Okay mommas I just added my second baby to the mix and I can not for the life of me seem to get my kids to bed at a decent hour. My oldest is 4 yrs old my baby 5 weeks but starting dinner at 6 baths and cleaning up dishes and toys we aren’t all asleep till midnight-2am I need advice to get these boys on a schedule. I work 3 days a week 5-2am I’m an er vet tech my husband works 2 jobs trying to get out of a hole his other baby mamas created with him. So we are busy. Help a mama out please I’m so tired.
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You can try melatonin for the 4yo to get to sleep faster.
Maybe start your routine of dinner bath bed at 430-5ish
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Start dinners earlier and maybe even crock pot meals or something in the instapot or baked meals which will give you time to fit in a baby bath and some clean up time too! Wishing you the best of luck!
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I’d get the kids to sleep then do the cleaning…baths aren’t every night, or shouldn’t be…your 4yr old is old enough to add some responsibility to- cleaning up toys, brushing own teeth, simple little things…12-2am is crazy lol
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Start your routine earlier! That’s what I have to do as well. Sometimes it can take me a hour or so just to cook dinner alone. Then my daughter is such a slow eater 
bath and story then bed!
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Start bedtime around 7:00 and clean afterwards. That’s what I do. Girls are 2&4
I get off around 6, I have 4 kids… 11, 9, 6, and 1… we eat around 7ish… im far from being on a strict schedule with my kids, but they are all in bed by 1030… definitely asleep by midnight.
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Meal planning and prepping on weekends, lots of crockpot meals. Paper plates! enlist the help of your 4yo, and don’t be a perfectionist. Sleep is necessary for everyone, if you’re sleeping, things will stress you out less.
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Decide what times they must be in bed. Then, write down times you need to do dinner and baths to accomodate it. Set alarms on your phone to remind you.
Meal prep and start dinner as early as you can. It’s ok to make a whole bunch of something to have leftovers for the next day or too freeze for a quick night.
At those ages, based on feeding the baby, I’d start dinner at 430-5.
Also, have the 4yr old help. They can do small things to make it easier and teach them the routine. It’ll take some working with times but if you stick to it, you’ll get there.
Also, adjust naos to accommodate a bed time of 8 for the 4yr old. Melatonin is ok to use but in some studies, using it for long periods, like 30+ days, it can inhibit ones ability to make it themselves. When you give it to them, do so AFTER dinner and baths time. Give it when they are climbing in bed and settled. It helps you drift off, it doesn’t knock you out. So, calm and quiet is best.
You can do it momma. 
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It might seem like alot right now but you’ve just added another baby and are still trying to get into a steady routine… did you oldest have a routine before bubs came along?if so try and stick to that same routine if possible with bubs, For me personally I have a 3 and a 6 year old and we have always had a 7:30 bedtime, I start dinner between 4-4:30, we eat by 5:15-5:30 depending on what I’m cooking they then finish dinner ,have showers (only every second or third night, my oldest had terrible eczema so bathing him every night is not an option) pjs pick up toys, clothes in laundry, rubbish ect… little bit of TV depending on the time (never after 7) they then pick a book each we read them together then it’s kiss and cuddle and in bed by 7:30 works smoothly for us, you will get into your groove eventually
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Start at 4:39-5 ish. And forget the cleaning and toys.
Only dishes need to be done and food put away.
The rest can keep until a day off when you can all attack it together. Or maybe you can hire a high school kid to come help for an hour to pick up toys, and bathe 4 year old before dinner. That will lighten the after dinner load. Oh, and one of my most lifesaving tips I used when my kids were small was my 5 ingredients or less crockpot meals. Dump everything in in the morning and dinner is ready at 5. No mess, little cleanup.
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Learn time management
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Ya start your routine earlier and see if that helps
6 to midnight seems like a really long time for dinner, clean and bathes. Maybe re-evaluate what is specifically taking so long. Plan easier dinners, use paper plates, bath kids together in same tub etc,
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Idk why someone would laugh at this post
Just do dinner, baths and bed. Clean up after the kids go to bed.
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How can you not be getting bed till 12- 2am I have a 4 year old and 1 year old I start tea at 5 I Potter about picking things up while tea is cooking then when it’s ready I’ll run the bath while kids are eating then it’s ready for them when they are finished bath pj’s then bed by 7.30 school days 8 weekends then ill go downstairs washing up tidying up hoovering anything else that might need doing in bed by 10 myself watching Netflix
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For the time you start it seems doable… start picking the toys up sooner. Do dinner and baths and put the kid down… I mean we start dinner at 530, the kids start baths at 8. And everyone’s in bed by 10
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Clean up after you put the kids to bed.
