Activites I can do with toddler whilst......

[rinajack]

baby is in moby wrap (and he insists I stand/rock or better yet, walk) in 35C (ish) heat.....

Please help.  DS wont' sleep til he has been awake close to 2hrs, and he insists that I hold him from about 1 hr into his A time.  take out feed time and that means he spends only about 1/4 of his A time out of my arms, and I have a 19mo.  What can I do with her, with baby in sling, on my feet when it is 35C outside?? Not to say we can't go out, but need to be careful how much iykwim....

TIA!

[zed]

That is really tough... I have no clue.... the worst thing is that when my second was born I dealt with the exact same thing and I don't remember what I did. 

I think that I just got really good at doing everything one handed.  I remember coloring while holding baby.  Play dough, while holding baby.  I took the kids outside first thing in the morning and after dinner, never in the heat of the day.  I read my DS2 lots of books while I nursed baby.  I remember encouraging my toddler to talk to DS2 during A time. 

I also had my DS1 show DS2 everything he was doing.  Like if DS1 was playing with his trucks I'd tell DS1 to explain what he was doing to his baby brother.  At every diaper change I had DS1 help.  I had DS1 watch and even help a little while bathing DS2.  I worked really hard at just simply making DS1 feel really important as a big brother.

Nap time for baby is when I would play chasing games with DS1.  We also have a king sz bed and we allowed DS1  to jump on Daddy (body slam).  We call this oof on the big blue bed.  We told DS1 as much as we could how big he was and how much he could do that his baby brother couldn't.

Other things I did with the kids was go on little outings.  Even if those were only to the corner store to get one or two things for dinner.  I would then take them out for a muffin and OJ.  OK, Only DS1 and I got to partake in the snack but it was fun none the less.

[skatty]

Have you got a garden? Next summer I am going to buy one of those little tables that have water in one side and sand in the other. We also have a sandpit and will have a shallow paddling pool. You could sit by DD under some shade, obviously early morning  and late afternoon are probably best.

Do you know anyone with a LO near DD's age? If she had a playmate around she wouldn't want so much attention from you and you will get to chat to the mum too, always nice to have an adult to talk to 

[rinajack]

LOL. I have been doing the outside in the AM thing whenever possible.  We go to an acitivty most morning also, like playgroup and toddler time at the library, and swimming lessons - then whilst she is amused I simply carry him in the sling and everyone is happy.  The late afternoon has been the worst, but I just started going for a walk around the block then, at that time Hugh is very insistant that I keep moving.

Sooo, yesterday afternoon, I put hugh in the moby wrap, put Zara on her trike with a handle for pushing, and the two large dogs on lead and off we all went.  Since Zara hasn't got the concept of steering yet I have to push down on the handle and lift the front wheel off the ground all the way.  It was super hard work, but everyone was happy.  DH will be home to help with that all but 3 days per fortnight!

So, now I am just stuck with the middle of the day when it is scorching hot, today we managed (with a lot of effort) to get Hugh to stay in the rocker while Zara and I sang songs to him (complete with hand actions) so Zara did the hand actions too

[maisy]

hmm just a few off the top of my head,

how about just plain old dancing? Pop on some of your favourite music and you and zara can boogie on down whilst that also involves lots of movement for Hugh

you have tile floors huh? how about large bits of paper and do some feet painting followed by fun with the mop and bucket to clean it all up, Kirsten loves to mop (have no idea where she picked that up from LOL) and we just bought her her own little set for christmas, it was really cheap as well

I also know that zara loves to help you to bake, maybe you could do this while standing with hugh (in the wrap) and zara on a chair at the table or something, maybe a little prep time the night before where you weigh and measure out all of the dry ingredients so all you and zara have to do is add the wet and pop them in to the tins/cases/biscuit shapes whatever. Also cookies are good as she can use little cookie cutters (like playdough playing) bt then she gets to eat them too 


hmm thats it for now but I will keep thinking

x x  xx

[rinajack]

lee ann! Wow!

The baking is an AWESOME idea.  I like the foot painting too, but have to see if my clean freak streak can handle seeing paint on the floor - plus there is a good chance Zara would run off on me and it would end up ALL over the house roflmao.

The dancing one is also good, however there are a few activities that are currently reserved for mummy/zara time and that is one of them (daddy at this point in time is not allowed to dance with Zara, she has bad SA with daddy and I am trying to keep some thing for special with mummy so that she will spend time with me instead of always with him). Plus when we dance she makes me drag her around and pick her up LOL.

[Colesmom]

for the feet painting, get one of those big rolls of blank paper (ikea near you?), and have a bucket near by with warm water and a towel on the floor.  what kid wouldn't love plopping her feet into a bucket?

of course, the only other thing I thought of was dancing too.  how about Simon Says?  or Hokey Pokey?

[rinajack]

I will try the simon says again but she usually makes me copy her, and it usually ends up with her making me lie on the floor and crawl around after her  On the tiles.  Not comfy