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worst mum guilt

4 replies

beenherebefore9 · 02/12/2025 18:50

Struggling mum of two here!
my eldest is 3 and she's spent pretty much 99% of her life so far with her dad and I (aside from nursery 2/3 days a week) - we've not village, for various reasons and our little one has quite rightly always been number one with all of our time and attention.
we now have a 3 month old and our big baby is obsessed with her (to put it mildly) she wants to touch, hold, kiss her alllll day. However, recently it's been bordering on passive aggressive and I know deep down it's because she's having to share me.
dad is doing absolutely everything he can to make sure our eldest is getting nearly all of his attention but she is starting to act out. Completely out of character for her, she bit her little sisters toe a few days ago (having never previously bitten anyone!)
im trying everything I absolutely can to keep her feeling included. She's moving to a new nursery in January so is home with me for the whole of December. I'm just really struggling with how full on she's being, I Know why she's doing it but I can't help but feel really irritated and snappy, constantly asking her to leave baby alone when she's sleeping/feeding etc. I just feel awful because we've always had such a lovely relationship and now I feel like I'm letting her down, she can definitely pick up on the mood change or when I'm feeling very over stimulated. I've always been able to "keep it together" even on the more testing days, but on little sleep, EBF on demand, toddler tantrums and just general life admin I feel like it's ALOT. Any tips on how to better manage everything and everyone to stop me feeling like I'm absolutely drowning day to day and being a crappy mum to my toddler :(

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Jellybunny56 · 02/12/2025 20:39

First of all- you’re not a crappy mum, it is HARD, I have a toddler & a new baby, so I know what you mean! Could you try setting up some safe toddler play activities/trays/cupboards so that you can redirect to something when you’re feeding/busy with baby? That’s one of the main things I do which really helps, every night before I go to bed I just set up a really quick activity or toy basket full of random things (think some feathers, wooden kitchen spoon, toilet roll tube etc doesn’t have to be fancy) so that in the morning my daughter spots that and it buys me some time! Or activities like colouring, stickers, crafts, I sit on the floor and do with my toddler while baby feeds.

I’d also say where possible try to find pockets in the day for quality time dedicated to your eldest- even 10 mins of 1-1 time “fills their cup” more than an hour of shared time. I tend to get baby napping in the moses basket and then sit and play solely with toddler for as long as the nap lasts basically, or if baby won’t settle in the moses basket I pop him in the sling for his nap and play with my toddler and focus just on her- housework can wait, let the admin slip a bit.

Another thing depending on what is available near you, activities or groups for your toddler to run off some energy, bonus points if timed for a baby nap so you can join in! We go to a church playgroup one morning a week, baby in sling, so I can run around and play with her, another day we will go to the park (even in the rain, coats/puddle suits on and go, it helps!) and again just let them burn off some steam, we have a local sensory playroom which I’ve done a few times so toddler can play and baby can just watch & be equally entertained, toddler groups are fab for this too, entertainment and playtime for them to fill their cup while you watch.

It won’t last forever, you get through it however you can. You’re doing a good job, it’s just a really hard job!

Chocaffair · 02/12/2025 22:44

All the things above are really good suggestions. There's 21 months between my daughter (now 2 yrs) and son (now 8 months). Soon after he arrived, she started hitting and pulling hair which she'd never done before, and often aimed it at him. Now for the last few months, that has completely gone away and she genuinely adores him now and they're starting to play together which is lovely. So as hard as it is at the time, I assure you it is just a phase and there will be light at the end of the tunnel (I know easier said than done when you're in it!). Just keep reinforcing the boundaries that we don't use our teeth for biting, we need to be gentle with baby etc.
Also importantly give yourself grace - I remember crying on several occasions and thinking had I made the biggest mistake having two so close. But you're doing amazing and it's an adjustment for all, but you will get through it!

undercovermarsupial · 03/12/2025 00:40

Realistic baby doll for her, and some nice clothes to dress it up in and toy versions of the kit you have for the baby? Like a toy cot, a changing mat etc. Then you can look after your babies together and it might give her something to focus on when you don’t want her disturbing her sibling. I can clearly remember doing this when my mum had my sister (I was a bit older than your DD, just turned 4). I was a bit jealous and put out by the arrival but having my own ‘baby’ and ‘feeding’ it next to my mum while she fed my sister etc felt quite bonding, I can still remember chatting away telling her all about my baby and her teaching me how to wind the baby and change a nappy.

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Pryceosh1987 · 03/12/2025 02:27

I like the love and effection the child wants to give the baby. Its natural.

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