I’m so routine based. I love routine. I find it so comforting. How type A does that make me?!?! Yes, I can laugh at my delight in routines. But I was particularly excited to learn that children also like routine. It helps when they know what’s coming next, and that it happens in the same way every time. So I thought it might be fun to share some of our routines here. First, I thought I’d share our nighttime routine!

Nighttime routine always starts with the kids’ bath…

This is Nathan’s part of the evening. He’s in charge of bathing the boys, greasing them up with lotion, and getting them in their jammies. I’ve had a lot of friends ask me if we really bathe the boys every night.

And the answer is, “Yes!”

The boys have had a bath as part of their nighttime routine since they were a couple of weeks old. My newborn Bible, “Moms on Call,” suggested a bath every night, and darn it. I followed it to a “T.”

It also gives me a little peace of mind that we wash off all the dirt, daycare germs, or whatever they were into that day at least once in the evening.

After jammies, Harrison goes downstairs to watch a movie. Whatever Disney movie is his favorite of the moment. Right now, we’re in an Incredibles phase.

I head upstairs to feed baby J. And then we read a book and his Thank You Prayer book. I’ve read the Thank You Prayer to Harrison and Jonathan every night since they were born.

Thank you for the world so sweet.

Thank you for the food we eat.

Thank you for the birds that sing.

Thank you, God, for everything. 💙

And then he goes down for the night.

Night night, baby J!

Then Harrison and I go upstairs to get him ready for bed. He brushes his teeth, and then usually requests to play his favorite before bed game, which right now if dinosaurs. He always insists that I be the bad dinosaur, and he’ll be the nice dinosaur. Every time. And then he proceeds to basically jump and tackle me over and over again until I decide I’m done with the game for that evening by dying.

And then we read a book, do the thank you prayer for him and say a little prayer that he names what he’s thankful for in that day (it’s usually his cousin, Evie.). And then we sit for a little bit and he talks to me, or on this night, plays with his flashlight.

And then I tuck him in, and go downstairs for the evening.

I usually hop in the shower for a quick rinse off, a hefty skincare routine, and then I kick back on the couch and watch an hour of TV before turning in myself!