Taking Care of Newborn and Toddler

Taking care of newborn and toddler rarely leaves you any time for yourself. How do you juggle the needs of both children and keep your sanity?

Juggling the needs of a newborn and a toddler can be tricky and exhausting!

Choosing when to have your children is a personal decision, even though sometimes this decision is taken out of your hands and happens purely by chance. There are pros and cons for having children close together or for spreading them apart by several years. Many young families envision a home full of the sounds of little feet pitter-pattering up and down the hall. In making this dream a reality, couples may choose to have their children quite close together. A family with two small children makes a lovely picture, but the reality is often a bit less picturesque.

Juggling the needs of two, three, or more small children can be trying, but it can also mean a life filled with joy. Whatever your thoughts on filling your home with the sound of babies and toddlers, you can trust that your life will never be dull!

Taking care of newborn and toddler calls for lots of patience, time, and of course…love. Loving your children is the easy part. Finding the time and patience that your days will cry out for will be a little more difficult, but you can do it. When your children are grown, you'll look back on those days with fondness. In the meantime, however, how do you survive?

The great thing about having your children close together is that they really won't know any difference as they grow up. In the beginning, however, your toddler will need some time to adjust. No matter how often you've told him about the new baby that will soon join your family, the reality may hit him pretty hard. Your toddler is probably used to having you all to himself. The introduction of a new baby into the family may cause him some confusion and even resentment. What can you do to help your toddler adjust?

• Spend quality time together. Probably the single most important thing you can do to help your toddler work out conflicting emotions about his new sibling is to spend time with him, one on one. This is just as important for your partner to do as well. Quality time can be as simple as reading a book together while your infant naps, taking a walk, coloring a picture, or simply snuggling on the couch.
• Enlist his help. Depending upon how old your toddler is, simply explaining to him that the new baby needs your attention may not work. Instead, include your toddler in caring for the baby. He can bring you diapers, wipes, etc. Depending upon his age, he may be able to help you actually change a diaper or give the baby a bottle.
• Be prepared. There will be times when you simply can't spend time with your toddler at the exact moment he demands it. Keep a survival kit stocked and ready for moments like these with crayons, puzzles, pictures, activity sheets, blocks, etc., and pull out this assortment for your toddler to play with while you take care of your newborn.
• Do double duty. Taking care of newborn and toddler at the same time can be as simple as nursing your infant while you read your toddler a book or rocking the baby while you and your toddler sing songs together.
• Have patience. When your newborn is first born, your toddler may regress into prior behaviors, even forgoing the use of the potty and waking up in the night. Have patience as this too shall pass. Give him a little time to adjust, then do what you did in the first place to potty train him or encourage him to sleep through the night. Once your toddler sees that your love is still right there with him, he'll eventually return to his old self.

As a parent, it is often difficult to justify taking time away from your children and giving that time to yourself. To be a happy parent, however, this is a must--even if that means simply carving out 15 minutes at the end of the day to take a bubble bath and read a magazine.

Enlist the help of family members and friends to watch your children for a bit, so you can just take a few moments to do something you truly enjoy. Once you do, you might be surprised to discover that you have more patience and energy to devote to your children again. Taking a much needed break will leave you feeling revitalized and ready to tackle the inevitable, non-stop needs of your children.

Finally, on those days when you just feel overwhelmed, try to remember that the days of tiny feet and small voices filling your house will one day give way to grown children hugging you goodbye. Until then, enjoy the small moments and victories and relish every milestone your children achieve.

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