stay at home mommy

Meagan - posted on 11/18/2009

thank you all for all the great advice! i will surely do the best i can! its nice to know there are mothers out there who understand my situation!

Rachel - posted on 11/17/2009

I was in your boat just a few months ago! My kids are 14 months apart and it was difficult to get them on a routine at first. My son is almost 10 months and my daughter will be 2 on Sat. You learn how to juggle. Emily gave some great advice by having your 3 month old have tummy or blanket time (both my kids would only be on their tummy for a minute). Give him some rattles, etc. It will help his development and make you more open to playing w/ your older child. Reading to your kids is a great way to involve them both and helps them to learn to sit still. I live in an apartment so we have toys in the living room and the kids room. If its getting too chaotic in one room a change of scenery may help. Try going into the other room or go for a walk or go to a park or find other moms in your area and start a playgroup. Most important, get your infant on a sleep routine somewhat similar to your toddler. This will be your saving grace! It will be difficult at first but if you feed the baby right around the time you have meals or snacks then he will get on your schedule. Babies need to adapt to the routine of the home, not the other way around. You'll be at your wits end some days and that's when you know you need to have some "you" time. Don't feel guilty about taking some, it will make you a better mommy! Even a quick shower may help!

Ashley - posted on 11/17/2009

stay relaxed. I have a 3 year old son named Cayden and my daughter just turned 1. If you set boundaries they will learn them it does take time though.

Abigail - posted on 11/17/2009

I only have 1 kid, 2 1/2. The 11 month old will be easier to get on a schedule then a 3month old. SO, what I think you should do is work on getting her on a pretty regular schedule and once she gets the hang of it try to get the 3 month old on it too. BUT a 3 month old needs a lot more feeding, sleeping time than a 11 month old. So until he is about a year he wont be on the same schedule as she is. Its going to takes lots of time and patience.

Alison - posted on 11/17/2009

Good idea to have one room devoted to the children...especially if your younger one grows to be very active, you will be quite overwhelmed. Take one room in the house and babyproof the hell out of it. then make sure you have gates in the doorways and a monitor so you can hear what they are up to (i have a video monitor it is AWESOME). it will be tough no matter what because there is such a small age difference between the two. for now invest in a good baby carrier because your younger one still needs a lot of attention...you wont be able to leave the two alone for a while because the older one probably doesnt understand that she needs to be gentle with the younger one. let me say that you are a champion....two little ones not even a year apart!!! just do your best to keep your sanity and when they are both 3 or 4 years old you will be so proud of yourself!!! hopefully you have a good support system for now...i would also look into hiring a mothers helper or babysitter if i were you. there are a lot of adolescent and teen girls looking for work you can throw them 5 bucks an hour just to come over and clean your kitchen or do laundry.

Emmy - posted on 11/17/2009

I can't really relate to having two young children, but mine is almost 5. When he was that age, we had barries set up to keep him in the living room his toys, the t.v. and other things were in there to play with. It didn' matter what he messed with if it got broke it wasn't important. You should have a room for just toy or nothing that is expensive or breakable. Where she is safe to beable to walk away for a sec or two.

Emily - posted on 11/17/2009

Things I learned while teaching preschool was to make a routine...Include the neccessary things like meals and naps of course but add fun things. Tummy time for the baby while you play with the older child. Then progress into the next thing. It makes it easy to bond with the children while keeping them entertained and active. The more active they are the longer and harder they will nap. This is when you should attempt to get things done that require you to be out of their sight. Hope that helps.