7.30 Get up

Mom, turn on the cartoon! - shouts the eldest Polinka.

First, wash your face, then a cartoon,” I reason with her.

AAA,” the younger one reports that she woke up.

I love morning. Honestly, all this leapfrog bustle with getting the eldest ready for kindergarten, preparing breakfast, and water treatments invigorates and tones up for the whole day.

8.30 We accompany dad and daughter to kindergarten

Wave to your dad and sister “bye-bye!” Vikulya happily waves “bye”, I kiss my household on the cheeks. A new day begins.

9.00 Exercise-massage

“Little stretchers... The white-sided magpie was cooking porridge...” This is us doing exercises with the youngest. We hug, laugh and go eat. Usually the child has a good appetite, but sometimes she turns her lips into a bow and doesn’t want to eat anything.

10.00 The kitchen and chair, cleared of porridge, are sparkling clean, it’s time for me to do a little work. I glance through my email and check the news. At this time, my child persistently climbs into my arms, and I no less persistently try to lure her with some toys. With varying degrees of success, my morning chores are done.

10.30 Walk

Glory to the one who invented the ergo-backpack! There are two cats embroidered on our backpack. One proudly looks at her surroundings from the height of her mother, the second usually walks nearby.

I saw this “miracle of technology” at a children's exhibition and regretted that I did not know about it earlier. After all, both of my beauties did not like to fall asleep peacefully in the stroller. I walked with the eldest like this: I rocked the baby in a sling, and then put him in a stroller. We walked there for about a year. We tried an ergo with our second child after she stopped sleeping in the stroller at two months. This time it was disastrous for me to drag myself from the fifth floor, so I simply did not take the stroller outside. Surprisingly, my back doesn’t get tired from the 10-kilogram load, and the child is happy. While we are walking, I am planning my work for today.

Another advantage of the ergo is my absolute mobility. You need to go to the store, the bank is no problem, taking public transport is easy! Our trips to the library have become my personal hit; we even go to choose books for my eldest together now!

When the first channel broadcast a program about the dangers of various baby carriers, local grandmothers began to pester me with enviable regularity. With frightening faces, they admonished me that I was crippling the child, and in general that I shouldn’t carry him like that. At first I hesitated and hurried to retreat, and then I began to say: “Do you always believe what they say on TV?” This was an unusual answer, because the grannies raised their heads in surprise and now they were already extinguished.

11.00-11.30 Work

As soon as my baby closes her eyes and leaves for the land of sweet dreams, her mother does not sleep and gallops home. Yes, we walk for about an hour until the baby falls asleep. Just don't need any notations! All because I have to work sometime. I carefully transfer my treasure from my backpack to the stroller box and place it on the balcony.

Now I’m free and the daily cleaning and cooking begins, after which I earn money for about an hour. The main thing here is not to sit down at the computer before the floors have been washed and the food has been cooked, because otherwise things will get carried away and before you know it, your daughter has woken up and there is no lunch for her. By the way, I cook something simple, like a vegetable stew or soup, saving the pies for the weekend.

12.30-13.00 Lunch

My little one woke up, we changed clothes and went to dinner. We always eat together, although it’s not very convenient, but I try to show by example how to eat: calmly, without turning your head or spitting out pureed soup. It turns out, as I have already noticed, with varying degrees of success.

13.30 Let's have fun

Books, toys and two laughing girls. Everything would be fine, but after an hour of our games I begin to steadily fall asleep... At first I read my books, but when my baby learned to sit and grab everything, I had to use a new tactic. May supporters of a healthy lifestyle forgive me, but I decided that the best pastime for not falling asleep would be...

14.30 Kinoshka

Yes, yes, there is a place for great things in my life, although there is no TV. I know for sure that when I return from maternity leave, I will not have the opportunity to leisurely watch all my favorite films, discover cinema classics, and give my brain some more reason to feel and worry. I don’t forget about the little girl (and how can you forget about her!), we dance together to the music of the film, or sing songs I know. I try to make her sit with her back to the screen, so as not to spoil her eyes again, and entice her with some kind of toy.

