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Baby and toddler routine help!
*Also posted in toddler*
I just wondered what your routine during the day is with a toddler and a baby. Getting out the house is still pretty stessful and seems to take forever with either DD or DS taking it in turns to hold things up lol. Then evenings...well I started bathing them together so DD didn't feel left out but then I find I have a screaming baby and a toddler who is running around naked after her bath while I am trying to feed baby!
So how do you manage bathtimes? Hubby isn't home until just before 7pm so he isn't about to help.
How does your day look?
Thanks!
Oh DD is 2 and a half and DS 7 weeks.
I just wondered what your routine during the day is with a toddler and a baby. Getting out the house is still pretty stessful and seems to take forever with either DD or DS taking it in turns to hold things up lol. Then evenings...well I started bathing them together so DD didn't feel left out but then I find I have a screaming baby and a toddler who is running around naked after her bath while I am trying to feed baby!
So how do you manage bathtimes? Hubby isn't home until just before 7pm so he isn't about to help.
How does your day look?
Thanks!
Oh DD is 2 and a half and DS 7 weeks.
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Replies
7am-8am get up (depends on what time ds2 had last feed as to what time he gets up but its always between then, if he does get up with me and ds1 I just leave him in moses basket until I've sorted all out), if ds2 isn't up yet I get ds1 his breakfast and do myself a brew and prepare ds2's milk and pick his clothes. Get ds1 his breakfast and he gets himself dressed while I do all this.
8am (at the latest) give DS2 his bottle while ds1 watches his programmes and eats breakfast.
11:30am - put ds1's dinner on and make sure he is fed and watered.
11am-1pm - give ds2 his bottle (depends what time he had breakfast and he goes 3-4 hours between feeds)
After giving ds2 his bottle I try to have a tidy round, hoover up, wash bottles etc while ds1 plays and ds2 sleeps.
4pm-5pm approximately - Put ds2's t on and give ds2 a bath downstairs, ds2 helps wash him down and keeps him entertained while I get his pj's on. While I serve up ds1's t I prepare bottle for ds2 the give him that after bath while ds1 eats his t.
5:30pm-6pm put t on for me and dh.
7pm-8pm ish - take ds1 for a bath while dh gives ds2 a bottle (again depending on time of last feed). Then read a book with ds1 and go to bed.
8pm + - run round like a mad woman washing any bottles and preparing things for next day, and having a nice bath while dh looks after ds2
I used to be a stickler for routine, especially with ds1, but now I just go with the flow and see what happens.
DS1 is 4 in March and DS2 is 7 weeks.
Hope this helps, sorry for waffling.
Sam, Harrison & Daniel
xxxxx
My hubby is out until later in the evening too so it's just me and the boys for bathtime.
I put ds1 (3 yrs)in the bath and get him all washed then leave him playing with his bath toys while I grab ds2 (18 wks) who has been left screaming in his cot (poor wee soul) - the baby's room is within spitting distance of the bathroom so I don't have to leave ds1 for more than a second. Then ds2 gets a quick wash and then usually pees in the bath so they both have to come out speedily. ds1 gets wrapped in his towel and has a screaming tantrum because he wants his jammies while i deal with the baby, then the baby gets dumped back in his cot and screams blue murder while ds1 gets his jammies.
I'm sure there are probably easier ways of doing it all but i'm hopelessly impractical.
'luckily' ds1 has bad eczema so only gets a bath a couple of times a week!
Pre-weaning, it was something like this:
7.15 - I get up and shower, usually wakes ds (2.5) who either comes in bathroom with me or watches Cbeebies in my bed while I shower and dress, ds has drink of milk
8.00 - dd wakes or I wake her, breastfeed, get her dressed.
8.30 - downstairs for breakfast
8.45-9ish - back upstairs to wash and dress ds (daren't do this before breakfast or would end up doing it again!).
9.30ish - go out! (toddler groups most mornings, dd usually has a nap in car on the way or while out)
11.14ish - home
12.00 - breastfeed dd, ds plays with toys or we look at books together
12.30 lunch
1.30 -3.30 - ds naps, dd usually has a nap in this time too.
4.00 - breastfeed dd, again ds plays or reads books
5.00-6.00 - start dinner, dd usually has a short nap at 5.30-6ish
6.00 dinner followed by milk for ds
7.00 bath -luckily Daddy there to help, we usually do it between us then I sort and breastfeed dd and he sorts ds and gets him to bed. (The one time I've bathed them on my own, I had dd's nappy, PJs and changing mat on bathroom floor, got her out dried and dressed there then fed her on bathroom floor while ds still in bath! Put her down on mat, got him out and wrapped in towel, put her into cot then got him sorted out - I don't envy anyone who does this alone every day!)
