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Best ways to spend time / make memories with 3.5 yr old before baby #2 arrives in +/- 10 weeks?

3 replies

rainbowontheway · 01/03/2016 10:22

Just that really! I'm feeling what must be a pretty standard mix of excitement / anxiety / guilt about the impending new one's arrival, much wanted as it is of course!

DS and I currently have Monday and Friday AMs together to do activities and also after pre-school ends on Tues/Wed/Thurs (3pm finish).
I finish work about 3 weeks before due date and so we'll have every morning free then, and after pre-school Mon-Fri. And weekends, though DH and I are also having to sort a lot out / declutter ready for DS to move bedrooms next month.

How can I make the most of this remaining time with only DS around, in general, and also, are there specific things / activities that are much easier to do with just one child vs a pre-schooler and a newborn? Pretty much everything, I'm sure, but hopefully you get what I'm asking! :)

I had almost a year off on mat leave with DS and have worked part-time since and feel fortunate about that. I plan to have a bit over a year off on mat leave this time, so will have plenty of time with the new baby and DS who will continue to do just 2.5hrs in pre-school 5 days a week from September and will go to a childminder or other wraparound on one of those days to give me one full day with baby.

I still feel a bit guilty that I've been working, albeit part-time, in a job I oonly partly enjoy and which only partly fulfils me and for extra, rather than essential, money. It has also been a 'break' from full time child caring too of course and has given me some useful additional experience in my sector. And it works out about £10k pa net which certainly helps for holidays and nice activities and overpaying the mortgage. And it means I have no long CV gap to overcome in the future. Yet part of me still feels that we should have tightened our belts a bit and kept DS home until he started funded pre-school now.... Gah!

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rainbowontheway · 01/03/2016 16:57

Bump

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Peanutbutternutter419 · 01/03/2016 22:18

Hey, no advice as such but just to say I am in the same boat although due in 4 weeks.
I have just been doing the normal things I would with him as and when he is interested. Making sure we spend lots of time actually at home just playing with his toys has been the favourite I think as he has had one to one with me.
DH and I have planned a day out with him to our local farm just us 3 for the weekend which will be nice I think.
Apart from that we have just been involving him in the baby prep such as going up in the loft to get baby things out, washing the clothes, and DS has helped DH build the crib so he doesn't feel ignored.

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NickyEds · 02/03/2016 12:59

My age gap is much smaller than yours, 19 months but I found that it was time best spent preparing the older one for the arrival of the new baby in practical terms. So in your position I'd be working on getting breakfast, dressed and ready for pre school independently. Is your ds good at playing by himself for periods? Things like that will be useful when you have a newborn to deal with too!

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