16.00 Afternoon snack

As my dad said, we are “chewing” again. This time we have cottage cheese on the table. And we are going for a walk with the eldest to kindergarten.

17.00 Joyful meeting of two sisters

In the kindergarten, our arrival causes great joy among the entire group. The kids are drawn to the baby in the backpack, as if to something unprecedented, and giggle. I warned the teachers about 10 minutes in advance that we were going so that we wouldn’t get too hot while still dressed, and Polya managed to get dressed calmly. Then she begins the usual extortion: “I behaved well in kindergarten, buy me a reward!” We go for a walk first, then for a reward, usually I buy something no more than 30 rubles, this is how we learn to save and count, because often it takes several days to save for the desired object. On the way, we repeat tongue twisters or rhymes that we taught in kindergarten. Vika usually sleeps for the second time at this time.

18.30 Having had a walk, we return home

Dinner, the girls play together, and I prepare a bath. They play in different ways, sometimes together, sometimes with the eldest shouting: “Vika, get out of here!”

19.00 – 19.30 Dad's time

Our dad is returning from work. Children race, some running, some crawling, rushing into the hallway. We exchange news of the day, and I hand over the “reins of control” of the children to my husband. Now I can hang out on the Internet for another half hour.

20.00 – 20.30 Bath procedures

Bathing the youngest is a sacred father's duty. And everything after is mine.

Washed and happy children go to bed, and evening book time begins.

21.00 Lights out

Of course, children do not fall asleep at 21.00. The eldest still needs to tell a secret about her today's tricks in kindergarten, or she asks to pat her back, and the youngest can't wait to sit with dad on the computer or read a magazine with him. But still, around 10 p.m., they are already asleep, lulled by my lullabies. The youngest sweetly eats her mother's milk, the eldest sniffles in her bed. I usually fall asleep with them. Sometimes I can’t sleep, and my husband and I discuss something exciting to me in a whisper.

The room is dark and quiet as I straighten my girls' blankets. “Good night, my sweet ones,” I think, and I myself go to the kingdom of Morpheus. Tomorrow I need to meet a new day full of strength. And the main thing is to have time to hold on to it, to feel this great happiness, happiness from the fact that I have them.

Everyone knows how difficult the work of mothers is. We have to sacrifice a lot in order for the child to grow properly, eat well and go out on time. You have to adjust your daily rhythms to the baby’s rhythms - sleep in small portions for the first month, eat foods you don’t like most, and observe hygiene much more carefully.

But some time later, the mother’s body becomes in unison with the child’s body, and then it becomes easier. The child grows, develops a sleep schedule, and the mother plans her activities around the child’s sleep. Since infants sleep a lot at first, but no more than three hours at a time, the mother has to get used to sleeping in the same short periods.

Some people think this is impossible. In fact, the female body is a very flexible system, and getting used to any, even the strangest, circadian rhythm is a breeze for a young woman. By nature itself, women are endowed with adaptability to any external conditions, since it is the woman who is the guardian of the very gene pool of humanity.

But what if there are two children in the family, one older and the other a baby? Yes, the same thing! Only in the “equation” of the daily routine you will have to introduce not one, but two unknowns. And now we will try to see what one day in the life of a mother of two children of different ages looks like.

6.00. Feeding the baby, hygiene, then mom can take a little more nap.

8.00. The eldest woke up. Breakfast, hygiene, making beds.

9.00. Feeding the smaller ones, hygiene. Developmental activities, massage. The older child plays independently. Sometimes he can provide the mother with all possible help (bring a towel, diaper, pacifier).

10.00. Educational games for older children. During pauses, you can load laundry into the washing machine.

11.00. Cooking lunch. Possible help from the elder. Sometimes this help consists of the child playing or drawing within the mother’s visibility range. You can give him a couple of washed potatoes or fruits to play with. Let him put vegetables and fruits in unbreakable dishes. Spoons and spatulas are also suitable for playing - but not forks and knives, of course!

