At the end of a long day juggling being a mum and working, the last thing you need is your children's bedtime being chaotic, noisy and stressful.

Before you go back to work, it's a good idea to get a bedtime routine established so the end of the day is a wind down for everyone.

Consistency counts

From a very young age, babies recognise and enjoy consistency - they like knowing what's happening next as it makes them feel secure. Even if you're not a fan of rigid routines during the day, in the evening a bedtime 'ritual' helps children of all ages to relax and set the stage for sleep.

If you've been away for much of the day, you will probably be keen to spend some time with your baby or toddler rather than packing them straight off to bed. At the same time, after a tiring day, you may need time to yourself or with your partner in the evening. A good bedtime routine can kill two birds with one stone by ensuring your children get quality one-to-one time with you, while still enabling you to have some grown-up time in the evening.

Mum of two boys Lisa has been strict about bedtime since she returned to work part-time when each of her children were a year old: 'It works for everyone. My boys always have a bath then a bowl of cereal, then relax with books before bed. They are in bed at the same time every night, which means they are never tired and grumpy in the morning and I get to have some downtime as well.'

A few ideas

There's no 'right' way of doing things or a 'right' bedtime. There are many examples of bedtime routines and rituals and you can create one that suits you and your family. You might want to think about:

• A last burst of energetic running around
• A quieter sort of play before a bath
• Whether or not you want your children watching television before bed
• How you will mark when it's time to start the bedtime routine - maybe a song for younger babies or a five-minute warning or tidy-up for toddlers.
• How long bedtime takes - you'll probably need to allow at least an hour
• Whether you give them a bath every night, or bath less frequently
• Will bedtime will be set in stone even if you or your partner aren't home from work, or will one of you keep the children up so you can both see them?
• Whether you need to do anything to switch from work mode to mummy mode when you step through the door so you can really focus on the children until they are in bed.

Bath, milk, stories, bed

The classic 'bath, milk and stories, bed' routine works for many working mums, including Charlotte, who returned to work full time when her first son was four months old: 'Bedtime is between 7 and 7.30. It really helps me out as I try to leave the office a bit early to see the boys for an hour or so before they go to bed.'

Bear in mind that your bedtime routine will evolve and change as your children get older - a six month old baby won't need to be read a story every night, while a three year old may need time to calm down from the excitement of mummy being home if you've been out all day.

Whatever your family's bedtime ritual, if you keep it consistent and low-key, you'll give yourself the best chance of a reasonably calm end to another day.