diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index d37c760b4..516a4f9b6 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -1630,8 +1630,7 @@ void Mle::SendDelayedResponse(TxMessage &aMessage, const DelayedResponseMetadata
 
     if (aMessage.GetSubType() == Message::kSubTypeMleDataRequest)
     {
-        SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-        SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+        SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
     }
 
     SuccessOrExit(error = aMessage.SendTo(aMetadata.mDestination));
@@ -1807,8 +1806,7 @@ Error Mle::SendChildIdRequest(void)
     }
 
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendTlvRequestTlv(kTlvs, tlvsLen));
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
     mParentCandidate.SetState(Neighbor::kStateValid);
 
@@ -1878,8 +1876,7 @@ Error Mle::SendDataRequest(const Ip6::Address &aDestination, const uint8_t *aTlv
     }
     else
     {
-        SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-        SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+        SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
         SuccessOrExit(error = message->SendTo(aDestination));
         Log(kMessageSend, kTypeDataRequest, aDestination);
@@ -4749,6 +4746,17 @@ exit:
     return error;
 }
 
+Error Mle::TxMessage::AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs(void)
+{
+    Error error;
+
+    SuccessOrExit(error = AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
+    error = AppendPendingTimestampTlv();
+
+exit:
+    return error;
+}
+
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAC_CSL_RECEIVER_ENABLE
 Error Mle::TxMessage::AppendCslChannelTlv(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.hpp b/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
index 045ea7ea4..7633ffbd2 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.hpp
@@ -1024,6 +1024,7 @@ private:
         Error AppendXtalAccuracyTlv(void);
         Error AppendActiveTimestampTlv(void);
         Error AppendPendingTimestampTlv(void);
+        Error AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs(void);
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_TIME_SYNC_ENABLE
         Error AppendTimeRequestTlv(void);
         Error AppendTimeParameterTlv(void);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 67dd68dde..7c12d8133 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -2775,8 +2775,7 @@ Error MleRouter::SendChildIdResponse(Child &aChild)
     VerifyOrExit((message = NewMleMessage(kCommandChildIdResponse)) != nullptr, error = kErrorNoBufs);
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendSourceAddressTlv());
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendLeaderDataTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
     if ((aChild.GetRloc16() == 0) || !RouterIdMatch(aChild.GetRloc16(), GetRloc16()))
     {
@@ -2895,8 +2894,7 @@ Error MleRouter::SendChildUpdateRequest(Child &aChild)
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendSourceAddressTlv());
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendLeaderDataTlv());
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendNetworkDataTlv(aChild.GetNetworkDataType()));
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
     if (!aChild.IsStateValid())
     {
@@ -2999,8 +2997,7 @@ void MleRouter::SendChildUpdateResponse(Child                  *aChild,
 
         case Tlv::kNetworkData:
             SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendNetworkDataTlv(aChild->GetNetworkDataType()));
-            SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-            SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+            SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
             break;
 
         case Tlv::kTimeout:
@@ -3057,8 +3054,7 @@ void MleRouter::SendDataResponse(const Ip6::Address &aDestination,
     VerifyOrExit((message = NewMleMessage(kCommandDataResponse)) != nullptr, error = kErrorNoBufs);
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendSourceAddressTlv());
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendLeaderDataTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveTimestampTlv());
-    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendPendingTimestampTlv());
+    SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
     for (uint8_t tlvType : aTlvList)
     {