Newborn and toddler/preschooler tips.

[UptownFunk00]

Just looking for tips from those who have experience of a newborn and a 2 or 3 year old. What tips and tricks do you have?

Thanks in advance :)

I have a 4 month old and a 2.5 year old. Am no expert as have only been doing this since October but my few tips are:

• don't be afraid to use CBeebies etc. I used to worry about screen time but I am often eg doing bed time alone and I need older DD to stay put for 15-20 mins while I get baby to bed. This is only since about 2 mo btw - before then baby was up with us until about 10/11 so he was either snoozing or tucked under one arm while I got DD ready for bed and read stories etc

• books/colouring etc set up while you are feeding baby so toddler can be occupied. Also get them a snack and their drink to hand in case they ask you for something while you are dealing with baby

• get them to 'help' with the baby, fetch the wipes/nappies etc, my DD loves to help out with baby DS and also shout excitedly when he has done a poo!

• when baby needs a nap I use the opportunity to get out the house with the toddler too, so baby sleeps in buggy and toddler walks with me to park/shops/local coffee shop, kills two birds as, for me anyway, baby often sleeps much better out in the buggy than at home, and also gets toddler out of house and burning off a bit of energy!

• get a good bouncer - this has been invaluable for me since DS was a few weeks old, I have it in the kitchen and it gives me a bit of handsfree time to get Dd's meals ready and tidy up etc. DD didn't like the bouncer much when she was small but I think I used to take her out of it as soon as she made a peep, DS has to stay put a bit longer if grumbling sometimes as I am dealing with DD, as a consequence I think he has got used to it and can often be there for 20mins + now without asking to come out, this was unthinkable for DD!

• I am assuming you will have them both at home (I do a couple of days a week, DD also goes to nursery some days). When I have them both I have my shower/bath the night before as I never get anytime the next day! It's ok with the baby as they can come into bathroom with you cant they, but I can't trust toddler DD not to fall on and squish baby/open bottles in bathroom/flush the toilet multiple times etc etc if I had them both in there and tried to have a shower!

These are probably all things you have already thought about so apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs so to speak! I am also really interested to hear other people's ideas/tips

A good sling is invaluable.

My ds was 19 months when dd was born but it was only 7 months ago so I'm no expert! Top tips;

• Invest in a sling. I got a Close Caboo and it was fantastic for getting the baby to sleep. It also left my hands free to play with the toddler.
• yes to a bouncer- we had this one

www.mothercare.com/Fisher-Price-Woodsy-Friends-Bouncer/434621,default,pd.html they're great for keeping the baby in whilst you shower etc

• Visit charity shops/nct sales/nearly new sales for little books and toys that you can stash away for and particularly long days.

-C Beebies! I think I had 63 episodes of Bing on the Sky box when dd was due! I could practically have gone to the hospital, had her and come home without ds even noticing! -Make friends at a toddler group now. It's really nice to have somewhere familiar to go where there are some friendly faces and someone to watch one baby for you whilst you change the other. -Buy a Phil and Teds. -Set your toddlers routine now. Ds had a set nap time and bedtime and he goes to bed without a fuss. Do any sleep training early, establish a routine then try not to change too much. It made all the difference that ds was easy! -Batch cook for your toddler so their meals are taken care of. -Accept any help you can get.

You'll be fine. I love having mine so close together

Oh, do I need this thread. 12 weeks pregnant with with DC2 and it's just starting to sink in that DS will be 2.1 years old when this baby is born.
Thank you all in advance!

Don't worry about enforcing usual rules if it isn't practical. The easiest way to do bedtime solo is all of you in one bed, feed baby, read stories, all lie down together you can worry about reversing bad habits when baby is in a predictable routine.

Get out in the morning, if you put baby down for a nap and attempt to go out afterwards it'll be 3pm before you get out the door! Dressed, breakfast, out before toddler spies any toys and baby can nap in the pushchair / car etc.

I need this thread too! My toddler will be 19 months when I have my baby in July eek!

I have a just turned two year old and a ten month old. Stuff that helped were/are:

• Lower standards. House work, quality of dinners etc. It's only temporary.
• Beige dinners (fish fingers etc) are okay
• TV is a reliable and thoroughly acceptable babysitter for short periods. Amazing what you can achieve while two kids are glued to Peppa for five minutes!
• Get up, get showered and dressed, and get out in the morning. Bubs can snooze in the pram while you entertain the toddler. If you get out in the morning and get home in time for lunch then nap, the house is relatively tidy, and you only have a few hours between toddler getting up and dinner to fill. I break the afternoon into 20-30min chunks - colouring, cars, playdough, dollies etc.
• Meal plan including lunches and snacks...one less thing to think about
• Get toddler in a routine if they aren't already, and slot bubs in as appropriate
• Get them sleeping together at nap time as soon as possible!!!!
• Organise stuff in the evening, nappy bag, pram etc. That way you can just chuck the kids in and go.
• Let the toddler help with the baby and hold the baby

Honestly though, don't stress. The first few months were a bit crazy, I remember feeding a newborn while try to bath a toddler, but it's so short lived. Best of luck 😀

Don't panic at any stage. Toddler's meals/ nap/ bedtime/ personality may go to s**t for a few days but probably not forever.

Get out in the morning and make sure toddler naps at lunchtime for your sanity!

Enjoy... I love it.

Scotinoz, how do you manage to get the naps together?! Try as I might my 8 month old invariably falls asleep in car or pram on way back from activity in morning. I can manage pram sleeps as can park up by back door, but this only happens on fine days as toddler won't tolerate buggy rain cover. I don't want to keep driving as toddler hungry and tired by this point and baby usually wakes up on carrying in car seat, or if she does carry on sleeping, it's only for 30 mins.
I am finding it very tough at times to feel like I'm giving my toddler enough attention, to the point that I have posted on the nursery page asking for experiences of starting a baby in nursery for a couple of sessions per week.

Ps sorry to hijack thread OP, it is most certainly doable. It just means that I now regard my very demanding pre-mat leave job as really quite easy compared to how my life has been for the past 8 months!!
And on the weekend if DH has one of them, it is amazing how easy it is to manage just one!!
The newborn period is most certainly easier second time around (at least it was for me) - there's not that huge "shock to the system" of a newborn, although this would be different if you had a refluxy or colicky baby.

Lilipot15 I think there's a good bit of luck involved! Seriously though, I just engineered it from early on. children are up at 6am so are both ready for a nap by half 12, and the baby naps in the morning in the pram/car/etc. I do a bit of prodding to keep them awake if necessary. I used to only get them asleep together for maybe 30minutes when the baby was little but it's a reliable 90minutes at the moment. Dread when my toddler drops her nap!

A friend's children are exactly the same ages so I think we planned and discussed tactics!

My dd is 7 months and usually naps in the buggy in the morning, either 1 longer one if we're going somewhere that the buggy can come too or two shorter ones if she needs to come out. In the afternoon ds goes for his nap from 1 until 3-3.30 and up until recently I've just let dd have her second/third nap on me at around 2-2.30. I'm now trying to get her to nap in her cot. Napping has got much easier since Christmas- months 2-5 with dd napping was a nightmare and she was nearly always in the sling.