Please help!

[ifeelitall]

Please help me organise my life at home for the next 10 days with 4yo and crawling, teething, cranky, cat-napping 9mo - without 4yo watching dvds all day long, without me going mad, and with both of them getting decent meals to eat.

Dh comes home late every night, after the boys' bedtime, so it's just me and them until kindergarten starts again for 4yo.

Thank you!

Play out in the garden

Walks

Picnics

Lunch out

Visits to friends/family

Cutting and sticking for the older one

Thank you. I should have added I'm in Austria (cold - definitely no picnics!) and in a gardenless apartment. But I think you're right - just getting out is good; going for walks, keeping busy.

4yo is quite easy to occupy - likes puzzle books etc - 9mo is tricky when catnapping and I end up carrying him around all day.

all of fab's ideas plus

soft play (if you can face it)
swimming
library

Don't put too much pressure on yourself, but make sure you all get some fresh air every day to blow away the cobwebs and drain a bit of energy.

Also, what do I feed them?! I usually try to cook when 9mo is napping, but would like to use that time to play or do something with 4yo if possible. As naps are often short at the moment, by the time I've cooked soup or a bolognese sauce, db is awake again.

Buy yourself a slow cooker then you can chuck everything in and still have time to play with 4yo while lo naps?

I'd make sure you get out for a bit in the morning...

Mon - Library
Tues - Swimming
Wed - soft play
Thu - walk through woods
Fri - round to friends for a cuppa?

Then do lunch and put baby down for nap whilst you make something to go in slow cooker (things like spag bol, curry, chicken casserole, beef stew etc) then do a quiet activity like sticking or jigsaws then half hour of tv for 4 yr old while you have a tidy up, put wash on or wash dishes etc

Have you got a door bouncer for 9mth old?

Ask 4yr old to help with baby, things like passing you wipes, teach him how to play games with 9mth old like round and round the garden?

In the afternoon put some music on and have a silly dance round the living room moment all my dc's love doig this.

Dinner about 5pm followed by bath, story, milk and bed.

7pm have a last clean up and sit down

Thanks for the great suggestions - you make it sound so easy! :-)

Check out your area for any children's activity centres. I think they are real life savers in the winter. Even if it's a bit of a hassle getting there, I think it's worth it.

The days we don't go out, I give ds a long afternoon bath with this octopus water activity thing that he seems to love. Then lots of baby oil massage.

I'd suggest planning your week so you don't get stuck in a rut. Planning meals also helps.

Hope this helps

p.s I agree with LoveMyGirls....

No problem fwiw I wouldn't carry 9mth old around all day, life is hard enough as it is also worth bearing in mind that crawling will tire him out and therefore he will nap longer ime

I am raising my kids in Canada. I learned that you just have to get out, bundle them up and go for a walk. If you are close to some shops, stop in for hot chocolate for the kids and coffee for you. Walk to a used bookstore and buy them some little book and take it home and read it. 9 months is tough but if bundled up well, may sleep in the stroller so you and the 4 year old can play in the snow while she sleeps. Go out for a lunch. And if money is tight, local libraries are free and often have free programs for kids you can enjoy. Play groups are often free too, or pretty cheap. It is daunting to face the cold and snow but if you bundle them in blankets and just get out, even if for 30 minutes, you will all feel better for it. And less like you are gontg mad! I aimed for going out in the morning, lunch, naps, then you are into the dinner hour and downtime, tv, reading, quiet play and then to bed.