8.00 bed - then I sort the house out, pack bag for next day, iron etc!
Dd is 6 months now, and napping is still a bit unpredictable, but we manage - I do feel a bit guilty that there is little time for 'interactive' play with ds, obviously I play with him when I can, but I don't feel we can do anything 'messy' in case dd wakes up/ is also up and in the room. Then again, I also feel she's had to fit into his routine a lot - and I worry that going out every morning disrupts her natural sleep pattern, but we get cabin fever if ds doesn't get out, and it allows him to do something he enjoys - and she gets something out of these groups too. Although we get out every day, we do seem to enter a time warp between coming downstairs 'ready' and actually getting out of the door - all we have to do is put shoes and coats on and somehow it takes 15-20 mintues!
In the morning, DD2 usually wakes up first (about 6 - 6.30 usually) so I feed/change/dress her and then put her on my bed (I arrange pillows so she is propped up) and either put the TV or radio on for her while I have a quick shower. DD1 is usually waking up by the time I am dressed (sometimes earlier - but she is happy to stay in bed and talk to her teddies, if it's later then I get some "me time" whoop!) so I put DD2 in her swing in her bedroom, while I get DD1 up & dressed, then I take DD1 downstairs and get breakfast for us both. I go and get DD2 as soon as she starts to fuss (I keep the monitor with me).
We muddle through the rest of the day as best we can, and the next complicated bit is bath/bed time.
We all go upstairs together (DD1 usually decides she wants to be carried - but as I am carrying the baby, I am quite strict and make her walk, so it can take us a while to get up there!) then both girls go into their rooms to "play" (DD2 goes in her swing) while I run the bath and get everything ready (lots of towels in the bathroom, and a changing mat set up on the floor with everything I need for DD2). DD1 usually stomps from room to room causing chaos, but that's OK. Then they both get in, and DD1 'helps' me wash DD2 (I have one of those bath seats so I don't need to hold her) and then I let her have a bit of a kick in the water, until she starts to fuss (that could be anything from 10 seconds to 10 minutes - and she usually gets pretty splashed from DD1 "helping" to look after her, but generally she doesn't seem to mind). Then I get her out, and give her a massage and get her ready for bed (using the changing mat on the bathroom floor) while DD1 has a play. Then I wash DD1 clean her teeth, and get her out - give her a quick rub in a towel, and then put a bath robe on her.
Then we all traipse into DD1's room. If DD2 is hungry - I feed her while DD1 has a play, and dries off (towel robes are fab!) but if not, then I get DD1 dry and into her PJ's while DD2 lies on a mat on the floor, then we all snuggle up together and have a story and DD1 gets into bed and lights out. Then I take DD2 out, feed her (again) and plonk her into her cot.
Sometimes it's more chaotic than others, and we have had a couple of times when it's all fell apart (one time when DD1 poo'd in the bath) but when it goes wrong, then one or both of them might just have to cry while I get things back on track - no harm done.
xxx
Anyway I'm quite lucky that dh is usually home for bedtime but on evenings he isn't I bath them together... Obviously ds is 6 months old now so is a lot happier in the evenings, it will get easier for you too
6-7.30am depending on when they wake. Ds has his bottle, dd has a drink. We go downstairs.
8pm dd has breakfast and I tidy up, Hoover, clean etc while ds plays in his play nest.
9pm- ds has breakfast then we all play for an hour or so.
10am ds goes for his nap, me and dd usually get dressed, pack the baby bag for the afternoon, watch a movie etc.
12pm make dinner for the there of us, ds usually wakes up now, we have dinner and then almost always go out weather it be a play group or a friends, ds has another bottle at 2ish.
3.30-4.30 usually home by now, ds will have another nap if he didn't fall asleep in the car, I usually get dd doing some sort of activity in the kitchen table like play dough, colouring etc while I cook tea for the 4 of us.
4.30/5pm Daddys home woo hoo lol, we all have tea together around the table, dh washes up and cleans up while I shower then dh showers then we bath the kiddie winks, we usually then just chill in the living room and have some family time before dressing the kids and winding them down for bed.. I feed ds and dd has cuddles and watches pepper pig... Of course lol.
6-7pm bedtime!
I feel a lot happier that other people found it tricky too...I can't see it getting easier but I know it will.
I'm going to try some of the things you all suggested to make bath/bedtime easier.
LOL Mrs NoName I didn't realise you didn't know. He was 13 days late and came by e-section as he was breech (no one knew until after my waters had been broken!)Am still not used to these projectile wees boys do but that is a another thread totally!
xx