3-Year-Old Quiet Suggestions ?

[catfisch]

Anyone have any great ideas for a 3-year-old for when we're trying to put the baby down for her nap?  Right now, the 3-year-old wants to be in the same room and the baby needs QUIET.  The only thing I've come up with is allowing him to watch videos in our room while the baby gets her naptime routine.  I'd love to hear all sorts of other ideas!

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Just marking my spot for some ideas. 

Right now the only things that keep Ella quiet is colouring, stickers, paint, playdoh, etc. Could craft time be set up beforehand? Or how about his own special box of things that only come out when it's baby's nap time, kwim? He could get things "ready" while you get the baby settled and then it's you and him time.

Course easy for me to throw things around. All good in theory but I don't have another bub yet! 

[lawnseed]

Hello!

I followed some advice on the mum's with two thread and allowed DD in while I was settling DD2 with the theory that they both had to get used to the other. I set up DD1s room with some toys and made the rest of upstairs safe. She soon got bored of being in with me and went to find her toys

Other times - I strap her into her seat at the table and leave her with some play doh - if I'm fairly certain settling won't take very long.

How old is your youngest? CONGRATS!!

Lornax

[catfisch]

Thanks for the ideas!  I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.  My youngest is almost 8 months.  I just found BW and am sad I didn't know about it before she was born!!

I was actually thinking of doing a craft time after she was asleep, so he had a 'reward' when he did good by being quiet.  I'm not sure I can leave him alone to do crafts - he's a very spirited little boy who would do 'experiments' with Play Doh if not properly supervised.  (As we learned one day while DH was on the phone and all the Play Doh ended up in the heating vent!!)

I guess I need to do some shopping for some "sleeptime only" quiet activities and toys...  If you come up with anything else, I'm all ears!  And I'll post back if I find something, too.

Thanks again!

[Alison_3]

If Charlie is going to be difficult to put in for a nap, I must admit I do put a DVD on in my room and Ben lies in my bed for 15 minutes until his baby brother is asleep.  I do make him a part of the nap routine though.  We read two books together in Charlie's room and then I send Ben on his way.  He has his Thomas the Tank Engine table in his room so that can usually keep him occupied until Charlie is asleep.

I make sure I tell Ben that if he needs me, I'll be in Charlie's room and that he can come in, but he must whisper.  He likes to make "tracks" all over the carpet in the house so that keeps him busy, but quiet.  Sometimes I have a sticker book for him to work on.  He loves dinosaurs too so stickers of dinosaurs work well.  I get the kind that are easy to peel off just in case he would happen to put them somewhere they don't belong!

It's funny, I never really thought about this before I had Charlie, but boy is nap time quite the balancing act! 

I can't wait to hear other suggestions.

[lilmonkey]

Lurking for ideas.