[wearbaby]

Ok so the title is harsh. River (10.5mo) is starting to walk, and has been cruising and crawling for a while. Of course he wants to be into everything Joshua is doing. If he's coloring, he's grabbing paper, crayons. If Joshua is stacking blocks, River is knocking them over. If Joshua has a ride on toy, River wants to push it. And Joshua hates it! River gets within 2 feet of him, Joshua starts yelling "no River NO!" and will push him away. I'll sit down and play with River to occupy him so Joshua can play, then Joshua gets mad that I'm not playing with him. I'll try to get both of them to play with me and it ends up with a pushing shoving match to who can get closest to mommy. no playing involved. I'm so frustrated that the baby is not even 1 and I can't get them to play nicely.

Both boys are just normal for their age, I don't doubt that. But what can I do? The only time Joshua is a happy camper is when I'm one on one with him (River is either on my back or sleeping in his bed).

 

[elmh23]

We made an area that was only for dd to play in with toys that ds wanted to get out but shouldn't get at. For us, at that age, it was the kitchen or her bedroom.

We also used it has a great oppurtunity to teach about sharing. All the toys in our house, save for a special few, are everyone's toys. We worked with dd on playing with ds instead of just yelling at him.

 

[wearbaby]

I've been trying to teach sharing but I haven't gotten very far.

Overall, I'm exhausted with my (lack of) parenting techniques. I will set up Joshua's room with "his things" that are not good for the baby. Plus, so far, the baby can't open doors, and Joshua could play in there with the door closed. Thanks!

 

[Cujobunny]

I hear you, it's a whole new dynamic isn't it?

I don't make either of my kids share, noone is allowed to snatch a toy no matter who it "belongs" to. It's definitely a good idea to have the older child's special toys in a place that's all their own.

My 16mo dd gets jealous if I'm giving my 3yo ds attention... I often turn the climbing-on-mommy-for-attention times into tickle parties

, or chase them both around or play hide and seek.

One of my ds' favourite pasttimes is to play trains and have me make tunnels out of legos, you can guess how that goes with a toddler who wants to "help", I just give her some blocks to take apart and put together.

Oh yeah, and I've become an expert on reading two books at once