How important do you think bedtime routines are??

[cybil2403]

I have a 5 month old child.
We have a bedtime routine of play, bath, feed then bed which works well and generally have no problems. My partner doesn't think routines are that important but I do!

[mokane002]

My son is now three, and from he was four weeks old we did bath, bottle, bed. He no longer has a bath every night but goes to bed as soon as he is told, and we have no problems. When the routine is estabished, then you can vary it for a noght out/weekend away etc, but my comment to your partner would be that it is essential to have a good routine if you want to have any peace at might in the future.

[Robinia]

Absolutely vital in my opinion, especially if you intend to have more babies...I'm in my 50's & grandma now :o) I was a very young mother & it was the only way I knew how to cope - my two weren't angels during the day but I never had night time problems!
I'm quite amazed (& horrified even at those tv progammes I've seen) at the lack of routine some people seem to have with little ones. Children quickly get used to a regime & they know what's going to be expected of them. How people expect to pluck a child out of a mad playing session & plonk them into bed at any old time and think they'll go straight to sleep is beyond me.
Stick to your routine, start as you mean to go on, you need some time to yourself too!

[raysparx1]

Routines are more than important for babies, once they get used to it you don't have problems, a lot of todays problems in my opinion is that once babies grow up a little they can virtually do as they like, but in reality babies/children like limits and boundaries, they may rebel against them from time to time but with limits comes security, If I am making any sense here, good luck with baby, enjoy the times ahead.Ray

[annie0000]

I agree with the other posters - Having a routine doesn't mean that you cant have the occasional night where they get to stay up for visitors or change the routine for holiday, but it does establish a good sleeping pattern which will help your child to be happy and grow to their potential. When my two were toddlers they would head straight up the stairs after story time and be in bed before I even got to the top!

I have never had any arguments about bed time and my two are now 7 and 6.

In a few months time, you will be able to introduce stories into the routine as well. My husband always liked the routine as it was a nice quiet time in the evening to spend with the boys and then we had our evening in peace.

One of us would do the bath while the other tidied up the toys, switched the tv off and put lamps on in the livingroom, we then had a nice environment to bring them down to for a cuddle and milk, story then upstairs to bed.

Involve him more in the routine and maybe he will appreciate the benefits - is he out all day? maybe he just misses time he spends with the baby.

It would good for him to experience the other side of the coin with an evening with no time for a relax before bed.

[flip_flop]

Bath at 6, bottle at 6.30, bed at 6.45, stories until 7 to 7.15.

This was our routine, and now my child is four the only difference is that she no longer has a bottle.

She knows the routine and it has served us extemely well.

[Hellyon]

Bedtime routine is important - my son was brilliant when we had a routine but it got disrupted because he developed quite bad exczema (spelling) which made him very itchy when he got warm in bed. He grew out of the exczema but I never got him back in a good routine and know he is a terror for going to bed (he's 10), not really his fault because bedtime became such a miserable experience.

[hellywellywo]

My first child did not have a routine, and when she started school I tried to get her to go to bed at 7pm and it never worked. It took me and the Mr several years of very hard work to get her into a routine. (Please do not think we are weak willed hippy types, but that girl of ours will cut her nose off to spite her face). My youngest, from day one out of the hospital we put him to bed at 7pm, and checked on every 10 minutes, etc etc. Now at 4 years I take him to bed at 7 read him a story and he falls asleep in minutes, absolute bliss.

Keep going with your routine, darling

[ethanryan]

my sons aged 1 and 2 have had a routine since birth.they have there tea have a bath, sit with me and daddy and read a book they allowed two books and then they know it is bed time, they go up without a fuss. i think routine is very important. my 2 nephews aged 1 and 3 have no reoutine at all. they will only fall to sleep on mommys lap or settee. they will fall asleep around 6 and are wide awake at 9 again so are up untill about 11. they will not got to bed on own unless mommy or daddy lie with them til they fall asleep. this is because they have had no routine since babies and know there parents are having to deal with the consequences

[evedawn]

vital! (though the ocassional "special treat" of staying up a bit later is okay as long as it's not regulalry)

[Fairie]

absolutley essential, i still expect some peaace and quiet at night and mine are grown up now! we always had bath and bed about 8pm when they were little, my daughter is nearly 10 and her weekday bedtime is 9pm. my eldest is almost 14 and he still goes to bed before 10.

kids need sleep and parents need sanity!

[cybil2403]

Thanks for all the replies. He is at work all day, when he gets in, he does have a play and gives her a bath so he has his quality time with her and ususally feeds her. I'm continuing doing what I'm doing!!

[lou 26]

i think routine is essential. As a baby my daughter (who's 5 now) was always put to bed at 7 regardless of whether she was asleep or not. Bath, bedtime story and drink, then bed. She doesnt have a bath every night now, but the story, drink and bed is no problem for us at all. My neighbours on the other hand, have always let their daughter (who's 8 months younger than mine) sleep when she wants to and some nights I can still hear her running round at 9pm, then they complain that she won't go to bed! I think routine is just as essential for your own sanity too!

[radiogaga]

hi there, just repeating whats been said above routine is very importaint as it establishes boundaries with the children.
when i was pregnant a friend with 3 kids said "start as you mean to go on, as if you want to change anything its harder as the kids may protest or become unsettled.
babygaga goes to bed at 8pm every night, without fuss and its great to tuck her in and come downstairs to a glass of wine knowing shes going to sleep right through to 9am the next day.
good luck radio. xxx

[andy-hughes]

Nothing to add - only to agree with the previous points.

Routines are important to little ones. Familiarity like this breeds security, a sense of everything being 'right' to go to sleep with - and as advised, it is something that carries through childhood.

Your partner is thinking like an adult - fair enough - we make our own rules, but little ones need to have their lives in order to make them happy, so stick to your guns. If your partner is still in doubt - show him these answwers.

Three daughters - two grandchildren - I speak from epxerience!