What to do with 2 year old when putting baby down for nap??

[ParisJeTadore]

Ok guys, I need help. I have three kids (4, 2 and 3 months) and my DH returns to work next week. This means I will be going it alone all day with my little ones and have no idea how to manage nap time.

The big problem is my 2 year old. He gets into everything and is SO fast. How do I leave him alone when putting baby down for her naps? How do I keep him safe? We live in a two story home and baby would be put down for naps on the upper floor. His room is adjacent but he's liable to climb his dresser or bunk bed in no time flat and I don't want him hurting himself.

Has anyone dealt with this situation? My eldest has always been so responsible and never got into anything so this is new territory for me.

 

[lilesMom]

Does hd hve a chair buggy or toy u can strap him into?
If its only for a minute while u put bub down.
Xx

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

If it was me i would probably hold the baby lol x

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Does hd hve a chair buggy or toy u can strap him into?
If its only for a minute while u put bub down.
Xx

No I don't. He's a bit too big to strap into anything. I have a play pen...are toddlers capable of crawling out of those??

 

[Flutterby79]

Hi, I have roughly the same age gaps as you, I've a 4yo, my 2 year old just turned 3 last week and a nearly 4 month old... the 4 yo goes to nursery in the am and I have to leave the 3yo downstairs when putting baby down!! So far he's been ok, he is a climber and I'm just waiting to hear a bang, I just try to be as quick as I can leaving baby up to bed. I put something I know he likes on tv like blaze and the monster machines, so hopefully he will sit for 10-15 mins. In the pm when they are both there it's not so bad as the 4 yo will shout up to me if he's doing something naughty lol it's hard work!! The older 2 make so much noise the baby hardley gets a decent nap

 

[lilesMom]

Does hd hve a chair buggy or toy u can strap him into?
If its only for a minute while u put bub down.
Xx

No I don't. He's a bit too big to strap into anything. I have a play pen...are toddlers capable of crawling out of those??

It might last for the few mins?
U could keep a few fave toys in there
That he only gets at that time

 

[lau86]

I don't think strapping them in/ containing him will work. I remember when I had ds2 I came down from settling him to find ds1 had poured a box of cereal all over the kitchen floor and was busy crushing it with his hands. I think setting boundaries is a much better option long term. We don't really have anything downstairs that is obviously dangerous and have stair gates etc. If they're determined to get your attention negatively they will usually do it whether you're with them or not.

 

[lilesMom]

Well my little guy is slightly different cos he has epilepsy
And has fits everyday
For his own safety he has to be somewhere secure.
Plus he cant speak and wouldn't understand boundaries id try set.
So what works for one wont work for all kids

 

[lau86]

I was just meaning op who hasn't mentioned her child having any health/ developmental issues. For me I would be worried that the average 2 year old would get into more bother trying to climb out of a play pen than they would roaming around the house for a minute. Especially as she has said he can climb his dresser etc. All you can do is baby proof the best you can, as I said the most my kids ever did was pull stuff out of cupboards.

 

[Snufflepop]

The only thing that occupies my 2 year old while I settle her little bro is tv and a snack. I try to limit screen time but sometimes it really is a godsend as I know it will buy me the ten mins I need to sort out baby. If the tv was not on she would get in all sorts of trouble the minute I was gone.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

Thank you for the suggestions! I'm not sure that I have quite figured out a solution yet but might try to set him up with the iPad (something he loves but gets sparingly) in my room with me and see if I can manage putting baby down with him next to me. This might be too idealistic an idea but I guess ill give it a try! I do agree that putting him in his crib might be just as dangerous if makes attempts to get out on his own...

 

[Kiwiberry]

This sounds exactly like my situation at first. I only have a one-story home but I put baby gates at the entrance get any room outside of the living room. Then I baby proof the living room as much as I can and give her a task to do while I'm putting mu other baby to bed. The tablet has been a god send. I don't really have to leave her alone for very long because I nurse my infant in the living room with her. So I really only have to leave her alone for a minutes while I put my baby to sleep in her bed. If the baby gates idea is not an option you could try and look for a playpen. You can try and find a tall one that's really sturdy. You can get play yards as well. I used a play yard for my toddler when I lived in an apartment. Another thing that really helped to give me peace of mind is having a video monitor handy. I can plug it in wherever I needed to and keep an eye on my girls.

 

[honeybeemommy]

The play pen sounds like a good solution to me. My kids could not get out of there unless is was near another piece of furniture they could use to shimmy up and get out. When my hubby was home on leave I always thought I would not be able to do anything when he went back to work. Did you feel that way with your first two? I was always surprised by how capable I found myself despite my fears. You are capable, Mama, you can do this

 

[Kiwiberry]

I for sure definitely felt that way. I felt so overwhelmed and I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to do it. It only took a couple of weeks for me to get used to. Now I'm just like how could I ever think I couldn't handle it. We are even trying for our third baby already!

 

[xdxxtx]

Oh yes. I have a 2- and a 3- year old who are both nuts. You can't put them in anything because they'll climb out and start playing in the bathroom sink or TOILET in no time. Been there, done that, way too many times. Haha... I had a little safe place (bouncer for my first-born, pack 'n' play for my second-born, rocker for my third-born, swing for my fourth-born - they all liked different nap spots) that I put in the family room, and the baby would nap there. Yes, even when I had only one baby because I liked being able to check on him while I worked on my computer. We do some quieter time while the baby sleeps, but all in all, the kids are loud, and the babies learn to sleep through it.

 

[wildflower79]

My dd has always had her naps downstairs in her pushchair. Could that be an option, so you could keep an eye on them both. I often vacuum or dd1 makes quite a bit of noise playing, but baby just sleeps through it.

 

[ParisJeTadore]

You ladies are so awesome- thank you for your suggestions and kind reassurance! I found two really manageable even after DH went back to work-partly bc my four year old is a pretty easy kid. My two year old is as mentioned by pp: liable to play in the sink and toilet in no time flat! So now that I have three I am finding it hard. This week was the most brutal initiation though...Ds2 got a bad cold which required a trip to the hospital, I somehow managed to get a large splinter in my foot from our old floor boards which requires a trip to my doctor for removal and a tetanus shot which has made my arm super sore, ds1 is now sick too and to top it off I got stuck in a blizzard with my three children on the way to nursery only to find the school closed. I guess if I can handle this...