Help - toddler rolling on and kicking newborn when I'm feeding

[meepmoop]

Hi all,

I'm in desperate need of help with my DS who is 2.

He is very excitable and boisterous, I've tried really hard to stop the hair pulling, pushing biting and we were finally over it however since DD was born 3 weeks ago he's started hitting, head butting and tackling other kids.

He's also in the last week started trying to roll on/tickle DD while I'm feeding her on the sofa. If I wasn't feeding DD I would say 'no' and remove him or myself from the situation however I'm pinned and only 1 handed so I end up trying to wrestle/bat him away which he thinks is hilarious. I don't believe it's malicious, he just thinks it's all a game.

I've tried TV and special toys but he is not interested.

Any ideas will be welcome as I'm really struggling

I had a travel cot set up.... For me to sit in. Just to get a little time out from being touched. I don't know about feeding a baby.

IPad? Reading together whilst your bf? I had a similar issue and tbh the older one only calmed down properly when they started nursery. 🤷‍♀️

Probably not a popular opinion but IPad? My there's two years between my two and the jealousy is rife when everything is new and different. We had special time for games and cbeebies apps when I was feeding my son. She sat next to me with the important job of showing baby how to use the Storytime app. We made it into our special time. Sounds far more twee than it was but it helped. She had jobs like find a burp cloth /wipes, a baby toy which she enjoyed 'helping' with.

Not interested in reading unfortunately, I've been trying to encourage it but so far haven't had much success.

He goes nursery one day a week.

My paramedic DB arrived at my house with a play pen after he'd popped in when DD4 was a newborn. He'd saw DD3 not yet 2 climb, smash eggs knock things over and try to "snuggle her baby and mummy too" whilst I was feeding and trapped.

They are now 15 and 17. And although it might seem hard when you have to feed you have to feed and you all have to be safe. I made it a nice den with toys and books and cushions. I popped DD3 in when DD4 was hungry. I would "release" DD3 and put the Moses basket in there later when DD4 was finished to show DD3 that it was her time for just us like DD4 had had.

It wasn't perfect but got us through the fragile newborn and constant cluster feeding phase.

They don't hate each other or me.

I have had friends who used travel cots in a similar way as they were softer and mesh sides gentler than bars.

OMG gamerchick that's brilliant.

The next time my toddler is in one of his moods, I will give myself and the baby a break in the travel cot