Maybe start dinner an hour earlier, then baths and bed. Do your big cleanup after the kids are down.
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Get the kids to bed then clean up. Those dishes and toys will be there. Don’t always think your house has to be spotless. When you have littles there is no such thing. My youngest is almost 8 and I am just now to the point to where I don’t have to clean as much when the kids go to bed. But when they were babies, oh yea you better believe that laundry wasn’t folded and those dishes were dirty, shoot even I didn’t shower regularly or properly. Work on a schedule that suits your family. But don’t stress about having the house clean all the time. And you can get your older one to help, it’s the perfect time to start teaching them to clean up their stuff and teach some organization. Make a little chore chart suitable for the older child and reward at the end of the week. It could be something small like a piece of candy or something you don’t let them have often. A special movie night, special trip to the park. And honestly the schedule part will get easier when your oldest gets used to the idea of a baby in the house. I’m sure right now he’s all over you screaming for attention, especially when feeding the baby. But it will get easier
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Leave the cleaning until the morning. I have 5 kids and I am a morning person. I NEED to go to bed by 9, but I can get up at 4 and tidy up. They all don’t need a bath every night. You can do MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY SUNDAY for half of your clan and the TUESDAY THURSDAY SATURDAY for the other half. And set a timer fkr the baths. 10 minutes and out. I agree with meal prep on the wekends. Disposable tin pans are your friend. Make the meal, stick in freezer and cook it as soon as you get home. See if you can find a young babysitter. 14 or so. Just to help during that time. They can watch the youger ones while you do the baths. Generally kids that don’t request too much money. They enjoy playing with babies and toddlers.
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Try starting dinner earlier and make enough for two days or three days your schedule is over lapping and that way you’re not cooking every day. Also, clean up after kids are down for bed some days you might not get to it and that is ok, life happens and you’re tired more one day than another.
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“My husband works 2 jobs trying to get out of this whole his other baby mamas put him in” you mean child support he didn’t pay 
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You had my attention until some how it’s the other baby’s mama
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Have your husband fell for bankruptcy, you need to stay at home with your kids your four year old is big enough to start preschool so that’ll give you more time with your baby. Also they should be finished eating dinner by 6:00 not starting to cook dinner, In the tub by 7:00 laying down by 8:00-8:30. The problem here is that it’s your schedule that’s messed up not the kids.
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I’d start fixing supper earlier than 6pm them kids need 2 b n bed by 8 or 8:30 just my opinion
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I’m a single mom of 3 kids & work from home… (13 yr old son, 7 and 2 yr old girls) Oldest 2 get off the bus around 330. I have dinner done by then or by 430- 5 the latest. Baths around 630-7 then bed for the 2 girls at 8 and 10 for my 13 yr old. Then up by 630 and out the door for school by 715am. Same routine Mon-Fri… I clean and do house work inbetween those times…
Does the 4 year old take naps ?
I’m going to be a mom of 3 in May and I’m dreading on how I’m going to get things all done. I don’t have family around and my husband works away so it’s all on me. I have a 6 year old which he’s in school and I have a busy 3 year old boy as well. It’s going to be tough few weeks maybe months but I know I will get there eventually! Right now it’s not bad I get things done and stays on schedule I have alarms set on my phone. You might think that’s crazy but it works my kids will ask what the alarm is for and we do it. Bedtime is awesome and they never fight me thank god!
I don’t have advice, but I came here to say- WOW! Good on you mama! Working 3 days a week from 5pm-2am while raising a 5 year old and a 5 WEEK old baby?! You’re doing a good job. Life gets busy and stressful, but it gets easier once you find a routine that works for your family 
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Why you need to mention the baby momma lmao wtf 
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My advice would be if you could try to start dinner a little earlier if possible. Like have it started at like 4:30-5 (depending on what your making) and it done by 5:30. Get kiddos bathed and in bed and then pickup toys and do dishes. Also on the days you work you can always make quicker dinners like pizza, hot dogs, little smokies, corn dogs etc. Sounds like your doing a great job already. Don’t stress, a schedule will fall into place over time.
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What’s the other baby mum got to do with your kids not sleeping until late? 
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If I can do it with SEVEN, you can do it with two.
