Bonding With Baby – Bedtime Routines

Firstly I have to say I might be the wickedest Mother on the block but I am a massive stickler for routines for baby. 

Through those early months I thrived as a parent finding our routine and finally knowing what I needed to do and when. 

Routine for me gives me freedom, contradiction for some I know but for me my life feels more ordered and complete with knowledge of whats is coming next. 

The bedtime routine has been no different either, in fact it was more stringent in a way. 

All 3 of my children have had a bath, bottle bed type routine and all 3 of my children have on a whole loved their sleep. I used to think it was a coincidence that they slept through from an early age but the more I think about it the more I am convinced that having a structured routine in place supports a child’s ability to understand whats expected. 

Bedtime routine for the boys has also been more about Daddy than Mummy. 

I have the pleasure of being at home all day so Ollie tends to be the one to put them to bed, firstly Jacob. 

Now he is weaning more himself so tends to now have a dip in the kitchen sink more often than the bath tub as he is covered from head to toe in food, in fact most evenings there is a trail of food particles from the high chair to the sink but he doesn’t seem to care and I remember his brother going through this stage too a few years back…

After his sink or bath its time for some baby massage, cuddles or if he is very lucky and his big brother is willing some song singing

Followed by a clean vest and nappy and just recently some Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment we have been using to combat his teething nappy rash which we have managed with success much to my delight. 

Knowing Bepanthen is gentle on sensitive skin and helps to protect his skin we have been more than happy to add it into our change time routine, even our bedtime one on a permanent basis as after all since it works I would like to maintain the prevention is better than cure stance.

Then its upstairs for some lullabies, a giant bottle of milk and some Daddy cuddles before crashing out for 13 hours! 

Next on the bedtime front is Joshua who tends to want to shower these days as he is now a “grown up boy” and then some reading time while being tucked up in bed. Its at these times I have been shocked at just how quickly my biggest boy is growing, he no longer is happy every night for you to read to him, now he wants to read to us. 

I honestly have no idea where the time goes but it’s during the bedtime routine we finally get time to take stock, to drink in these little humans and enjoy them for just being them, when everything else is chaotic the bedtime routine is the calm steadying stone we cling too. 

“This post is an entry for #BepanthenBedtimeChallenge, sponsored by Bepanthen. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/BepanthenUK or www.bepanthen.co.uk”