12.00. Feeding the youngest. Hygiene. Lunch with the older child. Packing for a walk.

13.00. Walking with two children. The most difficult thing here is to leave the apartment with the children and the stroller at the same time. The output varies. In many entrances there is a special stroller on the ground floor, so the mother should take with her, in addition to the children themselves, only a bedding for the little one. In the absence of a stroller and an elevator, many people simply keep an empty stroller under the stairs, which is generally safe in entrances with metal locking doors.

14.00. Continuation of the walk. While the younger one sleeps in the stroller, the older one can play on the playground.

14.50. Returning from a walk.

15.00. Feeding the youngest, hygiene. A small snack with the older child. Dismantling washed laundry. Daytime sleep of the elder and mother.

16.00. Dream.

16.30. Afternoon snack for older child. Educational games.

17.00. Watching cartoons with your older child.

18.00. Feeding the youngest, hygiene.

18.30. Dinner with the older child.

19.00. Quiet educational games with an older child (modeling, drawing).

20.00. Hygiene for an older child. Preparation for sleep. Cleaning (preferably together with the child) his toys.

20.30. Sleep of an older child.

21.00. Feeding and bathing the youngest child.

22.00. Free time. Hobbies, reading, relaxation, watching TV.

23.00. Shower and getting ready for bed.

24.00. Feeding the youngest, hygiene. Dream.

Ideally it would be something like this. But children are all different, so the most important thing is to remain calm and adjust the circadian rhythms of both children to each other. And remember: food, sleep and walks are the most important milestones of the daily routine, everything else fits in between them.

Even during her second pregnancy, a woman has concerns about how she will cope with two children. Because the husband is at work, the grandmothers are far away, and no matter how you look at it, the mother will have to take care of the children all day. How to behave so that both of them have enough affection, attention and care. In order not to cause jealousy and rivalry with the younger child for mother’s love in the older child, you need to set him up in a positive way from the first months of pregnancy.

What to do during pregnancy?
The older child needs to be prepared for joining the family. Under no circumstances tell him: “You will have a brother, and you will have to share candy and toys with him.” In the end, you won’t have to share right away, and you can gently ask him, unobtrusively push him to the right decision, but not put pressure.

1. The most important thing is to talk to your child in a positive way: “We’re going to have a baby, how great it will be, because you’ll have someone to play with.” Be sure to use the pronoun “we”, because the eldest child is also a full member of the family, he should be involved in the process of discussing upcoming changes in life on an equal basis with adults.
   
2. Together with your child, prepare a trousseau for the baby. Let the older one choose a gift for the younger one that he likes. Allow him to play with rattles, sliders, and pyramids intended for the baby. Consult with him about the color of bedding for the baby. If you have clothes left over from an older child, be sure to ask him if the younger one can wear them. Let the firstborn feel like an adult and significant, so a sense of responsibility will come to him, because he is the one who is consulted with!
   
3. When buying something for one child in a store, buy something as a gift for the second one. This way you will teach the older child to share with the younger one. And soon he himself will come running to you asking you to buy something for the baby.
   
4. Discuss how exactly your older child will help you after the baby is born. Only not in an orderly tone, but in a questioning tone. Let him decide for himself what to help. And then allow him to do this: choose a suit for the street, throw a water thermometer into the bath, take out a diaper, entertain the baby with a rattle.
   

In some families, it is customary to bring a gift from the maternity hospital for the older child from the newborn. Try to choose not the next hundredth of the same type of car, but some unusual thing that he hasn’t had before. And let the older child give the younger one the rattles he has stored.

How to cope with household chores?
Allow your older child to help you. Especially if he wants it himself. Place dirty clothes in the washing machine and bring out clean ones. Do the cleaning together. For the older child, this will turn into a fun holiday and an extra opportunity to communicate with mom.

Give him a separate rag, instruct him to wipe off the dust, and let him wash the floor himself. So what if you have to wash it, but you will keep your child occupied and make him feel important.

Send your firstborn on exciting trips: to grandma for a day, to the store with dad. Come up with quiet games for your older child while you are busy around the house: modeling, drawing, mosaics, puzzles, construction sets.

Teach your children that mom has her own needs, and they can be alone for 10 minutes after waking up while you go wash and brush your teeth. Don’t deny yourself a pleasant vacation: read a book, watch a movie or cartoon with your children, a mountain of dishes won’t escape you, but you need to have time to enjoy their childhood.

