DH is going to take a month off after the baby is born but he will be working long stretches of overnight shifts when he goes back....so he will be asleep or at work. Do you have any tips for solo parenting when you have a newborn and toddler?
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Netflix!
Just kidding, not really.
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The biggest thing that I had to adjust was sometimes one of them is going to have to cry. It sounds TERRIBLE and I hated it, but at naptime, if DS (the baby) wasn't asleep in the swing, he would have to hang out (cry out?) while I put DD down for a nap. Or, if she wanted a snack or drink right then, and I was nursing, then she had to wait. You can't respond to each need as quickly as you can with just one kid.
And, it gets EASIER! DS is one and DD is about to be three and it is SO much easier. They can almost play together and she is so helpful with DS. The hardest part is when the baby is a newborn, and then it gets easier!
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- stick to a routine everyday as much as possible (Baby Whisperer's EASY for the baby, for example)
- take neighborhood walks or play in the backyard at least once a day to prevent cabin fever
- lots of coffee -
In the early weeks things are pretty easy since the baby sleeps around the clock.
I think getting on a schedule ASAP helps.
Dd goes to bed at 6:30. Then I feed and bathe DS. And he's out by 8.
DS had to cry a bit early on bc I was taking care of dd, but once I got into the swing of things I scheduled naps and feedings so both kids were happy.
Netflix and YouTube help me when I need to keep dd quiet. -
IDH works a lot of 12 hour night shifts then transitions back to 12 hour day shifts so for me, a routine really helped. I did a lot of baby wearing when DD was a newborn and I was able to still give DS my time and attention while she slept. It was helpful to write a schedule out, I didn't go out alone with the kiddos until DD was 6 weeks. It was kind of stressful while we were out alone putting the stroller away, getting DD out of the carrier and getting DS into the car but the second and third time got a lot easier!
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Thanks!!!! I'm so worried about two crying babies but I need to get over it because it is going to happen!
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6 comments