RANT: I need sleep and I need to only have one sleep deprived child, not 2. The only way I can get DS #1 to leave me and the baby alone so I can get the baby down is to watch a show. Sometimes baby is ready to go down during breakfast. So I take baby upstairs and DS #1 comes in making noise, sitting on the bed, kicking the mattress, etc. Not condusive to sleeping!! I have told him over and over that if he needs to come up he needs to have a quiet body and voice, not to bump the crib etc. He comes in this morning making mouth noises, crawls on the bed and acts like he is going to crawl in the crib, starts kicking the mattress. Baby is asleep but still nursing. I try to whisper to DS #1 to give me a couple of minutes and then he says in a no so quiet voice"I want to watch a show!" I whisper"I can't help with that right now, go downstairs, and I'll be ther in a couple minutes" DS repeats in a loud voice. Dialogue continues, DS#2 is awake. I'm in tears (cause I've been up since 5 a.m., DS #2 NEEDS his sleep, etc) so the lecture begins.
GUILT: I go into lecture mode. Partly because I want him to understand why his brother needs a npa, how it is good for all of us that he gets a nap, etc. Partly because, I'm upset and I REALLY want him to know that, and exactly why, and I want him to say and mean "I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I understand." Which I know won't happen 'cause he is too young to understand that why I'm tired, why the baby needs sleep, etc. etc. I can't help myself. It just happens and then I feel awful because I don't want to make him feel bad but that is what I am doing.
HELP: Is there some way to get him to remotely understand and that there are other things he can do other than watch a show and that if we are left alone it doesn't take that long to get his brother to sleep but when we have interruptions by him, it takes longer.
THANKS!

Oooh yes, I've been there and I know how frustrating it can be. My efforts sometimes involve some planning and subterfuge :lol If my child isn't old enough to restrain his/her desire to seek me out while I'm trying to settle the baby I just set him/her up with something much more delightful than me. :lol

And to be honest, this is such a short period of time in our parenting life, I wouldn't beat myself up about using TV or DVD to achieve this end. Other 'delightful' activities that don't require too much supervision:

A platter of yummy food if it is meal time - even if it's not :D

Play doh - reserved only for this purpose. I'm ever-surprised how a fresh pack will distract them for hours.

Set up for play - surprise your child with a dolly picnic in the living room or a cubby under the table. If you have an appropriate space it can be fun to let a toddles 'wash dishes' with some dish foam in a bucket or bowl. You get the idea, I'm sure.


Most of all, I try to remember that baby needs to be accustomed to a healthy noise level in the home no matter what and an important part of the experience of having sleep interrupted by a sibling is the baby's learning of greater flexibility in his/her settling routine. :D When you look at it this way, it's harder to get resentful of the older child's interruptions.