Day in the Life - 2 under 2 | Q & A
Hey guys! I asked you all what some of your burning questions were about being a mom of two under two. I will do a run down for you of what a typical day in my life as a stay at home mama looks like, as well as answer your specific questions that you asked. I hope you find this helpful!
A typical day in the life for me starts off at 6:00am. That's a good day. Some days start off a bit earlier, it all depends on when Addison (18 months old) wakes up. With Finn (1 month old), I can lay in bed a bit longer because he is typically quiet and comfortable if he is being held. Once Addison is up, our day really begins. Now, I don't know about you other toddler moms out there, but when Addison is up, she's UP. She hits the ground running, a ball of unstoppable energy. This for me is hard. When you have been awake all night with a newborn, it tends to be hard to be that energetic right away. I struggled with having that much energy even before Finn was born. Addison has always been this way.
Morning Routine: Addison wakes up typically around 6am and I bring her downstairs. Finn is already downstairs in his swing because I can't carry both kids downstairs at once. Most days he's quiet in the swing, but there are times when I am getting the morning started and I have to just let him scream in the swing because I can't do two things at once. I will get Addison her breakfast ready, while making coffee for myself at the same time. Once Addison's food is ready, I'll get her in her high chair and begin to nurse Finn. We spend the rest of the morning playing with toys and reading books. I will typically get Addison ready for her nap around 9:00am. She does better with napping during the morning. Sometime she won't fall asleep until 9:30/10:00am but I will put her in her crib anyways, to give myself some more quiet time. Before we head up to bed, I will put worship music videos on, clean up the living room of toys and have some time of worship. I find this to be so helpful in getting her soothed and to wind down before her nap. She LOVES to worship. (Tip: I always make sure to include her in cleaning up the living room.)
9:00am - 11:00am ---- I will do my best to drink my coffee (by this time I have had to reheat it probably 5x.) I will make myself some breakfast and unload/load the dishwasher. I've nursed Finn a few times by now as well. If Finn is content, then I will take some time to relax with my coffee and read my bible. However, many times I have to stop what I'm doing to comfort Finn or go upstairs to Addison's room because she is fighting her nap. I go upstairs to talk with her, rub her back and put her soother back in. (She loves throwing her soother out of her crib because she knows I will come upstairs to give it back to her. She can't fall asleep without it. Sneaky girl!) The hardest days are when Addison fights her nap completely and is up ALL DAY. (this happens probably at least 2x a week)
Afternoon Routine: Once Addison is up from her nap, I will get her a snack and put on her favorite TV show at the moment - Hi Five on Netflix. I'm not the type of mom who likes to have her kid in front of the TV a lot, but hey, right now it's survival mode and I gotta do what I gotta do. I am constantly changing diapers for both kids, feeding Finn and getting Addison snacks and picking up after her. I probably vacuum and sweep my house 10x before my husband gets home from work. If the weather is nice, I will take both kids outside for a walk, go to the park or just sit outside in our yard. This helps Addison get some of her energy out. But believe me, leaving the house, even to go outside, with two kids is a LOT of work! We will typically have lunch around 2pm because my husband gets home from work pretty early. Now, I know most people are probably thinking, "What does she have to complain about? Her husband is home so early". Yes, you're absolutely right. Jason gets home pretty early. The latest he's home is typically around 330pm. However, when this has been my norm, it's hard for me if he gets home later than this. I am very blessed that he has a job that will allow for hours like this. But being home from 6:00am-2pm alone with two under two, has still been a challenge for me. From 11am-2pm, I fill this time with walks, snacks, Addison's TV show, coloring with her, and finding activities that will engage her. I typically have to interrupt my time with her to tend to Finn, but I try to have at least 10 minutes of uninterrupted time with her.
Once Jason gets home, I will make us all some lunch and finish cleaning up. I will do laundry, pay bills, and do whatever other house work/chores that need to happen. Jason will typically watch both kids so I can run errands if need be for an hour. Finn feeds so close together still that I need to be back home in time to feed him. I will take advantage of my husbands kindness too when I can so that I can run upstairs and have a quick shower.
Evening Routine: Around 4:30 I will start to get dinner ready for Addison. We don't all eat together as a family at the moment because Addison's bedtime is around 6:30pm and we don't have much of a schedule down yet because Finn is still so little. Addison will eat around 5:15/5:30pm. Jason will typically watch Finn and Addison as I clean up the kitchen and clean the rest of the house. Around 5:45 we will do dance time where we all have a dance party. Jason has been so good and finishing the night time routine with Addison by giving her bath, getting her teeth brushed and ready for bed by 6:30pm. During this time I am nursing Finn and trying to get dinner started for Jason and I. We will eat around 7:15/7:30 most nights, but this is Finn's witching hour. So basically, Jason will eat dinner and i'll hold and comfort Finn, then we will switch. We like to wind down our night by watching some of "The Office" together. It's always nice to have some laughs before bed. I have been heading up to bed at 8pm and Jason will watch Finn downstairs until 10pm so I can sleep.
Q & A:
Q: How do you get your toddler to eat?
A: Addison isn't a very picky eater, she never has been. But we have been struggling to get her to actually sit down and eat lately. She's so busy all the time that she doesn't want to stop and eat. She likes to carry her food around with her and still play. I know you're supposed to pick your battles, but this isn't something Jason and I want to promote. We want her to learn to sit and eat her food in her chair. I find that it's helpful to be creative. I like to make her different meals each day. I try to avoid replicating the same meal twice because it keeps things interesting for her. I also like to include her in whatever I'm making. She likes to help out. Another tip is to actually be creative with the food. Make their sandwich into different shapes. You can buy a variety of cookie cutters that work great for this. Lastly, take away all distractions. Turn off the TV, take away all her toys, and clean them up. If she sees all her toys out still, then she won't focus on eating. Remember, don't force your child to eat foods they don't like. Unless you need to incorporate fruits/veggies into their diet. However, you can do this by making them a smoothie and adding in some spinach, etc.