What should you do after maternity hospital and how to find time for both.

1. Let your older child avoid tiptoeing while your newborn sleeps. After all, he wants to run and warm up, and he should. A little noise won't hurt the baby.
   
2. It happens that when a newborn appears in the house, the older child also wants to be little: try formula from a bottle, put a pacifier in his mouth, lie in his mother’s arms. Allow him to do this. Even if you are busy with the baby at this time, ask dad to hold the baby while you nurse your firstborn. It is unlikely that he will be interested in this for a long time.
   
3. Sing bedtime songs to both children and tell stories. Soon the older child himself will sing a lullaby for the baby.
   
4. Don't yell at your elder if he accidentally wakes up your newborn. It’s better to just discuss with him how poor the baby is because he didn’t get enough sleep. Let your child draw the right conclusions from his bad behavior.
   
5. Discuss with your older child how big he already is: “The little one doesn’t know how to eat regular food, but here you are quite an adult, you even eat with a spoon.” Find reasons to praise and show pride in him!
   
6. Emphasize that you love both children equally. Avoid expressions: “You’re the eldest, so you should...”.
   
7. Try to spend as much time as possible with your older child while your newborn is sleeping. Even if you need to cook dinner, do it together with your firstborn, let him participate in the process. After all, this is such an exciting game, especially when mom is nearby and allows you to use all sorts of “adult” kitchen utensils.
   
8. Don't leave your older child alone while you are busy with your younger one. Help him move the pieces of the mosaic, talk to him, play some kind of oral game if you cannot actively move now: feed the baby or hold him in your arms.
   
9. Teach children to play with each other. Let the elder, as more experienced, take on the difficult role in the game - doctor, teacher, driver, and let the baby be a patient, student, passenger. It won't be long before the children play on their own.
   
10. As a rule, games can be combined. And the younger one can be given large parts from the construction set instead of rattles, for example, if the older child is building a house at the same time. The same applies to large wooden frames, lacing and balls. Surely the baby will also be interested in all these things. Just ask your firstborn for permission to take his toys.
    
11. Don't force your older child to watch the younger one and help you. Yes, you can ask him to do something, but don't be offended or scold him for refusing. After all, he himself is still small, do not deprive him of his childhood and his own affairs and concerns.
    

How can I make my mother's life easier?
Take into account some little things and tips that can give you an extra moment of peace:

• buy a sling, it relieves your hands and calms your baby;
  
• plan to sleep together, it will give you extra time to rest;
  
• breastfeed while lying down, this will allow you to relax, at the same time you can read a book or with one free hand help your elder put together a puzzle, for example;
  
• introduce the same sleep schedule for children, at this time you can also sleep or just relax;
  
• buy a “smart” steamer or multicooker, in which you can put food and wait for it to cook without feeling it during the process;
  
• buy a dishwasher, give your back a rest;
  
• keep a notebook and write down what you need to do;
  
• do a minimum number of chores around the house, do only what is urgent;
  
• use the freezer, you can use it to freeze ready-made food for future use;
  
• accept help from your husband, grandmothers, friends - everyone who wants to help, do not neglect it;
  
• buy easy-to-wear clothes for your older child, this way you will save time getting ready for a walk;
  
• leave an extra half hour to an hour for getting ready in order to be on time for planned events;
  
• buy unbreakable dishes, they will not cause unnecessary trouble if a child accidentally knocks them off;
  
• Keep cartoons or toys on your smartphone, you can’t live without them, but try to keep your child occupied in this way only in extreme cases.
  
• Have a supply of quick food, give your older child access to food that he can take and snack on: juices, muesli, washed fruits, dried fruits, nuts, cookies.
  

What should dad do?
In difficult times, when a woman is already tired and lacks sleep because of a newborn, the father must take care of her and the older child.

• when you are busy with a baby, your husband may well feed the older one, play with him, take him for a walk, buy him, put him to bed;
  
• dad can cook food for the whole family, wash the dishes, vacuum;
  
• he can be sent for a walk with the children, and at this time you can be given an extra hour of sleep.
  

