How do I handle my toddler while pregnant?

Re: How do I handle my toddler while pregnant?

• cozybluebear member

  June 2014

  I'm with you! I'm 24 weeks and I have a 16 month old and babysit our cousin's 12 month old during the day. I'm exhausted! I put my son to bed at 7:30 and I'm in bed by 8. Luckily, I have them in the routine of napping at the same time everyday so I take full advantage of that to relax or nap myself. They play so well together that sometimes I lay on the couch and just watch them... it's actually easier with two so that I don't have to constantly entertain my son. I do housework in spurts and take lots of breaks. As long as everything is finished by bedtime, I feel accomplished.

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• megs2011 member

  June 2014

  I'm 26 weeks and have 20 month old toddlers. I find it hard to keep up with them. Lucky for me they nap really well for at least 2 hours every afternoon so I nap too. I love that they play together so I don't have to entertain them all the time. I can put my feet up a little bit through out the day. I tend to leave the housework for when I have bursts of energy or DH gets home.

                            
  

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• katiefritzler member

  June 2014

  I don't know how you ladies do it. I'm 19 weeks and this is my first. I work full time and take a night class, and I've called in sick or skipped a class here and there just to catch up on some sleep. If I had a child running around too I might not be able to handle it! I find myself cranky at work sometimes, let alone with a child!! 

  ~~~My baby girl is due November 4th, 2014~~~

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• mb314 member

  June 2014

  I sympathize!  This pregnancy is so much more exhausting since I'm taking care of a toddler.  I work full time, so it's primarily on the weekends when I have DS all day.  DH travels a lot for work, family illness, etc., so I lot of the childcare/housework unfortunately falls on me. 
  
  What I find helpful is getting out of the house and keeping busy as much as possible.  Now that it's summer, we go to the pool as often as we can.  I imagine the 8 year old and 15 year old could entertain themselves at the pool fairly well without constant supervision. The park might be another good outing. I always find mornings the hardest because I'm not a morning person and getting up at 6 am on a weekend is just cruel in my book.  So I started doing a walk each weekend morning with DS and the dog to the coffee shop (about a mile away), and DS, the dog, and I all sit outside, eat muffins/bagels, and watch cars/trucks/buses go by (which is DS' favorite activity).  Keeping busy with activities helps keep me distracted from my exhaustion. 
  
  When I am really tired, I do sometimes put on an Elmo or other "educational DVD," as a last resort.  It doesn't keep DS' attention for more than 10 minutes, but any break helps. 
  
  Also, in the end, my house is never really clean, and the weeds in the yard are a little out of control.  I just can't do it all. 
  

  

     
  

  

   

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• drpayne member

  June 2014

  I have 2 toddlers and I work full time.  I'm tired but I manage.  What's the alternative?
  

  

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• rndixon32511 member

  June 2014

  Thank you ladies. And I'm the only one who can watch my sis's kids she just moved 300 miles to be closeer to me and has a full time job. She doesn't really know anyone here yet. As for the 15 yr old helping I'd have to surgically remove her cellphone from her hand lol. The 8 yr old likes to help a lil but gets bored with it. And they both complain if I'm not up to going 24/7 and taking them out of the house cause they're bored. They neither one know how to swim and neither do I if it came to needing to get one out of the pool. For now I'm just going through it and getting as much rest as I can when I can. I guess I'm just feeling it more right now cause my son is sick and not sleeping well at night. I'm usually the one who can go nonstop getting everything done everyone needs without batting an eye and now I just feel with as tired as I am I'm dropping the ball somehow.

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