I need some encouragement

SuperThat1006

I'm in my second week of maternity leave taking care of A and J by myself.

I'm struggling.

DD is starting to misbehave and be generally angry as DS needs to eat, be changed, etc. and cut into her one-on-one time with me. I'm also struggling with the monotony of her wanting to do nothing except go to the park. I try to suggest other things (water table, bookstore, library) and they don't work. It all leads back to the park.

I just feel awful that DD feels neglected. I know this is all normal, but I could use a pep talk right about now. TYIA.

bellelamb

I'm right there too but we watch a lot of elmo and my toddler won't talk yet 20 months. All I can say is remember your toddler won't remember this time and soon they will play well together. Not much help but I feel your pain.  

celiabwatson

The transition to by yourself is definitely tricky. I found that it was important to pay attention to my toddler any time the baby was napping. I wanted to take that time to rest but the more I played with him then the easier the other times were. 

Also, embrace the park thing. Being outside and exploring will help your toddler be more relaxed when inside. Get a baby carrier to make the park trips easier. Also, for your own sanity start finding new parks. When I started staying home when number 2 was born I got bored going to the same park all the time so I got online and have been slowly adding to our park knowledge. I have found several good ones and some terrible ones. If it's too hot for the park it's nice to have some indoor options that are similar (there are a few indoor playgrounds around us). They cost money so you don't want to go all the time, but can be a nice change of pace. If you call it the indoor park then it can all be grouped together in your toddler's head.

Also, feel free to use the TV liberally if you need to feed the baby. It will naturally decrease as you get better at managing both and the baby eats less frequently. 

kcisthebombdotcom

Ditto on wearing the baby to the park and rotating between a few different ones to keep your sanity.

In terms of her misbehaving, while you feed the baby sit on the ground with her and play. Invite her to sit on your lap and read her a book. Try to involve her in any of the baby duties--have her help you grab a diaper or baby wipes and show her lots of praise when she does help you. If she feels more involved you'll likely see her act out less.

Hang in there--it will get easier!

ashf4i

Happy to read the responses on this!  Thanks for posting, I am counting down the days till my mom leaves (she has been here the past 2 weeks helping) and am contemplating how to make the transition easier.