Children's quarrels
When children are a little older and play together, disagreements and conflicts are bound to arise. In such cases, an experienced mother sits them down facing each other and gives everyone the opportunity to express their complaints for 5 minutes. Alternately. And definitely without getting personal: not “You are so and so,” but “I don’t like the fact that you...”. Then they will independently come to an agreement and resolve all disputes.

You are a good mom!
No matter how harsh it may sound, choose the child to whom you are more important at the moment. If the older one is hit, then put the baby down, even if he also starts crying, and calm the older one, check if everything is okay. And vice versa, if you are feeding your baby, and your firstborn asks for some kind of toy, then distract him and ask him to wait. Don’t consider yourself a slow mom because of this.

If you don’t have enough time, don’t be afraid to feed your child yogurt and cookies, for example, instead of porridge. Take bananas and juice with you on your walk. While the younger child is sleeping in the stroller, play with the older one on the playground and feed him at the same time.

Take time for yourself, take a shower, do a face mask. Ask your husband to take care of the children for these 15 minutes. Go to the store. Let it be nearby, let it be for groceries, but take a walk, take a break from the children, so that you don’t have thoughts about confinement within four walls.

Don't forget that you are not the only one who is having a hard time. It is also difficult for a child to accept the new rules of life in the family. It's hard not to run and scream when you want to. And, of course, I really want attention. Try to give it to your firstborn to the fullest. Emphasize the love of the younger child for the older one. Notice the smiles, the finger grabbing.

At the same time, the appearance of a baby in the family stimulates the development of the older child. You can even teach him to eat, dress, and take out the potty on his own; just ask him to show the baby how to do this to teach the baby. Be sure to praise your child for his success and show him how proud you are of him!

Comments

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Most importantly, set your priorities correctly. Make it a rule that your children should not suffer from your mood. If you don’t have time to do something: wash the dishes, vacuum, iron, and the child is capricious and crying - drop everything and take care of the child.

For a younger child, buy a sling or a backpack - you won’t have to run from room to room, and he will sleep longer and more peacefully on his mother’s tummy. You will be able to do some things more calmly. A two-year-old child can also be occupied, and a child of two or three years old loves to study independently for quite a long time.

Don’t refuse if they offer you help; if they don’t, ask for it yourself. If you have grandparents, a husband, sisters, brothers, use every opportunity. Let someone go shopping, help with cleaning, cooking, taking the children out, etc.

And...it’s better to do something right away than to put it off until later. Once a month, send your husband, grandmother or sister with the children for a walk, and at this time do some general cleaning. And... that’s it, not more often, or even less often. Then just keep things tidy. This is easier than every time a tired and sleep-deprived mother takes up a mop every Saturday and goes as if to war.

Remember that you need rest too. And look for rest even in the little things - if you managed to drink coffee and chocolate while the little one is sleeping and the older one is playing, that’s already luck. If both are sleeping, go to bed with them and rest... so what if a mountain of unwashed dishes has accumulated - rest is more important.

From my own experience, I will say that the most difficult thing is the first month. Then every day it will become easier and easier. The only thing is that now it’s closer to winter, and you need to protect yourself from all kinds of infections, this is a simple preventive measure - lubricate your children’s noses with oxolinic ointment when going for a walk and in other public places.
As for the rest, the main thing is mode.
1. If your second baby is breastfed, then you can do this: put the older one to bed, and lie down and breastfeed the younger one for company, eventually everyone falls asleep. You can also take a nap here.
2. If you only need to put the baby to bed, then take a bunch of interesting books, put the younger one under your chest to sleep, and read books with the older one. At the same time, you can explain that there is no need to make noise, because the baby will sleep. But in my case, the youngest fell asleep in any situation.
3. Create a daily routine so that one of the little ones’ naps is during a walk. Combine business with pleasure. Spend time alone with your elder, and get some fresh air together while the baby sleeps.
4. Put everyone to bed at the same time according to scheme No. 1. But if that doesn’t work out, then I sometimes did this: I turned on cartoons for the eldest while he was watching, I put the baby to sleep, and then I took over the second one, again, and it would be time for a one-on-one conversation with the eldest.
And as experts write in magazines, of course, take time for yourself.
Over time, the understanding comes that you shouldn’t be nervous about trifles, because of unwashed dishes, floors and dust. all this sooner or later comes into harmony. The main thing is your good mood and love for children. and children, in any case, sooner or later they fall asleep, and sooner or later they stop crying, it all depends on your efforts. Good luck to you!

