Tips required from parents with more than 1 child

[justanothermanicmonday1]

Hello all!

I have just gave birth to baby no2 this past week and have a 17 month old. Soon enough my DP will be returning to work and I will be on my own. One thing I'm nervous about is doing the bed time routine for my DC1 and newborn being completely fussy.

My question is, how do you manage?😂

The thought seems scary/impossible. Probably just my hormones and I know I'll cope fine. I have a really fussy newborn with possible reflux (DC1 had it at the same age, gp appointment tomorrow) so I'm worried both will become hysterical and I'll be a mess and know how to manage both at the one time at bed time lol.

Any tips are welcome!

Thanks x

Bump 😊

Don’t put them to bed at the same time, feed baby and let them snooze while you do bath, bed and story with toddler. After a few months you can do bedtime together. Don’t overthink it and don’t panic. My sons were 15 months apart so I can empathise.

16 months between my two. You will manage, it's not easy but it's doable. I was super super strict with my routine, not sure if that works for everyone but I'm benefitting from it now (age 2 and 3) as they both have exactly the same routine.

I never did bedtime together until DD2 was around 4/5 months old. Until then, DD1 had her 1 nap a day and bed by 7pm. DD2 would have a layer bedtime and would usually have her final nap of the day while DD1 was having bath and bed.

It honestly gets so much sasier around 5 months when the baby is in a proper schedule, I even had them both napping for 1.5 hours in the afternoon at one point which was bliss.

I'd always go out in the morning, so toddler could have an activity and baby could nap.

For me, routine, routine,routine was what kept me going (though it was lockdown so not much else to focus on!)

Now at nearly 3 and 4 they have identical routines, go to preschool together, play (and argue) but I'm so so happy I had them as close as I did. My motto was every day gets a little bit easier.

Don't do it!!!! 😁😁😁😁 Quick shove the newborn back up. Else you will be tired forever!

Thanks all for the advice!

We have DC1 in a great routine. She has a 1.5 hour morning nap and that's her right through until 7:30 and we start bath. Bed, milk & bed and asleep by 8pm. DC still loves to be held until asleep. So that's the only reason why I'm nervous in case I'm alone and DC2 kicks off. But it won't be the end of the world, we'll all survive 😂

Planning to start DC2 in a routine at around 11-12 weeks. We did that with my DC1 and it paid off massively.

X

My second is 10 weeks old, and when I have to do a solo bedtime I just massively lower my expectations! If my 3 year old is asleep before 8:30 - winner! If he's still awake at 9:30, then that's just how it rolled that night because my baby needed more milk / cuddles / settling before I could sort my eldest. Admittedly I'm not very routine driven, but trying a routine with a tiny baby is useless anyway!

Do stories together from the off on your solo nights , as your eldest gets bigger they can “read to” the baby

Tonie box for the eldest? Mine would (eventually) led me leave with a Tonie playing quietly and drift off to it

initially my youngest would have their last nap whilst I got elder two in bed, then as baby got older I started putting her to bed before them, so it was always a bit staggered

I find it helps me if I’ve eaten something prior to tackling solo bedtime. If I’m hungry I get to the point of frustration much quicker because I’m desperate to get them down and make dinner. Sounds obvious but it took me a while to work it out!

good luck, you’ll smash it! X

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just brace for carnage.
There is no way to prep for or avoid the utter carnage that is now your life.
Im not joking, I wish I’d known what I was signing up to.

It doesn’t get easier … at least not yet.

Enjoy - (the mum of a 2&3 yo with a 14 month gap)