Meaning those whose older kiddos are no longer 2 or under. DS is 29 months and DD is 9 months and I know this is unusual but the last 3 months have been the hardest! I thought once my younger got to 6 months we would turn a corner, but it has just gotten worse! I think part of the problem is managing expectations on my part. She was a great newborn (meaning only woke up a few times a night, an easy nursing session, and back down). Now she wakes up for 2 hours at a time in the middle of the night. Not every night, but about 1 in 3. I WOH and this kills me. Everyone expects a mom of a newborn to be a mess, but not as much an older baby. My job is stressful. My older is still in diapers and is in the tantrum phase. It seems like someone is always crying/fussing. I am just struggling. We drove to my hometown (9hours) for Christmas and it was rough. We split each leg in two 4-5 hour trips to try to make it better, but... It was NOT worth it. So how are you doing? Any moms out there that can give me a light at the end of the tunnel??
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Following! I need some words of wisdom because mine will be about 20.5 months apart.
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Aw, big hugs. Two under two was pretty chill for us but LO 2 was an angel until 14 months.
My LO 1 is now 3 and LO 2 is 20 months. Things are going well here minus the extra whining from LO 1. She has been super emotional for the last month or so....threenager!!
LO 2 just started walking but doesn't do it consistently. Her favorite word is WHY?!
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Mine are almost 8 months and 28 months. I felt like we were cruising for a while but I agree it's gotten harder. DS2 was a chill baby but has now gotten clingier. He wants to be held all the time and really cries when you leave him. He really doesn't entertain himself for long. He also has been waking up some when he 1st goes to sleep. Hopefully, this is a just bump and it starts getting easier again. Even so, they are just being toddlers and babies. I have to remind myself of that.
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There is light at the end of the tunnel. I promise! It sounds like your older one is an early three-nager. Our older one was in the terrible threes forever! My favorite phrase became, "You can cry all you want to, but mama is going to put in some ear plugs until you are ready to talk." (I was taught to say "want" not "need" because she really does not need to cry and throw such a big tantrum!) I only had to do it twice before my daughter totally got the picture.
I took the girls to Hawaii at around the time that you are at and it was the most miserable vacation of my life. It culminated with both of them crying the entire way home on the plane. I swore I would never travel again, but actually now they are a delight to travel with!
Now someone needs to talk me down about 3 under 5, because that's where I'm potentially headed next!
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It gets better! currently mine are 32 months and 17 months. the beginning was hard, then it got slightly easier, then it was a little harder when the younger was much more mobile, wanting to be more independent. the older one is a handful now with his attitude lately, but its much, much better!
@autumnlove: I love threenager! G is definitely getting there...the attitude on that little man...and we've got a couple months before he's officially 3!
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@autumnlove: My DD is probably an angel, except for the sleeping issues which really didn't start until 6 months. She does like to be held, which can be kinda hard to do with a toddler getting into everything and giving me something to clean up constantly or demanding something of me.
@lilteacherbee: Good luck! I'd say the one great thing about the age difference is that my older didn't miss a beat when DD was born. I think they are almost too young to be jealous! The transition was so smooth in the beginning and I was grateful for that.
@Mamasig: Yes, they are just being toddlers and babies, but it can drive a girl crazy
So maybe it is just the age? I hope we turn a corner soon. I just remember 6-10 months seeming like a honeymoon with DS so this was a bit of a rude awakening for me
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@Mrs. Jacks: The "no traveling" thing was exactly what DH and I decided after this trip. It was rough. Glad to hear you are doing better and I know it must be scary for things to be shaken up once again with #3
So if he is an early threenager does that mean he'll get through the phase sooner? He has a huge Daddy preference and doesn't want me to do anything for him. I hope it passes soon! I try to do positive parenting strategies, but what happens when I give him a choice of 2 things and he just says "NO!". Ugh.@GrapeCrush: Glad to hear it gets better. I'm a little nervous about DD getting more mobile. She has just learned to crawl and is still a little slow getting around.
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@Amelieisme: When they just say "No", I say, "Ok, so you are choosing to not have X or Y" which is great until your kid goes to school without socks! (I always stick them in the bag and tell the teacher
)My early three-nager had a prolonged three-nage course, I hate to say! But I figured out how to handle the threes at about 3.5 and it made all the difference. She still acted out but we totally had her number... so it was annoying and satisfying all at the same time. The final thing was to control those terrible screaming fits. The earplug trick was amazing and made the rest of the threes bearable. And then she turned four and changed everything up on us!
But four is delightful and so hard earned after getting through three! Now that #2 is almost 3, we feel like we've got a good handle on it this time around and we've been nipping it all in the bud.
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It does get better! I have a threenager and an almost terrible two. LOL! Some days are rough, but mostly they are awesome! They are such good friends and play really well together. I would say it got a lot better when the little one started walking, and now that he's starting to talk it is awesome to hear their little conversations! There is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.
So if he is an early threenager does that mean he'll get through the phase sooner? He has a huge Daddy preference and doesn't want me to do anything for him. I hope it passes soon! I try to do positive parenting strategies, but what happens when I give him a choice of 2 things and he just says "NO!". Ugh.
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