What do you do with your toddler when settling the baby for a nap upstairs?

[cfc]

We have a MAD 21 month old boy and a new 10 week old little girl. She is bf to sleep mostly because it is simple, but she can and will settle herself alone.

I want to be able to give her somewhat of a tranquil start to her sleep time, like her big brother enjoyed, but he's unable to leave us alone for a minute even, obviously, being a toddler.

What do you do with yours?

Put him in front of the telly!

Same as Life, but I also put our DD to sleep in the pram/buggy as that can be moved out of noise's reach (or be ready for us to go to toddlers/shopping/out etc).

Are there any 'treat' toys with which he will truly occupy himself? Reserve them for these times only and hopefully he'll get stuck in. Our DS always loves rediscovering old 'put away' toys, so that's another thought.

It will get easier; our DD is now 7mo (with DS 3.5yo) and both are more aware of the 'routine' of naps and what to expect.

Morning and afternoon naps the baby is settled to sleep by being BF with noise from the toddler. I never think it's a good idea to get baby used to falling asleep in silence only.

For lunchtime nap i'd put the toddler down first then do the baby in nice quiet surroundings. He's getting used of both this way and can fall asleep easily anywhere because if it.

I would put him in front of the telly, but he's not a big telly fan (he much prefers banana phone on youtube!). Also, he threw a tamborine through it yesterday so we have no tv at the moment. Apart from the fact that it was brand new and a present from my mum, it's no big deal really.

I think the baby will go to sleep with noise around her, she hasn't been shielded from it, because with the size of our house, she simply can't be. But he won't even just leave us and play in his room whilst I sort her out. He's in the room with us, 'stroking' her (and I mean bashing her head!) asking to hold her, crying about something he's done or something he wants me to do....I swear, a deaf person would find it hard to sleep with him around!

But I will persevere and it will get easier when he can hit the replay button on youtube himself!

Thanks for your replies ladies.

Hmm, tricky. Do you have a sling? She might sleep through any kind of noise in sling (and get less 'stroking' from big bro). My DS is older but things got a lot easier after he realised that when DD slept, my time was his - but if she woke up (or he woke her) then my time was either divided or hers. However it sounds like your DS is too young to 'get this' just now. It's very natural jealousy to seek your attention when you're focused on her; can you play 'turn taking' games with him so that he learns the concept of taking turns, then explain that you take turns doing things with him and his sister - and that once she's asleep it's his turn? The other thought is whether there's something you could do requiring you to go out - I run toddlers one morning so have to go, but found that DD slept through the incredible noise and DS kept occupied/wasn't bothering her.

Hope you get it sorted one way or another, but as he gets older it should get easier... I hope!