struggling a bit with 3 small ones...advice please

[Bex1]

:) I am after some advice please because one day a week I have two mindees who are 17 mths and 12 months and also my DD is 20 month (although she is out most of the morning with her nanny at music club!). Anyway the mindees are quite clingy, not at an age where they can play on their own and spend most of the time hanging off me be it my head, arms, legs etc! i really should be an octopus :rolleyes:

One of the mindees is walking but still early days so a bit wobbly and the younger one is not walking. The older one's personality changes completely when the younger one arrives half and hour after he arrives (he goes from happy to sulking!). The young one sleeps in the morning and takes while to settle and so me and other mindee up and down stairs so it unsettles him too!

Basically I try to keep them all entertained but I am being pulled one way and ohter way by them and then on top of that DD gets home and wants mummy! That one day of the week is so blimin (i was going to swear but refrained!) exhausting and its all day too from 8.30 - 5pm!

help or advice would be appreciated!

[youarewhatyoueat]

Can you not change the routine to suit you better, just a suggestion, can you not walk/drive to a toddler group in the morning, find a calm quiet one,both have a nap on the way, play for couple of hours, walk home for lunch, then get them both to sleep in the afternoon while you spend time with your own.Cut out the long sleep for the younger one in the morning and encourage them both to sleep in the afternoon.Worth a go.

[Mouse]

I would be tempeted to take them put for a long walk in the morning. The one that has a morning sleep will hopefully sleep while you're out & you can occupy the other one by talking to him about what you see etc.

Or can you let the little one have a morning sleep downstairs in a travel cot? At least then you wouldn't have to keep taking the other one upstairs with you.

[Tatjana]

Can you not change the routine to suit you better, just a suggestion, can you not walk/drive to a toddler group in the morning, find a calm quiet one,both have a nap on the way, play for couple of hours, walk home for lunch, then get them both to sleep in the afternoon while you spend time with your own.Cut out the long sleep for the younger one in the morning and encourage them both to sleep in the afternoon.Worth a go.

Sounds like great advice!

xx

[gegele]

i would definately go for a walk around younger nap time so he falls asleep in buggy, so you can spend time with older, shorten the sleep and have afernoon sleep for EVERYONE LOL :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

[Adiamond]

i would definately go for a walk around younger nap time so he falls asleep in buggy, so you can spend time with older, shorten the sleep and have afernoon sleep for EVERYONE LOL :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

sounds like a good idea lol :laughing: :laughing:

[Angela234]

It will get better and they will all play together as they get older i used to have the same on Thursdays very tiring too young to play any thing for long i used to get out for a walk or in the garden tire them out lunch them bed:clapping: so i could get tidied up ready for when they woke up

I agree take them out for a walk

[sarah707]

I would definitely bring the cot downstairs if you have a quiet space for it to go.

Trotting up and down is not good for anyone, except maybe your thighs :laughing:

[Heaven Scent]

Can you not change the routine to suit you better, just a suggestion, can you not walk/drive to a toddler group in the morning, find a calm quiet one,both have a nap on the way, play for couple of hours, walk home for lunch, then get them both to sleep in the afternoon while you spend time with your own.Cut out the long sleep for the younger one in the morning and encourage them both to sleep in the afternoon.Worth a go.

i was going to say the same thing!!!!

[Alibali]

Can you not change the routine to suit you better, just a suggestion, can you not walk/drive to a toddler group in the morning, find a calm quiet one,both have a nap on the way, play for couple of hours, walk home for lunch, then get them both to sleep in the afternoon while you spend time with your own.Cut out the long sleep for the younger one in the morning and encourage them both to sleep in the afternoon.Worth a go.

That's what I did when I had 3 under 18 months (7.45 - 18.00, 5 days a week!)
Got them all into the same routine and then got 2 hours to myself at snooze time, and boy did I need that time:)

[brillminder]

all mine 14m 17 m and 3 yr & 4 yr have a sleep or quite time ( sit on chair with books , often fall asleep too) after lunch and i get a chance to do stuff or have a catch up time for me, eat drink , etc

[angeldelight]

Good advice from everyone

Hope you work it out

Angel xx