I have a problem. Gracie is a light sleeper. She tolerates some noise, but I have a 2 yr old. We have random outbursts of joy, anger and frustration periodically while Grace is trying to take a nap and she does not go back to sleep once she is awake. I try to do quiet activities with Katie while Grace is sleeping like reading, painting, coloring, etc...Weather permitting, I go outside with Katie and take the monitor. However, at some point, I have to do laundry and dishes....
I guess what I am trying to say is what do you seasoned mothers do to juggle it all? How do you keep toddlers quiet while babies are napping and still manage to get housework done? I don't like parking her in front of a movie, but at some point I have to tackle household chores...Any words of wisdom?
PS please don't just say "and this too shall pass"....I already know it's passing way too fast and I grieve over my girls getting bigger every day, but we have to have clean dishes to eat off of and clothes to wear, at least clean ones on Sunday.
3 comments:
I'm not a seasoned mother and I don't have any words of wisdom, so I don't know if I qualify to comment but I have to use lots of white noise for Owen because he is a light sleeper too. Like an actualy noise machine cranked all the way up on the white noise with a fan running and the bathroom ceiling fan on. And then full on bribery for Audrey to try to be quiet during naps. ;) Good luck!
Tyse was a light sleeper too. Music helps a bunch and believe it or not, the vacuum. I would play it before the nap started and that way he was used to it. You can gradually increase the volume too. It will actually help in the long run, that way Katie can still play but you don't have to worry about Gracie waking up. Pretty soon you will be able to vacuum while the kids are sleeping. Start with the door shut and then start cracking it open little by little. You'll be able to get household chores done and work on sleeping with noise at the same time. That's what I started when Lex was a baby.
I guess I'm a seasoned mother, but most of the time each child has been so different from each other, it feels like brand new parenting. I like the above ideas about white noise to help muffle Katie's sounds. Also, have you tried to get Katie involved doing chores with you? I know my littles really like to do chores with me. They help me throw clothes in the washing machine and dryer, pull them out of the dryer. They even try to help me fold them...and who cares if they haven't been folded to perfection:) Chores definitely take longer but I think it's worth it having that bonding time most days. You could also try teaching/training Katie to have "quiet time" during one of Gracie's naps. Some down time in her room where she plays quietly. You could have a clock in view wherever she's having quiet time. Place a colored dot on the number when it's acceptable for quiet time to be over, and when the big hand hits the dot she knows she can come out. Just some ideas...it' hard to know what will work for each child since they're so different. Right now, when Levi has his afternoon nap, Maryn has quiet time out with me..usually doing something educational like us playing rhyming games while I'm straightening the kitchen, etc., and Joshua is in his room, hopefully trying to take a nap, but usually up playing with his toys, having his own quiet time. Good luck, Jill; let me know how it goes.
Post a Comment