please give me some ideas?

Question

i had anewborn wwell she is a month old now and i have a five year old and i am going crazy i need help with finding time for the 2 of them it is ike in the middle of playing with my son my newborn wakes up so i attend to her . i have no home schedule my son goes to bed at 8 she falls to sleep whenever my house stays spotless some days then others it is a mess. please give me some ideas on how to manage everything that needs to get done in a day and still find time for both my kids and sleep for myself

Answer 1

Make a schedule that works for you. Breakfast, playtime, lunch, nap time (your son can play or read a book or rest for 30min- 1 hour), during nap time you can do some dishes or laundry, playtime. You can do some house hold things with your 5 year old. He can be your little helper. He can get diapers and wipes for you. He can help you sort laundry. This way you can spend time with him and have fun doing a not so fun chore. as for the baby, she should be sleeping a lot. When she is awake put her in the middle of a blanket on her tummy for about 20-30 min for tummy time. You can also put her in a bouncy seat or swing. You do not need to jump every time she cries. If you are reading your son a book, finish it before you run off to the nursery, or you can pause after the next page and go get the baby and with her in your lap and him by your side finish the book. It may take awhile, but you will find your rhythm. I did, and I have 3 all under 7.

Answer 2

You should try to get on a daily schedule of some sort because children feel more stable when they know what's coming next. It's tough with a newborn, but it can be done.

I had 2 kids close in age too and this is what I did, but they are only suggestions.

Consistency is the key.

It's really helpful if you allow your 2 year old to help you care for the baby...bring you a diaper or choose the babies outfit for the day. Anything to get him involved with the baby. If the baby sleeps in the morning use that time to play with your son. (he could help you do things around the house too - make a game out of it, like how fast you can put the blocks away or how quietly he can put them away).
I always tried to nap when the two of them were napping (if it's possible to get them to do it at the same time).
One thing that I learned is that the housework will always be there. Does it really matter if the house is spotless? Do what you can to keep it healthy, but don't worry too much about it. Your kids are small only once, enjoy it.

Hope this helps...and good luck

Answer 3

I'm AWFUL at a schedule...

But I found that a daily routine/pattern made all the difference when my second was born.

Don't get caught up in the "at 10:00 we play," but block out your time so there is some predictability to it.

Nap time, whenever it was, was split 50/50 between house work and my son. I'd set the timer and do 15 min. of housework, then 15 min of playtime and back and forth until the baby woke up. Sometimes it was 30 min, sometimes less.

And the best is when I could combine the two and have my son help me with housework.

You are just at a really tough spot, but remember, this too shall pass. And a 5 y.o. is old enough to understand.

And sometimes... the house will be a mess. Get over it and embrace it! Your job is your children first - then everything second.

Answer 4

Your baby is still really young so I don't think it's going to be very easy to get on a schedule yet. Whenever both kids are asleep try to get some sleep yourself. Whenever the baby is asleep, spend some time with your 5 year old. Unfortunately when you are in this situation you just have to let your house go. I don't always find time to clean house and I just do what needs to be done. It's difficult when you have a very young baby and esp when you have 2 kids.

Answer 5

your children are too young to care if the house is spotless, newborns have there own schedule, keep less house fly more kites
that's what woman with grown children said they would do if they could do it all over, relax, you have a new baby it's a adjustment it takes time, don't worry so much enjoy your children, involve the 5 yr old with the baby , I'm the mom to five it's always changing enjoy the kaos, as long as you are loving your children and they are dry, fed, clean,and happy then you are doing a great job, good luck

Answer 6

Welcome to the life of having two children! This is the way it usually starts out. You do need to get a schedule and stick to it. It may be hard at first but you can do it if you choose to. This is all normal things that you have described. I promise. Things like this happen all the time, you just need to get your household under control. Is there a father around? If so he should help you more. Good luck to you and remember it's ok if your house isn't spotless every day!

Answer 7

Take a deep breath and breathe!

If your baby isn't a crybaby like mine, let her be on her own in a cribe or something so you can have time to clean the house. If you don't do that, your baby is going to stick like a monkey to a banana (fyi: i'm not referring your child to a monkey). After cleaning the house, you can play with your 5 year old.

But if your baby crys a lot, get one of those strap on carriers at the store and carry her around to get the house spottless. And then play with your other child. That's how I do it with my 3 and 2 year old while getting the house clean and my husband at work for 14 hours or more hours per wk. Sleeping is easy, because after all those hard work, you'll sleep like a baby.

If I can do it, you can!

Answer 8

Try to go along with your New Born in terms of sleeping....

Go to bed and get some rest when she is asleep...

Your 5 year old will adjust to the new situation somehow; especially if he doesn't go to kindergarten...

You should schedule yourself to wake up at a time when both are still asleep.

Manage the house accordingly starting this way...

Later on you will deal with things systematically, and they will get used to the New Order....

God helps...

Answer 9

Put your 5 year old in school. Only clean 1 room a day. Only do dishes once a day. Make simple meals. Don't worry too much about your newborn. Change her diaper, feed her, play with her a little, and let her be. She'll figure out how to roll over and all kinds of other things by herself. Calm down and take it easy. You don't have to do everything every day, and you don't have to be perfect. You are not there to entertain your son. Make him play quietly by himself once in awhile. Give him blocks, or play dough. Relax and be creative with your time.

Answer 10

You identified the problem yourself--no schedule. Get on one and life will be so much easier.