how do you cope with a very active todler and a baby?

[caedmyn]

I hope this is a good place for this. My DS will be 23 months when the baby comes, and he is VERY VERY active. I have never seen another toddler as active as he is, at least not recently enough to remember it! He is perpetual motion whenever he is awake, he loves to climb, and he is into everything. You know how they have "extreme sports"? I consider him an extreme toddler! I am pretty much frazzled by the time breakfast is over every day, and I cannot imagine how I am going to cope with an infant too. I have a 4.5 year old DD as well. Did I mention that my DS is also intense and high needs and enjoys screaming about everything??

We live in Montana so outdoor play will be out by the time baby comes (wind blows 40-50 MPH all winter long out here and it is cold). We have an indoor slide/climber combo but he's not all that interested in it...nothing to get into once he climbs it I guess!

Does anyone have a very active toddler and a baby? How do you survive?

[VroomieMama]

Beats me! I have an active almost 8 yrs old girl AND 1 yr old female TWINS and my baby is due in December. ACK! I hope I won't get flipped like this !

[happysmileylady]

I don't have any advice, just subbing because I am going to be right there with you-my dd2 will be 22 months when this one gets here in September. And she is also an "extreme toddler." I love that term. It so perfectly describes her. We had to manufacture our own additional locks for the baby gates to the stairs, because she figured out how to pop them. She's already in a big girl bed because she figured out how to climb out of the crib at 14 months, and can now climb out of her playpen as well. She watches for when I turn my back, to rush to the end tables to play with the phone. Today, she had "her phone" (an old cell phone that doesn't work anymore) that she was playing with, then the moment DH and I turned our backs to finish picking up the mess of toys she had spread all over the floor, she ran to the couch, climbed up the back of it and set "her" phone on the ledge behnd the couch, to grab DH's phone and press the buttons on it. And took off running the moment we turned back:sigh: And when this one gets here, DH will be working full time, and going to school 3/4 time, and my oldest, 14yr, will be in school, so it will just be me and the two little ones all day. In the winter. Gah!

[VroomieMama]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady

I don't have any advice, just subbing because I am going to be right there with you-my dd2 will be 22 months when this one gets here in September. And she is also an "extreme toddler." I love that term. It so perfectly describes her. We had to manufacture our own additional locks for the baby gates to the stairs, because she figured out how to pop them. She's already in a big girl bed because she figured out how to climb out of the crib at 14 months, and can now climb out of her playpen as well. She watches for when I turn my back, to rush to the end tables to play with the phone. Today, she had "her phone" (an old cell phone that doesn't work anymore) that she was playing with, then the moment DH and I turned our backs to finish picking up the mess of toys she had spread all over the floor, she ran to the couch, climbed up the back of it and set "her" phone on the ledge behnd the couch, to grab DH's phone and press the buttons on it. And took off running the moment we turned back:sigh: And when this one gets here, DH will be working full time, and going to school 3/4 time, and my oldest, 14yr, will be in school, so it will just be me and the two little ones all day. In the winter. Gah!

Gosh! Your dd is so ADORABLE!

[XanaduMama]

I don't think this helps much given your weather situation (indoor trampoline?! Bounce house?), but my immediate response was BABYWEARING! ds was 28mo when dd arrived, and wearing her in my mei tai, and being an expert at BFing hands free on the run (sometimes literally, lol!), made keeping up with active ds really easy.

But I don't think that's what you're really asking. Good luck!

[JuniperBCN]

Was in your shoes 2 year ago and we're all still alive. Babywearing helped a LOT. The pool helped my wild child get his wiggles out a lot at this age... I would stick him in a floaty thing and basically he would paddle til he dropped. If this is a possibility for you, I heartily recommend it. There are wraps for the water is you feel like that would help. We also have some spaces in our house that are okay for jumping (a bed on the floor with a low chest next to it and a large sofa). Other things that have been helpful have been things like shaky/percussion instruments and scarves that he does wild dances with to music and homemade playdough... something about being able to squish and squish and squish. I've made gallons of the stuff! DH has always been really good about getting down on the floor and rolling around and physical play which also seems to help.