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His other baby mommas created a hole for him 
Yeah ok
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Keep your legs shut until you ain’t in an awkward situation easy
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Get dinner done an hour earlier. As far as the baby goes there is no sleep schedule for a baby that young but put the 4 year old to bed at 7:30 lights out at 8.
Prepare dinner earlier, I swear by my slow cooker! have dinner on the table around 5pm if you can. Get the kids bathed and to bed before you tidy up the toys. This is what I do with my 4 kids.
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My dinner is at 5:30 then it’s baths and cleaning up and both my kids are in bed by 8
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Start dinner earlier follow with bath and bed time.
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Lmao they are dragging you for that baby momma shade.
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Read the 7 habits of highly effective people
Small children do NOT need daily baths unless they visibly dirty. Why are you making more work for yourself?
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Why is everyone so nasty? New babies are hard! We all remember that. My advice to OP is to let some things go, lower your standards. I work full time, sole parent of twins. Meals are very simple during the week, I get home from work at 5:30. Bathes don’t happen every night, the house isn’t picked up every night, and that’s totally ok. Give yourself some grace! It sounds like you are both working hard to keep your family going.
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I’d say with a baby so young you just gotta roll with the blows as they say… I have 3, 5 year old, 2 year old and a 7 month old. I do early dinners, so around 4. Then I start baths, supper etc after that. In bed (their bedrooms at least) for 6. Gives plenty of time for messing around then they are all usually asleep for 8 latest
You sound like not only an incredible mother, but an incredible woman and all these other people bashing you for mentioning the baby mama are just bitter. The debt you and your husband are in is apart of your life now, that was caused by his previous relationship, I don’t see why this is so hard for other women to understand but just ignore them. My advice is similar to the other helpful people on here, start dinner earlier, then bath and bed routine. Use your slow cooker whenever u can for the easy and convenient dinners, take out on your super busy days and make it a point once a month to take a whole day for yourself to recharge. You got this! Ask for help from people you trust when need be too, maybe look into having someone come help out a few hours durning dinner, bath, clean up, and bed chaos might ease some of the load on you. You’re in my prayers, even though we don’t know eachother I just want to say I’m proud of you and I’m in awe of all you’re already doing; I can barely do it with my 4.5 year old alone! Hang in there mama
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First thing you need to do is drop the nightly baths. My baby has eczema so those arnt an option for us and she goes to bed just fine. She actually hates baths so I usually do them during the morning or afternoon after a nap and a feeding. Get ahold of their nap schedules and no naps past 5 for the older one and no naps past 6 for the baby. Shoot for a 7-8 o’clock bedtime.
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I do dinner at 430 , baths before 6 bedtime at 8 . Got to have schedule for the baby especially it makes things easier and get a slow cooker or instant pot , they are life savers
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You need to start dinner way earlier. I have 3 kids (9,6,1) and I’m cooking by 4:30 lol. We’re eating by 5. Then all the kids help clean up, even the 1 yr old. I know the baby can’t help haha but the 4 year old can do a lot of helping. If you need to do dishes right away after dinner (like you literally can’t wait) then let them have tv time or whatever during so you can get it done. Otherwise wait to do that til after they’re in bed. Do baths and bedtime routines starting at 7 so they’re in bed by 8. Then you have time to finish whatever chores you NEED to do. It’s also ok to let some things go, like not picking up every single toy every day isn’t gonna hurt anybody.
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Prepped meals in the slow cooker or pressure cooker save me 
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I’ve got 4 kids. Dinner is always on the table at 6pm. Followed by showers and tidy up. They go to bed anywhere from 7:30-8:00pm.
Try to organise meals during the week so you can slow cook and have it organised during the day and just prep veggies of an evening. Find yourself a multi cooker. It’ll be a great investment 
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Best idea I learned as a preschool teacher: an actual written schedule with PICTURES representing each transition.
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Try to move diner to 5 by 6 y’all are eating diner, then baths and whatever else you do. I agree with Danielle DeLucco on the crockpot and a friend or family member, extra hands when needed is very helpful.
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Listen, fuck them dishes, switch to paper plates. Get the kids to bed first, and when they are asleep 
clean for 10 min only every night or whenever you can .
It gets better I promise
Start dinner earlier. Meal prep so you’re not spending a long time cooking. The baby, well idk.
gotta roll with it. But the older child, I’d say no naps after 3, dinner by 5 and shower at 6. Then maybe you can get the older child in bed by 7:30.