5 yo and 8 yo need to be put to bed

amother

Yesterday at 7:56 pm

My 5 yo and 8 yo still need dh and I to put them to bed. They have the same bedtime- 8:00

I have a newborn and it’s impossible to do this. They need 20-30 min from dh or I. (They also fight about who gets dh.)

I don’t know what to do bec they really do need the one on one time and I was happy to give it to them before we had a newborn. I can’t bring newborn into their room bec it’s flu season so there’s crazy germs from their random coughs and colds and it’s just not working out.

I’m at a loss here and super overwhelmed from them. They do not want one on one time earlier in the day. I tried that.

It’s also super hard bec dh comes home then cleans up from dinner, does homework with the kids, cleans up etc- so it’s not like we can even do bedtime much earlier. (I am under two weeks postpartum and not much of a help, although I do put frozen dinner in the oven.)

If anyone can help me wean my kids off of needing us for 20-30 min a night please help

amother

Anemone

Yesterday at 8:32 pm

You don't need to wean them off their 30 minute bedtime routine. You need a temporary solution for the next few weeks till you're feeling better and the baby is a bit older.

Can you try bribing them?

amother

Forsythia

Yesterday at 9:09 pm

I being my newborn into their room. I'm absolutely full of anxiety about germs but trying my best to stay calm and trust Hashem.

Rock the newborn in the stroller whulev trying to give attention to the other 2... It's not easy

amother

Dahlia

Yesterday at 10:02 pm

If it’s just about germs then bring the baby in. He’s too young to be touching all the surfaces in there, he’s a newborn. Do you keep him away from his siblings 24/7?

oneofakind

Yesterday at 10:34 pm

Do you wash your hands after every time you touch a doorknob in your home?
Germs are everywhere. Unless someone is actually ill, it's really hard to keep children apart. It's normal and healthy for them to need to be put to bed.

giftedmom

Yesterday at 11:31 pm

You need to rest and recuperate. Now is the time to use bribes. You’ll go back to the previous routine when you’ve recovered enough. At that point you’ll put baby in a carrier.