For a quick look at how and why I put my kids to bed at 6:00pm, go check out my #momhackmonday stories on Instagram! And while you’re there, check out @lydialouiseblog for her routine and early bedtime tips!
Since switching the girls into the same room a couple months ago, I’ve been asked LOTS of questions about how it’s going, why we did it, and how to make the change go as smoothly as possible. I realized I had never shared our shared room toddler bedtime routine, and decided now would be the best time to do it!
Most of the time my kids do really well in the same room, however last night was a HUGE exception! They cried and fought for hours until I finally moved Reagan into the guest room and let Elliott cry until she fell asleep. That being said, it was an exception, and most of the time they both go to sleep immediately or after a few minutes of talking and playing.
Why Share a Room?
We have three bedrooms and two kids, so why did we move them into the same room? Well, there are a few reasons! 1. I wanted a designated guest room for when we had more than one person visiting. 2. We are eventually going to have another baby, so the girls would be sharing a room in the future anyways. 3. I have only brothers so I never had the chance to share a room and I think they will grow as friends and have a better relationship when they have that quiet time together to talk before sleep.
How was the Transition?
Not going to lie, it was difficult as first! The biggest key to a smooth transition was staggering bedtimes. For example, I would put Elliott down a little early, wait for her to fall asleep, and then sneak Reagan into the room a little later. I always put Elliott down first because Reagan is old enough to know to be quiet and not try to wake up her sleeping sister when she got into bed.
Another thing that helped was putting a dresser in between their beds so they weren’t in each other’s direct line of sight. That way it became difficult for them to get out of bed to play with each other, and most of the time they will just chat while laying down and eventually fall asleep.
I have long been a fan of white noise machines, and having a really loud one in their room has helped a ton. Their little noises and movements in the middle of the night don’t wake each other up, and it even drowns out crying when someone has a bad dream or has to go potty.
After doing the staggered bedtime for a couple of weeks, I started putting them to bed at the same time. It took about 3 nights of trial and error before they figured out how to fall asleep in the same room, but now it’s going great!
Toddler Bedtime Routine
Like I mentioned above, our routine is fairly simple and quick! It has been our go to method ever since Reagan was a baby, and it works well for both of my girls. The biggest thing that sets our routine apart is that I put my kids to bed EARLY. The funny thing is that so many of my parent friends think we are crazy for putting our kids to bed at 6pm (sometimes as early as 5:15pm!) but it wasn’t our decision, it was my kids! They have wanted an early bedtime since they were newborns and it has worked out really well for our family!
4:30pm: Dinner
5:00pm: Bath every other night. If it’s an off night, they will go play in the play room for 15-20 minutes after dinner
5:20pm: Head upstairs to put pajamas on and brush teeth
5:30pm: Fill up diffuser-I diffuse lavender and cedarwood almost every night (read about more ways to use essential oils HERE), humidifier (favorite linked HERE) and turn on white noise machine.
5:35pm: Read a book, say a prayer, give hugs and kisses and get tucked in. My girls each get a special blankie and 2-3 stuffed animals to sleep with. I recently started putting books in a basket next to Reagan’s bed so she has a quiet thing to do if she isn’t tired yet.
5:45pm-6:00pm: Fall asleep! They almost always sleep a full 12 hours at night, so they wake up between 5:30-6:00am every morning.
That’s it! When I had babies and they were still nursing, I would rock and nurse quietly before bed. Now that they’re older we cut that part out and kept the rest of the routine the same!
My friend Lydia over at LydiaLouiseBlog is sharing her bedtime routine today, and I highly encourage checking out her tips! She is the only mom friend that I have who also puts her kids to bed early, and she’s sharing her reasons behind it too! Thanks for stopping by, as always let me know if you have any questions!
The girl’s cute outfits are from Mini Boho Boutique! SO may cute styles for little kids, I’m just waiting for some matching mommy clothes to come out too! 😉
