Thursday, February 9, 2017

Transitioning from 1 to 2 Kids

Two kids has definitely been a wake up call for me!

Before having two kids, I had my house in order most of the time. I had certain areas I cleaned each week, I exercised 3-4 times at the gym, and I was feeling good about life. Then I had Baby E and all of my expectations with cleaning and life went down quite a few notches!
Here's a list of things that I've learned from going from one kid to two!

Lower your expectations- There will always be toys out and things to clean up, but enjoy seeing those "decorations" because they are a great reminder of what you've been blessed with. Don't expect perfection from yourself, you have kids and they take up time, but also remember to take time for yourself (exercise, eat right, get dressed every day) that will get you on track and enable you to handle more.

Learn to say NO- I had to start saying no to things because I realized that I couldn't do everything. Now that Baby E is a little over three months, I am able to add a few more things to my plate and not feel overwhelmed.

Ask for help- You can't do it alone! This one is really hard for me, but as I have more kids I'm realizing that I'll never be able to do it all without asking for help. We have a sweet lady in our neighborhood who has watched the baby for me so I can take B on dates or go to appointments. It has been so helpful!

Spend one-on-one time with older child- Make them feel special. I've really had to focus on and make an effort to give B the attention he needs. I imagine it would be hard going from getting all the attention to having to share my attention with a new sibling.

Have older child help and feel included in caring for baby- B loves to get diapers for me and it helps him feel like he is helping me in a big way- which it is! I've also heard of parents getting the older sibling a doll to care for while the mom cares for the baby. We thought of doing this but decided not to and it's been fine but that might be because B is older.

Cherish time with each child- They grow up way too fast! If you have time a few times a week, hold your baby while they sleep. That has become a favorite of mine with Baby E!

What has helped you transition from one to two kids?? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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