help! 8 week old and almost 3 year old driving me insane!

[mummytara]

i have a son jake who is nearly 3 and he was such a good baby but oh my god this time its hard work! my daughter skye 8 weeks old just wont nap in the day, cries if she isnt being held. my house is a mess and im soooo tired. my son wants to play but i have no time. im getting very stressed with him and the baby. i know i would have more time for him if she would just go to sleep :(. any tips on getting a newborn to sleep longer then 30 mins at a time?? ive tried so many different things but nothing is working

As crazy as it sounds I found all three of mine slept a little while longer if I put them in the pram in the kitchen whilst having the washer/dryer on. I can always find at least one load that needs doing, even after doing 5 loads the same day! Lol. Or maybe try a baby sling? Have you anybody who can help you out? To maybe take baby out for a walk so you can have an hour to spend with your son. Also, every time baby cries I would roll my eyes at my eldest and say "tut baby needs another bottle! Doesn't he know mummy wants to play? Little monkey!" Remember you can't hurt your baby's feelings but it will make your son start to think that actually mummy doesn't favour time spent with Skye, she'd rather play with me but I suppose she has to do it. As for the house, you have two young children don't worry about it! As long as the basics are getting done i.e. dishes/bottles etc then I wouldn't be concerned about a bit of mess. Take the time to enjoy your kids, housework can wait x x

As crazy as it sounds I found all three of mine slept a little while longer if I put them in the pram in the kitchen whilst having the washer/dryer on. I can always find at least one load that needs doing, even after doing 5 loads the same day! Lol. Or maybe try a baby sling? Have you anybody who can help you out? To maybe take baby out for a walk so you can have an hour to spend with your son. Also, every time baby cries I would roll my eyes at my eldest and say "tut baby needs another bottle! Doesn't he know mummy wants to play? Little monkey!" Remember you can't hurt your baby's feelings but it will make your son start to think that actually mummy doesn't favour time spent with Skye, she'd rather play with me but I suppose she has to do it. As for the house, you have two young children don't worry about it! As long as the basics are getting done i.e. dishes/bottles etc then I wouldn't be concerned about a bit of mess. Take the time to enjoy your kids, housework can wait x x

A sling was my saviour with two - also housework is just bare minimum for the first few months. It will get easier though.

I know lots of people who carried their second baby around in a Baby Bjorn (or similar) for months! Baby is happy they're being held but your hands are free to look after the older one. If anything, baby no2 got a bit overlooked as they all seemed to prioritise the older child's needs. Excellent comment above re:not being able to hurt your baby's feelings. Skye will soon learn she has to wait for mummy. Give your boy lots of cuddles when you can and tell him he is a fab big brother.

My friend used to get her toddler to sit holding the baby for a few mins and would make a big fuss of taking photos and saying how much baby loved being held like that etc Make Jake feel as involved as you can.

Oh, and get out of the house whenever you can!