How to keep DS occupied/ entertained while home with an infant

[MrsHin2002]

Hi everyone,

I'm a wohm who is a lucky Canadian who gets to be a sahm for one year while on maternity leave. I'm due Nov 21st with our 2nd, and DS turned 4 this past July. I stayed home for a year with him before returning to work.

I'm getting close to giving notice to our childcare provider (he goes to her house) for around Christmas time (in case I end up with another section), and am just worried about how well I can keep DS engaged/ occupied/ entertained when I'm managing a newborn, especially in the early months of an Atlantic Canadian winter.

He'll go to preschool 9-12 Wed and Fri mornings through June (only a few mins from our house). I have several other friends on leave or about to go on leave that we can visit with (but most if not all have older child either in school or daycare) and I know he'll need more time with kids his age.

I'm hoping to meet some new families in the area through his preschool and can set up playdates with some if they are also home during the day. But I won't get to know them until I'm doing the dropping off and picking up in January. DS will go to school full-days starting next September.

Anyhow - if you've read this far (thanks for that!) I guess I'm just looking for tips or advice from BTDT moms on balancing the needs of an older preschooler with an infant, especially as I'm unaccustomed to being at home and will be newly sleep deprived, etc. And worry generally about my energy level, and finding enough time for him to play with children close to his age.

Thanks in advance!

Karen

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[redskynight]

Hi Karen,

I'm a SAHM in NZ with Noah who is 2 1/2 and Levi who is just over 5 months. I've been at home with Noah for most of his life and we don't have any planned activies usually during the week. We go for buggy walks around the forest most mornings, the boys just sit and watch the world and I can tune out a bit, We sometimes visit playgrounds and Noah has a little friend who we try and see regulary. If we're at home Levi is in the sling and Noah and I just hang out, do chores, cuddle lots, read books, discuss stuff, make experiments. He's pretty good at entertaining himself while I'm feeding Levi, although it did take a bit of adjusting to at first.

Not sure if your boy is still napping at 4 but I have found recently that it really helps if we all lie down in the afternoon together, even if we don't sleep, or if we sleep and Noah isn't tired he can take himself off to read a book. I do find it hard to have absolutely no time to myself during the day but I know this will be short lived and before I know it they will be grown and I will long for this time back again.

I'd say, forget about worrying about it and enjoy this precious time with your babies.