New baby starting, will have a 6 month old and17mth old together, need advice please

[Npg1]

Hi.

At the moment I have a 17 month old 2 days a week and in 3 weeks I have a 6 month old starting on those 2 days so will have both children together. Im slighty nervous about this as had the 17mth old on her own for 9mths now. Obviously when she was little I could lay her on the floor mat and leave her for a minute while I washed up or something, but this time around I wont be able to take my eyes off them! Just looking for any tips to help me out please. Worried putting her in a baby bouncer 17mth old may rock her too much or push her around in a walker. Am I just panicking too much? thanks

[Rachael's stars]

Hi I no the feeling, my own two boys are 14 months apart and my eldest still hadnt learnt to walk by the time my youngest was born and weighing 33lb at 12 months old it was hard work but some tips I have would be plan everything you are about to do, before I had to do something I would have to stop and work out the best way to do something for example just grabbing something from the kitchen you'd need to consider where each child is what they are doing ect I had a chair I used to sit my youngest in like a bouncer but one that you could turn static and block the rocking motion, if I was in my kitchen cooking I would take them in there with me both in high chairs or id sit my youngest in his chair and put it by the gate so I could keep an eye on them both, I was really lucky that my eldest didnt seem too bothered by his new baby brother and would carry on like he wasnt even there,

Id say the best thing to do is allow lits of contact with the little ones together, the more you keep them seperated the more the olderone will be completed to poke and prob the baby, just gentle reminders to be gentle and to be nice to the baby should be enough to teach the older child to leave the baby be, luckily the baby wont be a baby much longer and will soon be toddling and playing with the bigger boys and girls lol

Good luck

[hectors house]

Hopefully the 17 month old will just carry on playing with her toys like she does now when you want to pop out of the room to go to loo or prepare drinks, she may not even be interested in baby - until you see what they are like together when you are with them in the room can you make a decision about whether it is safe to pop to another room for a minute - you have to be able to hear or see them at all times.

Presumably you leave the 17 month old while you get snack ready now, you could just carry on leaving her playing and take the baby with you in a bouncy into the kitchen, what is the layout of you house - can you see the lounge (or wherever you play) from the kitchen? Mine is sort of L shaped with a kitchen separated from dining room with a stair gate (to keep dogs in and kids out), then the dining room opens out into lounge - so I can just about peer over kitchen stair gate and see what they are doing in lounge - but I mostly do washing up while they are sitting at table doing play dough or colouring, or while they are in bed.