Avoiding overstimulation when you are the younger sibling...possible?

[michaeljacknnugg]

It seems that DS2 gets overstimulated very easily; at least that's what I think it is as DS1 pretty much takes anything you can throw at him and always has. Or maybe it's because he didn't have a noisy big brother around 

Yesterday in the car was awful. I had to stop and get him out in the end, as he was screaming uncontrollably, red in the face and sweating.

He's been in a similar way (to a lesser extent) after a visit to the doctor's surgery, and after a family party. Now I can't avoid these situations but I can try to minimise their impact on him, if I can work out how.

Can you help me? I already have him in the carrier an awful lot, and plan days of it being just us.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Anybody?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

DD2 got overstimulated really easy. I was mostly home when she was tiny so although I did not wear her a lot I was very attentive to what was going on around her and tried to keep her from things like the tv (or the reflection of the tv!). DD1 did not bother her a ton but we had a small age gap so the baby was not all that interesting to DD1 after a few weeks!

I remember putting away most baby toys because they were too much and even a bath was crazy - did sponge baths for 6 months!

[michaeljacknnugg]

Yeah, he's too tired for a bath most nights.

We can't have many (any?) days of being home all day but I can limit noisy situations and the number of visits we make. Is that enough?

[*Liz*]

IMO it's impossible! With the age gap, and in my case 2 very noisy siblings. Plus the school run and after school activities.

These days white noise and his lovey cloth work well. Thomas actually has very low A times now for his age. Only just nap dropping and hitting 4hrs now. When you get he couldn't switch off - but now he is a wild energetic thing when awake - but loves his sleep to compensate.

I baby wear a lot, but granted Thomas hasn't liked been worn randomly at home for some time now. He gets bored. But a walk during the day in the carrier is lovely. He will sometimes go on my back when I am making dinner.

I just held him a lot as a baby, and let him sleep on me to keep catching him up.

He still cries for the last hour before bed a lot now. What can I do though?? He just gets so OS and tired.

[michaeljacknnugg]

Bless him Liz. The life of a younger sibling, eh?

This guy seems to have long A times and is thinking about dropping the catnap (third nap) already! After that crying jag he was right as rain for another hour and a half before nodding off.

[*Liz*]

Yeah, Thomas had long a times as a baby, but once on 2 naps he just kind of got stuck like that! I assumed he was LSN but I think because life is so hectic he has ended up steadying off a bit 😉.

[michaeljacknnugg]

We will wait and see then

[Erin M]

My littlest had a hard time with overstimulation as a baby.  With two older siblings and lots of places to go because of the older siblings, it was just too much for him.  He short napped consistently despite me tweaking A times and like Liz's littlest, would cry and cry before bed every night.  I don't think there was anything that could be done.  He did eventually grow out of it, he actually grew into an amazing sleeper and still naps every day at nearly 5 (the girls both dropped their naps around age 2!) and can literally fall asleep in the middle of a crowded room with things going on all around him...but it took some work to get there. 

[michaeljacknnugg]

What did you do, Erin?

[Erin M]

What did you do, Erin?

Probably nothing all that dramatic - I used to try to extend my wind downs as much as I could, keep things low key as much as possible right before naps/bed.  He did ok with baths, we kept those low key as well.  He really just got more and more used to it as he got older - and as far as naps go, he was a short napper until we went to one nap shortly after a year - then he'd sleep for two hours at a time!  I think it was just a matter of getting older.