tips on coping with 2.6yr old & baby at toddler groups

[bigboydiditandranaway]

I'm pregnant at the moment and just wondering if anyone had any tips for coping with 2.6yr old and a baby at toddler groups.
People i have seen seem to cope fine, the babies are generally asleep, but what happens when the babies get to 4/5 months plus????
Ds and i love going so really don't want to stop going.

do what I do - and send the 2yr old off to play on his own - sit back with the baby, drink your tea and just cast the occasional glance over to make sure the 2yr isn't trashing the place

agree with FAQ - that's what I've done both times I had a baby and an older one. Don't foegt that by the time your baby is crawling around, your older one will be much more independent, if they are stil there as they might be at pre school by then anyway!

Obviuously, you have to concentrate on the baby so you are right to keep going to a fmiliar place where ds can play on his own/ with friends and feel secure

ds1 runs off on his own quite happily (he is 2.6); ds2 sits on my lap quite happily (6 months). I am very lucky I guess; I have friends there who very happily take ds2 for a cuddle whilst I drink my tea! I can see it being a little more problematic once ds2 starts moving around as it does tend to be rather boisterous and I will worry about him getting squashed!

all the mummies will take shots of cuddling your adorable baby while you get to play with toddler

or toddler runs off and plays with friends while you sit and feed baby

or toddler potters about while baby sits in a bouncy chair and watches what's going on

it'll be fine

both my 2 loved toddlers and church creche from very young. they'd just sit and watch what was going on...

Thanks so much for all your support, it's really put my mind at ease

I have 18 months between my DDs and will have 2.6yo between DD2 and DB3.

Never found it a problem, DD2 was either asleep or in bouncy chair having a "chat" to other babies in bouncy chairs. DD1 was off playing and I was drinking tea and chatting. Once she was older she could go in a baby walker for a little while or I would put really old trousers on her and she would crawl around the little baby play area.

dont go