It's good to have two children. In the future, after some time, if they are same-sex, disputes arise among themselves. The eldest will always have bad luck and when he grows up in life he will be a little shy and indecisive, and the second, on the contrary, will be brave and cunning, but they will not be selfish. Your first child was always weak and often sick, since we had no experience, but the second will be strong and will not be as sick as the first. Now you have the most difficult time, you need to keep an eye on the first one, as he will taste everything, turn on TVs, cell phones, gas stoves, beware of all sorts of things. He will try to feed the youngest and wrap him up, so at these moments, make sure that... So don't leave them for long. Do not punish or scold the elder, as he tries to do good in his own way without understanding the consequences. Film them in a video I filmed them in a video every year, now they have matured and they are interested in it themselves too. Good luck and good health to you.

This is our daily routine for children with a small age difference. We all get up in the morning at 8:30-9:00 and have breakfast. Mom, dad, eldest child (two years old) - we eat porridge, the youngest (one and a half months) - breast. Dad goes to work, and mom is left alone with these miracles:) Wash the eldest, brush his teeth. Make the bed. Prepare soup for the older one for lunch (the minced meat for the meatballs is defrosted in advance), and also come up with something for yourself, for example, cook pasta or potatoes. Put the clothes to wash. All this - before 11 o'clock. At this time, the youngest lies in the crib and sometimes squeaks, sometimes you have to carry him in your arms. Put the eldest on the potty - two hours have just passed since the last visit to the toilet. Dress for the street, dress the older one, dress the younger one. At 11-12:30 we went for a walk. Walk until 13-13:30. We came home. Undress the elder, wash his hands, sit him down for lunch (he practically eats by himself). If the youngest does not wake up, put him on the balcony without undressing him. If he wakes up, feed him. Eat yourself. 13:30-14:00. Wash the older one away from food :) Put both of them to bed, sequence - whatever happens. Turn off all phones, sleep for at least an hour - this is very important for good health and for milk production. The eldest wakes up around 16:30, has an afternoon snack, usually cottage cheese with raisins. Back and forth, dad is already returning from work. If we are not very tired, then we have dinner and go for a walk until about 20. We return and feed the older one dinner - porridge or an omelet, or pasta, in general, the same as adults (with the exception of fried food, which is harmful). 21:00 - draw a bath for the younger one, at this time massage and gymnastics, the older one rushes around with toys-books. Bath the little one and put him to bed. At this time, the elder is bathing. Putting the elder to bed. Go to bed yourself - 22:30-23:00. Of course, it doesn’t always work out according to schedule, the main thing is to be calm, love your children and everything will be fine.

Try to never forget that parents create order and set certain rules of behavior for their children. This makes children's life understandable and predictable, and brings a sense of security. Children intuitively feel that their parents’ “no” is hiding their concern for them. The example of parents is the most important for a child. Here’s an example: it’s a family tradition that mom bakes a pie on weekends, or everyone goes for a walk or to the cinema together. Children appreciate such traditions. When a parent gives them special attention and is interesting, it is a holiday for them.
Traditions and simple rituals greatly help to organize life.
Go to the website prosto-deti ru, there is a lot of information useful for parents and preschool children.

I have the same situation as you: the first child is two years old and the second is two months old. At first it was difficult, I first worked on adapting the older child to the younger one. Now it’s much easier: while the youngest is sleeping, the elder and I practically redo all the work (for example, I prepare soup, peel potatoes, the older two-year-old serves me potatoes, he likes to help me). Then, while the soup is cooking, I make sure to find time to play with the elder for at least an hour. And I want to say that it’s easier for one with children, when dad comes in the evening, another story begins...)))