Quality of time with older children when baby is around...

[Daria_Aleksandrovna]

Maybe I should wait till my DC2 is a bit older before writing this post, not when he's still only 8 weeks old! But right now all he wants is to be held all time and he doesn't like me sitting down even when asleep in sling, so I have to be in regular motion.

So the quality time with my DC1 (2.5 years old) is suffering a bit when indoors and soon winter is looming. It's difficult to sit down and read book/play crafts with him without baby starting to cry almost immediately. So far we spent most days either at playgroups or outdoors. I really miss just reading to my DC1 so much.

It will pass, right? Now I am curious how is average day looking like with large homeschooling families when an (non-placid) infant is around?

[Daria_Aleksandrovna]

Many of you have more than one child, surely?

:bump

[GraceFirst]

All my kids were not into sitting still as babies. (Still aren't!) They wanted me to move and go.

One thing that worked WONDERS for me was using an exercise ball (yoga ball). I would bounce gently on it, or roll around on it, while holding the baby. That would allow me to be able to sit near or with the older one(s) while still keeping baby in motion.

I think I got the ball at Ross or TJMaxx or something like that for around $10. I'm sure Walmart has them, too. A wonderful tool that I highly recommend.

[mamacat]

Good idea to sling and find a way to provide motion at same time with the exercise ball and maybe a rocking chair.I know some dont feel like it is the AP way but if you have a baby that really loves movement using a swing for short periods of time might be helpful

[Daria_Aleksandrovna]

If I hear one more time that swing is anti-AP......!!! :-) Mum needs toilet and getting dressed too!

I guess I'll ask my friends if they have swing to try on, because when I put my baby down on carseat and have my leg on to rock the carseat when swaddled, the poor baby still cries...so I am feeling doubtful about usefulness of swing without me.

Thanks GraceFirst, didnt think of yoga ball - I do have one stored in garage!

[mamacat]

Make sure you try both kinds of swings - kind with side to side motion as well as the other kind.My gdd was a real motion baby and only liked the side to side kind.It may also be something to rtetry a bit later if doesnt go over so well right now had a big old homely rocking recliber that inherited from my mil that was perfect for sittying in with baby in sling and toddler next to me ciukd rock the whole lot of us and read or talk to toddler

[zak]

I love reading to my kiddos too. What usually works when I have a tiny/nursing baby is to plan to lay down when they want to nurse and I think they might zonk for a while (usually mid-morning for us, or after lunch). It would just depend on the temperament of the baby at the time. I used a swing next to my bed so I could lay with the reader and still be close to read nursing cues of baby. If baby would sleep for at least an hour at night, I'd try to get baby to sleep before going to lay down and read with the reader.

It just depended on the day. :) Getting creative with a yoga ball, swing, etc is a good idea! :yes I would bounce next to my reader while HE laid in bed (while I bounced jealously).

:hug You'll find a groove soon. :heart

[Barefoot Bookworm]

My DS2 hates the swing, bouncer, anything that is not someone's arms or a sling. I get a lot of use out of my Moby wrap. We also do a lot of reading while I'm nursing. I still can rarely do hands-free nursing so the big kids turn the page for me.

[WingsOfTheMorning]

Penelope did let me sit down when she was sleeping, but I do remember feeling like I always had my arms full of baby and couldn't even properly hug my toddler. :( I read to Lydia a lot when Penny was nursing. Sometimes I'd stand and bounce by the kitchen table while I helped Lydia with a craft.

But it did get better. As Penny woke up more, there were more and more times she would sleep w/o being on me or play on the floor for a bit while I held or hugged Lydia. :hug2

[Daria_Aleksandrovna]

Penelope did let me sit down when she was sleeping, but I do remember feeling like I always had my arms full of baby and couldn't even properly hug my toddler. :(

Yes, this too so much! I can't believe how life was so full of one-to-one dates, when it was just two of us! It was me putting him to bed most of the time before DC2 and sometimes very long bedtimes drove me crazy....now it's daddy putting him to sleep, I miss it now! :))

---------- Post added at 06:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:51 PM ----------

My DS2 hates the swing, bouncer, anything that is not someone's arms or a sling. I get a lot of use out of my Moby wrap. We also do a lot of reading while I'm nursing. I still can rarely do hands-free nursing so the big kids turn the page for me.

Your baby is almost same age as mine! Joy of newborn. I have kari-me wrap (same as Moby) on me all day every day too. We do read when baby nurses too, but he's such quick nurser he's done after 5 mins and just pops off crying.

I thought I paid my dues with my first already, who was similar as baby...although it doesn't feel as bad this time.

[mamacat]

Those big wide garden swings are nice for that sort of thing too weather and space permitting