After 6 months of being a mom of two, I finally feel like I’ve found my groove. More days than not, I feel like I have a handle on things, which is more than I could say 4 months ago when I felt like I was in over my head. My husband travels a lot for his job, which leaves me solely responsible for my little ones, sometimes for months at a time. For a long time, I didn’t feel like getting out of the house by myself with both of my kids would ever feel feasible, but I’ve finally gotten it down.
How to Handle Outings with a Baby and Toddler
Getting out of the house with a baby and a toddler can be overwhelming. While toting both of your children for outings may slow you down times, but there is no reason that it has to stop the show. If I can do it, you can too! These 3 tips will help you get out of the house with a toddler and a baby:
Nurse or bottle feed the baby before you leave home, or in the car before you get out
It’s no secret that it can be difficult to keep a toddler occupied while feeding a baby. When you are out of the house, the excitement makes keeping a toddler still and calm even harder. Always try to feed your baby before you leave home so that your older child can be free to roam and play with toys while you do so. If that doesn’t work timing wise, feed thereby in the car before you get out so that your toddler is contained. I always let my daughter pick a few songs to listen to while my son is nursing in the car. That keeps her content while her brother eats.
Utilize your stroller or baby wear
There are times when you’re out of the house with a baby and a toddler when you are going to need to have your hands free. I’ve learned the hard way that attempting to hold the baby is a sure-fire way to ruin your outing. First of all, it’s nearly impossible to tend to your toddler while you have a baby in your arms. Secondly, it’s just not conducive to a lot of activities, especially if you have a heavy baby like mine. I love to wear my baby so that I have my hands free while we’re out. If you have a baby that is happier when close to you or a toddler that prefers to walk and hold your hand while you’re out, this is a great option.
Another option is to find a stroller that is easy to use that both of your kids can fit in comfortably. Harper is 3, so she doesn’t NEED to be in a stroller by any means, but having one that she can ride in makes longer outings easier for all of us. There are a lot of good stroller options available, and my preference is a stroller that has decent storage, is easy to fold for loading and unloading, and is still compact enough to maneuver with ease.
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Let your baby nap on the go or in the car on the way home
The easiest way to create a resentful relationship between your older child and your younger child is to blame everything on the baby. All of the so-called experts tell moms of multiple kids to avoid saying things like “I’ll play with you after the baby is done eating,” because then the older child may begin to blame their sibling for taking your time and attention away. Truth be told, these days, our daily schedule does revolve heavily around my baby’s nap schedule, but that doesn’t mean that I want my toddler to feel that way.
When it comes to getting out of the house, sometimes, you will have to change up your baby’s routine. While I don’t suggest having your baby take regular naps on the go, on the days when you are trying to get out of the house with a baby and a toddler, allowing your baby to take a nap while you’re out will give you more time and alleviate the stress of trying to make it back home in time for nap time.
Tip #4 for Getting Out with a Baby and a Toddler: Go with the Flow
I know I said that this post would contain 3 tips for getting out of the house with a baby and a toddler, but I do have to add this: when you are out of the house with your children, you have to go with the flow. Things rarely go exactly as planned. Tantrums and blow outs happen. Sometimes, you’ll give your toddler an iPad and 2 lollipops to get through one Target trip in peace (Yep, I’ve been that mom more than once!). While some outings will be great, there will be others that leave you taking a deep sigh of relief when you pull back into your driveway, and that’s OK! You will learn as you go and find your groove just like I did.
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