Q: What does your toddler typically eat?
A: I think it may be easier and more helpful to just put a list of some typical meals I make for Addison below.
Breakfast ---
eggs, toast and fruit
Oatmeal and fruit
Cinnamon & brown sugar toast
Mixed Berry Smoothie
Lunch ---
Pita bread and hummus with fruit
cheese, pita bread and yogurt
pancakes and fruit
mac and cheese
Dinner ---
potatoes, chicken and veggies
rice and beans
homemade pizza
Chili
Pasta
Q: How do you handle tantrums?
A: This is a tough question. Everyone has their own opinions on how to handle toddler's tantrums. You just need to come to an agreement with their partner on how you want to discipline. This needs to be a mutual agreement because you need to be consistent and on the same page. That's key. CONSISTENCY. It's hard to be consistent, especially when you also have a newborn to take care of and all you want to do is ease the situation. Let me tell you, don't give in. As hard as it may be, don't let your toddler have the control and upper hand. You are the parent and you need to be consistent. When you say No, they need to know that you mean it. If you aren't consistent, they will find ways to manipulate you and their situations. Jason and I use time outs with Addison. We always give her a warning when she starts acting out or throwing a tantrum. We warn her that if she doesn't start to listen and calm down then she will get a time out. Always try, and I know it's SO HARD sometimes, to keep a calm demeanor and voice. If she doesn't listen, we will bring her to her room and put her in her crib for a time out. We remove her blankets, soother and stuffed toy. We don't want it to seem like she's "going to bed" because we don't want her to have a bad association with bedtime. We will usually leave her in her room for 2-5 minutes. Once we go back in, we calmly talk her, remind her that we love her and care about her well being. We also tell her she needs to say sorry. This seems to work well for us. However, remember, consistency is KEY. It's hard !! There are days when I am giving her a time out up to 10x in an afternoon. But it's for their good.
Q: How long do you have to wait to breastfeed after your drink alcohol?
A: I am not a doctor so if you're nervous about drinking while nursing, please consult your doctor. However, what I have been told by my doctor is that it's okay to drink (a glass of wine/beer, not excessive drinking) while nursing as long as you wait an hour before feeding your baby. Make sure to drink water in between as well. For me, I haven't had any alcohol yet while nursing Finn and that's because he still feeds so close together.
Q: How did you get your daughter to sleep through the night?
A: We had a hard time with Addison and her sleep when she was a baby. From being a newborn to 4 months, she slept terribly! We decided to do sleep training with her at 4 months, after consulting with our doctor first. We choose to try the "cry it out"method. I know not everyone agrees with this, or is comfortable in doing so; however, I heard that this was the best way to get them trained fast. It only took 3 nights before Addison was sleeping through the night. AT 4 MONTHS! She would go to bed at 6:30pm and wake up at 7am. It was hard listening to her cry but it was well worth it!
Q: How does one lose the baby weight?
A: If you are breastfeeding, try not to worry too much about this. Actually, try to not stress over losing the weight even if you're not breastfeeding. Your focus for the first few months needs to be solely on your baby. Especially if you're nursing, you need to ensure you're getting enough calories. Breastfeeding is actually the best way to lose the weight! That's what I find most helpful. After you get the "OK" from your doctor, try incorporating some light cardio or exercise into your day. This is hard though because you're so busy with your new little one. I like to drink smoothies for breakfast, stay away from junk food and fried foods. Drink LOTS AND LOTS of water. I find avoiding snacking is always helpful too!
Q: What are some exercises I can do while my kids are awake?
A: I like doing squats and lunges. This is fun for Addison too! Include your kids in the exercise. You can do squats, lunges, jumping jacks, etc while your kids are eating, watching TV or even playing. I also try to walk around while i'm nursing Finn. This keeps me up and active. However, there are many days where I don't incorporate any exercise because I am just SO tired. I'm also chasing after a toddler anyways. That's helpful!
Q: How do you make time to get yourself ready in the morning?
A: Well, let's be honest, I don't. I don't always have time to put on makeup or even change my clothes. There's many days where I am still in the same clothes I was in when Jason left for work in the morning. And those were also the same clothes I slept in and put on 4 days ago. However, what I find helpful is to put Finn in the swing and get myself ready when Addison is napping. Find those little moments in the day and take advantage cause they won't last long!
Q: How do you breastfeed while your toddler is demanding your attention?
A: This can be tough. I find that my loyalty is torn between both kids. It makes me feel guilty feeding Finn while Addison is demanding my attention. However, when it comes down to it, Finn NEEDS TO EAT. When I can tell that he's getting hungry and needing to eat, I will get Addison a snack, or set her up with a book or toy to keep her occupied so I can feed him.
Q: How do you spend time with your husband with two under two?
A: Well, it's very limited time that we get to spend with one another. Our focus and priority is on the kids throughout the day. We get to have little talks throughout the day and we try to always keep the communication good between us. This is also so important when you're raising little ones and working as a team. Good communication. We like to make sure we're snuggling with each other any moment we can and thanking one another for the little things we do to help out. When Addison goes to bed we like to catch up and talk about our days. This is when we can have adult conversation. Again, it's finding those little moments and taking advantage. Once Finn isn't feeding so frequently, we will try and get in a date here and there to make sure we are prioritizing our marriage as well!
