Where Do You Ready Bedtime Story ..couch/bed

[numnum]

Just a thing I've wondered about. Where do you read your toddlers bedtime story?

At bedtime I like to calm things down, tv off,pee, teeth brushed, put my oldest in her room and go to youngest room first. My youngest gets his story, then a lullaby and tucked in and I leave and do the same with oldest. I have a rule of 1 story or bedtime would go on forever

When at the MIL I'd try to get calm and move onto the bedroom and she'd be wanting them up on the couch and would start reading when I would be wanting to get them calmed and away from each other and try and keep the calm.

[bednobs]

blimey, that's a lot of "calming" you have to do. My daughter is not yet a toddler - she gets her story in her cot, but i wouldn't be opposed to doing it on the sofa

[murraymints]

in bed after ablutions....

[DTCwordfan]

In their bedrooms when they were young, we use to try and give them stories at the same time but if just one of us, then youngest first.

[Mosaic]

Why not both together?

[woofgang]

I don't think it matters provided it works. The important bit here is not who is right but what is right and how to get the kids settled for a good nights sleep. If babe goes calmly to bed after a story with Mil and sib on the couch then it can be "something we do at Mil's" If the result is excitement and poor sleep then a tactful conversation with Mil is called for.

[Zeuhl]

Isn't the point of the story to get them to heavy eyelids stage at least

seems pointless doing that somewhere they'll need to be moved from

[Mamyalynne]

No hard and fast rule really, bedroom is preferable but sometimes when at mine (Gran's) it is a treat to all snuggle under a blanket on the couch, then they toddle off.

[murraymints]

having my parents say they are proud of me and that I am a good daughter to them.....means more to me than words can say...I love them so much.

[murraymints]

wrong thread...

[numnum]

Yes, plenty of calming needed when dealing with a hyper kid with ants in his pants. I'm all for keeping the calm in the hour run up to bedtime even if i look at him wrong that can just ruin our bedtime routine so I'm all for keeping things calm and easy.

When I tried doing stories together it was a disaster. I tried it out as my son used to escape out his bed for hours on end he wouldn't sit on the couch so I could get the oldest to bed and he wouldn't play in his room. Reading my eldest stories was a nighmare because I'd just get sat down and he would appear and tear through her room so this stopped me being able to read together. If I did manage to get them sat down they'd both last about 30 seconds and madness would kick in and they'd get passed the sleepy stage and bedtime used to become a big drama

Yeah, I dont like reading on the couch because its not the best way for my kids and you can see when the MIL is in how she wants to start winding down on the couch and its just not part of their routine

[Smowball]

I always did stories in the bedroom, so they could snuggle down whilst listening, and then hopefully go to sleep!