Parenting a Newborn and Toddler

Life with a newborn and toddler can get quite crazy. I had my daughter, Savannah, ten days ago so we are all still adjusting. It’s been hectic and crazy but honestly, the sweet faces I see her make is what gets me through it. Also seeing my son, Kane, show interest in his sister is truly heartwarming. One thing that hasn’t helped with any of this is the fact that once we got home from the hospital, we all got sick. Luckily Savannah hasn’t gotten it and I’m so very thankful for that.

I adore having a newborn to cuddle with but I know my son also misses his cuddles with me anytime he wanted them since now he has to share his time with me. Kane has learned to enjoy some father and son time now though since he got a sister. Seeing those moments are so sweet between the two of them.

My son is still adjusting to not being the center of my universe but he is learning to be affectionate to his sister, since he is not really sick anymore. He’s full of energy and always wants to run around and play. Plus he enjoys to throw things around the house. That’s something we began working on prior to the arrival of our daughter. My husband and I also began helping out son understand he was going to be a big brother by pointing to my belly and saying “sister” to him. He doesn’t talk much at all, but he understands far more than most people think.

Independent Play and Quiet Activities

These will be wonderful for your toddler to know and have so they can be on their own while you tend to your newborn. Especially during feeding times, which happen often throughout the day. Of course these won’t work every time but even part of the time, it’ll be helpful. Having him be encouraged to play with sensory toys is great for him to learn. Other activities can be them flipping through pages of books or even coloring. One more fantastic activity that my son really enjoyed, was playing with a train set. He enjoys being able to change the tracks around so it’s different almost every time he goes to play with it. There’s other activities as well but these are what worked best with my son when trying to get him to play by himself.

Baby’s Arrival

Once my daughter was born, my mum made sure to have a gift ready for my son. Since Kane enjoys construction vehicles a lot, we got him a dump truck. This was a good idea so he didn’t feel left out or forgotten. He got his own special toy, plus it helped to keep him occupied while at the hospital. We made sure he was given plenty attention at the hospital. After the doctors left the room, we put Savannah in her cradle/cart provided by the hospital and my husband lifted Kane onto the bed so he could visit with me. He was happy to be able to cuddle with me. Kane is fully a mumma’s boy so this was a tough time for him.

I think the hardest part still of adapting to life with a newborn and toddler is the fact I’m always tired. I’m up every few hours through the night to feed Savannah and stay awake during the day to play with my son Kane. I am thankful and super lucky to have a wonderful husband who is able to help out though as well. He did take ample time off to help me and our son adjust to it all before he will be going back to work.

Haven’t had your child yet? Here’s Hospital Bag Must Haves.