2 under 2 logistics - help!

[Hippydippydoo]

I am expecting ds in a few weeks time, DD will have only just turned 14 months.

Feeling ok about things right now, however keep worrying about the logistics of managing 2 very young children, in particular in regards to naps.

Could anyone who has already been there reassurance me that we will figure it out without either of them feeling abandoned.

For example, when I am trying to settle one for a nap, where do I put the other? I'm thinking that when I need to settle my oldest I can put ds in his cot with a monitor and watch him the whole time, but what on Earth do I do with my mobile 14 month old when ds needs settling?

I think I'm over thinking and starting to drive myself a little insane!

Don’t worry about it too much!

My DC are 13 months apart. DS1 doesn’t remember life without DS2 and took about a day to adjust to another baby in the house - they just don’t remember it being any other way after a short period of time. Neither felt abandoned - it was just the way things were and they are generally too little to feel jealousy at that age.

In practical terms, the things that helped me most were teaching DS1 to climb up and down the stairs safely, having a large hexagonal playpen, and really good from birth high chairs.

Climbing stairs was so I didn’t have to carry DS1 after DS2 was born. I often did end up carrying both, but it made it much easier that he could. (We also didn’t have stair gates, which was the main reason I taught him, not carrying him was an additional bonus I discovered later).

The playpen had a gate which was generally left open, and their toys were in there and it was in front of the television. I usually put DS2 in it to keep him safe from DS1 for naps in a Moses basket or if I had to leave them alone for a few minutes. DS1 quite liked it because he was often shut out of it, so if I shut him in it for a few minutes he was quite happy. We also had a circus tent (IKEA?), into which I put a small paddling pool and filled it with ball pit balls, and I’d leave that inside the playpen pretty often too.

The high chairs were DH’s big purchase. We had two of them and they were beyond extravagant, but they were brilliant from the beginning and absolutely no regrets on buying them.

I got the playpen off eBay quite cheaply and the second high chair from eBay as an ex-display model. There are quite a few used ones on eBay and they are really sturdy so good secondhand purchases. The footrests break, but aren't essential to the chair and are removable so don't have broken bits sticking out.

We also had one of these activity centres which was brilliant. DS2 sat inside, DS1 sat outside and they’d play together with the toys.

Thank you so much for the info, I love your idea of putting the baby inside the gated area, genius!

I also love the highchair, but think dh might kill me 😂

Your advice has been really helpful.

My DD (2.5 now but 20 months when DS was born, only really naps in the buggy or the car so DS has always kind of tagged along.

You will figure it out when the time comes. DS has always napped really easily so it's just a case of sticking him in his cot really.

Good luck!