Throughout my pregnancy with my daughter, one of my main concerns was how I would juggle two kids. I absolutely loved taking my son out and about with me to playdates, activities, and social events and I just couldn’t imagine adding a baby, let alone a newborn, to the mix. How could I continue to engage my toddler son while caring for my infant daughter?
I was also nervous about being cooped up in the house alone with both kids after my husband returned to work. I thought I’d go stir crazy trying to entertain my son and breastfeed my daughter simultaneously. So I quickly resolved to get out of the home as much as possible and stay active in my mom’s group. I mean I was the organizer of the group, I had to keep it active!
Here’s how I did it:
Create a Game Plan
Figure out where you’re going, who’s going with you, and how long you want to stay. Then explain to your toddler (if they’re old enough to understand) exactly what you’re doing and what you expect of them.
Depending on where you’re going, decide if you want to bring a double stroller or just stick to a baby carrier. I found that when my daughter was very young it was easier to carry her and push my son in our single stroller. I was still able to use the stroller to change my daughter on the go when we needed it and my son had the comfort of “his” stroller when he got tired.
Plus, I highly recommend testing out double strollers when you have both kids. That way you can find out what works best for your two, and not what looks good on the website. Many stores now allow you to test out strollers before purchasing them so take advantage of this!
Be Prepared
Pack in advance and bring lots of snacks! I always keep two diapers in my diaper bag for the baby and two pull ups for my toddler (or diapers, underwear, etc) and I keep an extra stash of back up diapers in my car in case there’s an emergency explosion or accident. That way my diaper bag isn’t overpacked but I’m still prepared.
Packing snacks that both my son and I love helps ensure that I won’t have to make any stops at the snack bar or have a starving toddler on my hands. Snacks also make for great incentives when you want to get your child to listen.
Get your Toddler Involved
My son was especially helpful when I explained that Mommy wanted him to act like a Big Brother and show his little sister how to do things while we were out.
When we visited the zoo he got to choose what animals we saw and pointed each out to his sister. When we braved the grocery store he got to hold the list and look up and down the aisles for the items we needed. And I always had a fruit leather or other favorite snack to reward him for his hard work.
This also helped us work on skills he was trying to master including learning his shapes, finding different colors, and starting to count.
Ask for Help
When out with friends and/or family please do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it! Even if your friends don’t have much experience with kids or it’s been a while since your aunt has held a baby, make sure to get them involved when you start to feel overwhelmed. And if you’re out alone don’t dismiss the other moms around you. Even if you don’t know them, they might have no problem helping another mama out.
This is also a great way for friends and family members to get baby time with your infant while you enjoy a little one-on-one time with your toddler. I know that my mommy friends were a big help when it came to this. I was able to give my daughter to one of the other moms while I played with my son and their kids.
The great part about it? They usually ended up thanking me for giving them a little baby time! Win-win.
So if you’re considering adding to your family or are already expecting, don’t worry. Everything will work out. And you will get out of the house again. Just remember to create a game plan, be prepared, get your toddler involved, and ask for help!
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| Nursing my newborn while hanging with my toddler at a playdate |
Every week Danielle brings great kids crafts to Formula Mom! Danielle is a work-at-home-mom of two beautiful kids and writes over at the Simmworks Family Blog. She loves to blog about her family, healthy living, going green and crafting. Danielle would love for you to come visit! You can reach her on facebook and twitter as well. If you have any questions feel free to email her at simmworksfamily@gmail.com.
