Two kids under two years of age is hard, so these tips for having two under two will be helpful! I did this… and survived (and even thrived) with a few things that I kept in mind about preparing your toddler for the new baby and then diving into having a toddler and a baby at home.
Having a baby and a toddler can be hard. Having a preschooler and a baby can be hard. Lets face it- those first few months with a baby are just exhausting! These tips are going to get you through it and you will be on top of it and enjoying it!
Tips for Having Two Under Two
- Remember they are both still babies. Your toddler will look so old, but he is still just a baby, too.
- Don’t start any new things, like potty training, for a while, as the older child will be unsettled with a new sibling. Let him adapt to the new baby first.
- Try to keep a nightly bed routine for baby and toddler. It will help you at the end of tiring days.
- Get your baby’s things ready sooner (while you are pregnant) so you can start explaining what it is to help prepare your toddler.
- Don’t expect too much of yourself to start with, no one is Wonder-Woman. ~Niyah Willetts
- Enjoy every moment no matter how trying it may be. And in the hard times, remember that it is only for a season and it will pass. You may be exhausted and frustrated and have zero time for yourself but it is ok. Keep your calm. You will survive and your children will love you for it. Remember to show your oldest a little extra, special one on one time so he/she doesn’t feel left out or less important than the new baby. ~Jessica Deskins
- Spend time with the toddler during the baby’s nap time (especially early on, when babies nap three times a day).
- Try to coordinate one nap if you can, so that they are napping at the same time, at least for an hour.
- When the older one meets the baby, make sure they see you first for hugs and then get baby (so they don’t see you with baby first up, helps to prevent feelings of being replaced) ~Katherine Hamilton
- Wear your baby as much as you can.
- Lower your expectations of yourself.
- Clean when you can (use some time-saving cleaning secrets to get it done quicker)
- Remember that the newborn will (hopefully) sleep a lot so put your attention to the older child – a baby is fine to cry for a minute (or three), so if the two year old needs your attention, give it. ~Rhonda Fourneir
- It is OK for a little extra TV time for your toddler, if it gives you time to do what you need to do, like feeding the baby or putting the baby to sleep. Remember that this is a phase and you can get back to your “normalcy” soon enough.
- Take help when offered! If someone says “let me know if I can do anything”, be that mom that says “a home-cooked meal would be amazing and you are so wonderful for offering!”
- Don’t strive to be all Pintresty (unless you really like to be). My daily goal is to keep my head above water and kiss 4 little faces and say goodnight by 8:00 and sigh that I kept us all afloat for one more day! ~Rhonda Fourneir
- Join Mommy groups (like MOPS or POPS or any local groups) for support from others doing what you are doing.
- Establish a daily routine early, from the beginning.
- Let your toddler help with feeding, diaper changes or singing “goodnight” songs to the baby.
- Your best bet is to take every day as a new day.
Enjoy that day for what is has to offer and enjoy your kids in that day. Remember not to sweat the small stuff. This is so important.
What REALLY matters in the long run is the relationship that you have with your children and the relationship that they will have with one another. Work on that, over everything else. Someday soon, you will think back on this as a memory, while your toddler is playing with your preschooler. In the meantime, find us on Facebook, where we cover topics just like this on a daily basis!
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