I hope this bedtime routine gets easier, and actually becomes a routine. Right now it feels like I'm fighting what they want to do, but in the same vein, they are always really tired by that time, so it makes sense to try and put them to sleep then. They have been falling asleep quicker it seems as time goes on. Again I'm finding myself in the space that seems to lie between attachment parenting and parenting twins. I can't always pay attention to every baby's needs and also save some sanity for myself. So I end up in this awkward place. For now I'll just continue to go with this and we'll see how it develops.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Bedtime Routine
Recently we have started to institute a bedtime routine. Apparently some parents do this from birth almost, but honestly I never thought to. We usually start around 8:30, do a quick bath (every other day, but definitely a neck-folds cleaning every day), a little massage with some lavender lotion, feeding each bean, then rocking in the bouncies while I read them stories. Sounds nice, right? WRONG. Beans fight it like it's the plague. Don't know why. Isaac loves the bath, so I try and give him more time in there, but Gabe is discontented to be in the bouncy while I bathe Isaac, so he fusses. Lotion/massage time is OK. But feeding, oh my. Isaac whimpers and cries, and never takes a full feeding, even if it's been a few hours. Gabe has recently started to fight all feedings, moving his head from side to side and crying, taking a few drinks, fighting it again. It is ridiculous! It takes FOREVER to feed him. I can usually get him to take almost the full bottle though. Then both are fussy and screamy during storytime. Often, they scream throughout the whole routine, for about two hours straight. It is soooo trying, and I've had meltdowns where I scream back at them, something like "what could possibly be wrong with you!?!? NOTHING IS WRONG!!!". Of course that makes them scream harder, then I feel terrible. Parenting twins is just so challenging sometimes.
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(((((HUGS))))) I have a high-needs toddler plus the baby and I know how challenging that gets, never mind two the same age! My Gabriel has been fussing about taking a bottle lately too. Wonder if it's a developmental/age thing? Btw, we AP...
ReplyDeleteHugs! I get frustrated some days too. When I say, "c'mon seriously" to the baby my 5yr old gets very mad, "Don't be mean to the baby momma!" ;)
ReplyDeleteWe never did a bedtime, let alone a routine with our older two. I was very much an attachment parenting momma, and well, not as much with the twins. They still get held a whole lot, and we do most things attached like, but some things just do not work with twins (at least for this momma).
We don't have a bedtime routine so much, but we do have a bedtime. We feed and change the babes and dh puts them to sleep. A goes down easily, W fights it, with lots of screaming. But they are fairly used to it, and they sleep soooo much better than our older two ever did at the same age.