into the bedroom.

CC goes for a final pee and brushes her teeth (I find it easier to do Cassi’s when he’s in the bath, though he thinks its so funny to grab the brush and brush his willie…what is it with boys and their willie?

Cassi gets a BOBO, yip my son is two and a half and he still gets a bottle of milk before bed. CC didn’t give hers up till she was 3 and a half so I really don’t care, ha!

We go into the bedroom and the children pick one story each, we have recently been going to the library weekly, so it tends to be those books they have picked. Cassi does pick the same pirate story over and over. We read them once each and I then must sing to them, a song each.

CC thinks I wrote “you are my sunshine” for her and gives me evils if I sing this song to anyone but her. This is always her song she asks for and that makes it even more special.

Cassi likes to mix it up a bit more but often than not its twinkle, twinkle.

Cassi likes to sleep with his dummy, which he now only gets at sleep times and he has two favourite muslins that he likes to sleep with. He also will take a small toy with him, normally a little car or one of his sisters LOL dolls.

CC has a muslin, one she has had since she was born (its an aden and anais muslin). She likes to sniff and chew it, it’s the smelliest, most disgusting piece of material you have ever seen. I sneak it into the machine ever Tuesday when I do the sheets and she gets very angry with me. When its clean, she says it smell “yuck”.

I tuck them in, kiss and hug them and say “good night” - I then leave the room and unless I hear a carry on or they for call me. The rule is they don’t have to go straight to sleep but they must stay in their beds, I think that’s why Cassi likes to bring a little toy and CC often re-reads the books.

They tend to fall quiet within 20 minutes and that will be them for the night.

Cassi can still wake nightly but settles himself often and I regular hear CC getting up to use the bathroom herself.

I check on them regular till I go to bed because I am still that mum who likes to watch them sleeping.