Do you bed-share?
Bed-sharing can include, but is not limited to infants, nursing toddlers, and older kids. Our answers are yes! For both of us, it has made nursing babies much easier!
For both Brittany and I, the key was keeping diapers, wipes, and a garbage close so babies could be changed and fed right in bed. This led to me keeping a larger bed in our babies' rooms so I could continue my version of bed-sharing even when my husband was home. Brittany did the same thing-in her bed!
What are some things you have done throughout the years for bedtime routines?
Infants: Brittany picked the last feeding for the evening (either 6:30 or 8:30), change and nurse them and put them in their own bed. Then at the first wake-up, she would change and feed them and keep them in bed with her. My own kids chose 6:00pm as the "screaming hour" and our last feeding would be about 9:30 (when I would feed, change, and put the babies in bed). At about 11:30 my babies would come into my bed.
Toddlers: Consistency is key. Try a few different things, and when you find something that works, stick with it. Eat dinner, clean everyone up and get toddlers ready to be IN bed by 7. In Brittany's house, they would do "loves" and go to bed. In our house, bedtime really began with dinner at 5:00pm. After dinner, we would turn on classical lullaby music and dim the lights, then baths, and reading before bed (until either the kids or I fell asleep). These kiddos go to bed about 7:00pm.
Side note: Brittany's version of "loves" is getting the kids ALL riled up-and then reciting the MOST beautiful poem. Also, bed times are determined by age AND maturity level in Brittany's house, and are staggered.
Pre-Schoolers & Kindergardeners: These kiddos are similar to toddlers.
School-Agers: Kids who are six and above do chores after dinner and have a little free time after the smaller kids go to bed.
Middle-Schoolers: These guys get to play games and watch movies after the littles go to bed. If they get chores done by chore-check, they have more free time in the evenings (if chores aren't done, they need to go to bed). They DO get to read in bed (as long as chores are done). Privileges come along with responsibility and good decisions. In our home-we start wrapping things up at 7pm (final snack, brushing teeth, etc.), then I let the professionals at Audible do night-time reading for me.
High-Schoolers: My high schoolers begin making their way towards bed at 9:00pm (the actual falling asleep varies, but we aim for 10:00pm).
What are the best ways to divide up children's rooms as your famil
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