How to Get Twins Ready for Bed

Joe Rawlinson by Joe Rawlinson - April 14, 2020

Getting your twins ready for bed is often an adventure. Regardless if your twins are newborns or toddlers, you will have the daily responsibility of getting your twins ready for bed.

Twins in PJs

Here are some tips I’ve found useful for getting our twin girls ready for bed:

Bed Time Routine

Consistency and a familiar routine are essentials for a successful bedtime with your twins.

Review your current bedtime routine and see where it differs from what you did yesterday.

Think about how you can standardize bedtime so your twins know what to expect every day.

Our toddler twin girls followed a predictable pattern every night:

  1. Baths
  2. Put on pajamas
  3. Read stories
  4. Brush teeth
  5. Floss teeth
  6. Have family prayer
  7. Go potty
  8. Go to the bedroom
  9. Say prayers
  10. Tuck in to bed
  11. Mom or Dad sing them songs
  12. Good night and shut door

There is comfort in the familiar and repeatable pattern they go through every night. It reduces fighting (with you or each other)because they know what to expect.

Twin Gender Predictor Calculator

We have also found it helpful to have bedtime at a consistent time every night. For us that is between 7:00 and 7:30. Granted this time varies when we have evening activities or plans that take us out of the house. Nevertheless, when we follow the pattern and stick to the routine time, the twins (and their brothers) do really well.

Tag Team the Twins

If your twins are in the routine, it will be possible to have only one parent help with bedtime. However, if your twins are still infants, you’ll find the process goes much more smoothly when both parents help.

As with most things, having two sets of adult hands is always helpful with twins. But if you are by yourself, don’t worry. You can always put one twin to bed at a time.

(RELATED: Your twins will need a lot of gear. Here's the complete twins baby registry checklist to get ready for your twins' arrival.

Peer Pressure

Leverage the power of positive peer pressure with your twins. If one twin isn’t cooperating, help her twin get ready for bed while showering her with positive attention for compliance. The resistant one will likely follow.

Pick Your Battles

Bedtime with twins can be a challenge, particularly if your twins park their heels like stubborn mules. Not all steps in the getting-ready-for-bed routine are necessary every night. Your twins will be OK if they skip baths for a night or don’t floss their teeth for a night. Be patient and compromise with choices, such as “Do you want to brush your teeth or floss?” instead of caving to their “No!” demands.

Good luck! The sooner the twins are in bed, the sooner you can rest too!

Picture by Joe Goldberg

Twin Gender Predictor Calculator

Further Reading

Dad's Guide to Raising Twins book
Don't forget to pick up a copy of the definitive guide to raising twins. "Dad's Guide to Raising Twins" was written for fathers of twins to help guide you through the first several years with twins. Click here to learn more about the book and get your copy.

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