independent play 2 & 3 year olds/ juggling toddler & baby - how do you do it?!

[Emma1979]

crap i just read your baby is 5 months.... i sleep our baby in the loungeroom during the day so he is very used to noise, as our toddler is always yelling/screaming/singing etc.... with our first born who was very highly strung and would wake if we flushed the toilet at the other end of the house (no joke), i put music on in her room to try to drown out the other household noises....

[*Belle*]

Hi there

I got Julia involved in the process of changing nappies, grabbing things for the baby etc which is loved doing. Also made sure she had something to do while I was feeding Tara. Also having snacks available is a good idea, make sure you put them near the toddler beforehand and they have them while you are feeding the baby. Reading a book to the toddler at the same timeas feeding sometimes works. Mind you I did revert to the TV too. Also Alioops idea of noisy and quiet toys are great. I also had a box that just came out while I was feeding the baby, which had craft, quiet toys etc. I also assured Julia if she was good while mummy was feeding the baby when the baby went to bed, we would have special time together just us.

Its not easy! definately challenging!

[skeetaboat]

crap i just read your baby is 5 months.... i sleep our baby in the loungeroom during the day so he is very used to noise, as our toddler is always yelling/screaming/singing etc.... with our first born who was very highly strung and would wake if we flushed the toilet at the other end of the house (no joke), i put music on in her room to try to drown out the other household noises....

I used to do the same - sleep bubs in the loungeroom, and he wasn't too bad then. But now he's the same as your firstborn, in that he wakes at the slightest noise. We sleep him in our room now but any time he's sleeping, I can't flush the toilet (or go in or out of the front door, or use the kitchen, or turn on a tap, or risk getting toddler upset & argumentative, etc etc - the noise just travels right down the hallway and wakes him).. so the white noise might help with that. I've been thinking I need it for a while but haven't got my butt into gear to go out and buy a CD player (is it just me or is taking a baby & toddler to the shops a royal nightmare?) I'm going to start that tomorrow.. thanks for motivating me!