I have to 2 amazing ds' but feel like I am failing them at the moment.
Ds1 is 20 months & ds2 is 5 months. Although very close in age there needs are very different & I feel as though I'm not doing enough to meet them & support their development. A typical day is this -
Dh gets ds1 up, dressed & breakfasted while I tidy upstairs, put washing on or away chatting to ds2 with him lying on the bed or have an extra 30mins if we've had a bad night with ds2
I then feed ds2 in the living room so I can chat to ds1, help him colour, play with his toys or watch his programme with him unless he's playing in the garden (or more often than not flitting between the 2!)
Then we usually all go out to the shops or park & hope ds2 will have a nap along the way (he's not very good at daytime sleep)
After it's home for ds1 to play in the garden with our dog who he loves while coming in & out for various toys or to watch cbeebies for the 3 minutes it holds his attention for. Ds2 will probably be fed & spend some time in his bumbo playing with a toy being chatted to by me or dh. Then it's lunch & ds1's nap & dh goes to work.
Ds2 goes in his door bouncer (only time it's safe for him to as ds1 thinks it's a swing & wants to push him in it!) while I tidy up the chaos of the morning
Ds2 gets fed & has a sleep on me, he won't sleep anywhere else & we've tried everything we can think of to be able to put him down but he wakes up instantly.
Ds1 wakes up which means so does ds2 as can't / won't be put down & we go in the garden so ds1 can run around, look for birds & planes,ds2 has tummy time, try sitting & rolling & maybe all have a story.
Then more feeding ds2 while ds1 plays indoors & has cbeebies in the background (he doesn't sit glued to it, watches for a few minutes then is on to the next thing but really likes the music & songs.
We have dinner just the 3 of us as dh is at work so me & ds1 sit at the table with ds2 in his bumbo. Ds2 unless I've managed to somehow get him to have a power nap (usually just before tea if it's going to happen on my lap while ds2 plays, I help him colour, read) Then he's getting tired & grumpy.
More garden / playtime while I tidy up quickly & we watch in the night garden together while I top up ds2 before the chaos of bedtime.
Ds1 goes up to bed & I get him ready with ds2 in the cot, sometimes he's fine with this if he's not too tired other times he crys
ds2 & I go back down for a feed & a power nap while ds1 goes to sleep (I darent chance ds2 screaming his head off upstairs if he's tired or hungry & setting ds1 off)
Then ds2 & I have a shower & I settle him for bed.
I am trying to juggle things as best I can but feel like I'm doing a crap job of it. I worry that ds1 doesn't get enough interaction or play with us & I worry that ds2 doesn't either. I think back to the things I did with ds1like lots of floor time play & in his bouncer but some of its just not always safe with ds1 around. He adores his baby brother but he's barely more than a baby himself so just doesn't understand that he can't do things like swing him in a door way. I worry that ds2 doesn't get enough daytime sleep but with ds1 around its really hard to settle him for just when he's fallen asleep ds1 will want a biscuit,drink of water, apple & will start tugging at me to get it for him or will drop something / make some kind of loud noise. I can't go upstairs to settle ds2 as that would mean leaving ds1 downstairs on his own. I feel horribly guilty at tea time / ds1's bedtime if ds2 is tired & grumpy as he cries because he wants me to pick him up & cuddle him or comfort feed but I can't always do it right away as I'm sorting ds1 out. I try to comfort him by singing, a quick pat, a toy to play with but usually only mummy will do. It breaks my heart.
Any suggestions or advice?
Sorry it was so long.