If you have a toddler and baby

[Sparrowlegs248]

How on earth does the baby sleep? The baby is really good, and would (and does) drop off easily with a dummy and bit of patting/cuddle when toddler isn't here. That only happens one day a week though. So far this morning baby has been trying to sleep since 9am and has been woken up within seconds each time (4) that he's nodded off by the toddler. Toddler isn't being particularly noisy but comes and does something, drops a toy etc right at the wrong moment.

It's not his fault and I can't leave him on his own to get baby to sleep but good god its trying my patience!

Getting out was always my solution. Out with the pram and baby then sleeps, in the afternoon when toddler slept get baby asleep then too, catch up with the chores from morning. I kept the baby in a Moses basket inside a large playpen which stopped toddler touching baby. A sling worked really well for me also.

I'm.trying mot to rely on going out. Toddler doesn't nap well so he tends to sleep in the car but obviously baby needs more than that. Baby is 6 months now and huge so no longer using sling for naps as I have really bad hip. I'd resigned myself to going our but thinking of winter. Managed to get him to sleep by giving toddler my phone to watch music videos on. Great!

I made a deliberate point of teaching baby to sleep through anything. I used to do things like position the Moses basket (when used as a newborn) under a switched on overhead "big light" and also by a window. Never turned the tv down, actively encourage sleep in busy, noisy environments to get him used to it.

Once out of the Moses but before upstairs cot naps, I used both a travel cot in the corner of the living room and a bouncer. Due to the toddler, I used the travel cot as a place for baby to safely play in when rolling, so often just gave dummy at appropriate time and he'd just drop to sleep while playing. Or bouncy chair for naps and keep toddler away (but not usually quiet)

But you can't pen them in once crawling. I moved to cot naps then. Is baby ready for bedroom cot naps yet? Especially if settling easily with a dummy, you might as well.

I also second the poster above who said about getting out. When I had a baby and young toddler, we were at a different playgroup every weekday morning. I'd get baby settled and napping in the pushchair on the way and leave to sleep in there at toddlers.

iPad for the toddler in a gated, toddler proof room (usually his bedroom) while I put the baby to bed in the nursery. The iPad was used sparingly so was enough of a novelty to keep him quiet for 10 minutes or so. Then, when the baby was older, sleep training so I could put him in his cot and leave him, and take the toddler downstairs to do something quiet.

Going out involves the car, we live rural, no footpaths and nowhere to walk. We do go for walks in the afternoon up to the river and back and he does sometimes nap then, but with my stupidly painful hip I can't do it more than that really, also think toddler would get bored with it more than once a day!

Currently no baby groups on due to holidays, damn them.

I don't have an iPad, hence giving my phone. Trouble being us that tantrums occur when I take it back. So today he had it for 40 minutes while baby slept. I don't want to get into that habit really though no different to TV I suppose (which he won't watch)

I think I'm going to try cot naps, but I'll have the same issue. Toddler coming over just at the wrong time. Baby sleeps through all sorts once asleep and has never been kept away from noise, it's just a couple of minutes between asleep and awake where he's easily disturbed. I don't suppose there's an answer really.

I let DD watch something on the iPad whilst 7mo DS has his morning nap if we're at home. I've decided it's the only TV she gets so it's really not so bad and it keeps DS on a good schedule so the whole day is just much easier. Then they both have a nap at lunchtime and then DS naps in the car or pram in the afternoon, depending on what we're doing.

40 mins of iPad really isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things and it's not going to last forever!

This thread is making me feel incredibly old. There were no such thing as tablets when I had a baby and toddler together at home. It smartphones. Which make it sounds like the dark ages. But to me it was like a millisecond ago. They are coming up for being 12 and 13 now. Time flys....

Anyway, as you were...

Or* smartphones...

cot naps and/or tv/craft time during nap time. only way to keep him quiet most days.
At first had to explain that him being quiet meant the baby slept which in turn meant we could have 'us' time and do the stuff we couldn't when the baby is awake (painting/baking/anything requiring two hands!)

See I'd like to spend the nap time playing with toddler, but it doesn't work if he has the phone. And exactly fate, people didn't used to have phones and tablets. I'd like to manage without.

I had my 2 in the days before iPads and smartphones too. Toddler was old enough to understand being quiet until baby was asleep. Once baby was asleep I would read her a story/draw or watch something on tv with her. I think the older one knowing there would be one on one time with me was a good incentive for her to stay quiet and not disturb the baby.
"Once baby is asleep I'll read you a story. You have to be quiet though or he won't go to sleep."
Good luck x

people didn't used to have phones and tablets. I'd like to manage without

Yeah, but things change. Don't beat yourself up for using a useful parenting tool.

My nearly 3 year old can Candy Crush with the best of them and knows how to unlock, open YouTube and click onto her favourite channels. Her older siblings had never used a screen of any kind until they were 8. But such is the rate of digital developments. There is no point pretending we don't live in the digital age. So I'm all for (age appropriate) use, especially if it makes parenting easier.

Six months was when my dd naps went to pieces, it was a phase and it's passed. Sorry about your hip, that must make things tricky.

I know it's not fashionable but I put my toddler in a playpen with her choice of toys whilst I take my baby (actually younger toddler now) up to bed for her sleep. It takes 10 mins at most, usually much less and I know DD1 is safe while I'm gone. I am lucky though as she plays v well on her own and doesn't mind the playpen at all. In fact she asked to stay in it today to finish her game! There are only 16 months between my 2 so a playpen has been essential at times and quite honestly I don't know how people manage without one. I'm fully prepared to be told what an appalling Mum I am and honestly couldn't care less!

He's just learnt to climb out unfortunately. But previously spent long periods throwing balls out of it for entertainment!

Cot naps and play white noise into the bedroom. I keep the toddler busy in his beds with tablet or books while putting younger DS down. White noise on and then toddler DS can make noise without it disturbing the sleeper. Has to be cot/separate room though.