I wrote this blog years ago hoping one day I could share it with mothers in the same stage of life I was in. I hope this blog post helps you in navigating these early years while enjoying the little moments. They go quick!

Having a toddler and a baby, demands a lot of my energy and time. My children are still too young to play independently on their own due to short attention spans and their constant need for my attention and help. My mornings look like juggling a baby on my hip while trying to make breakfast one handed. Setting up play areas for each child so I can quickly run to the next room and change out of my pajamas which I usually cant get to until just before lunch time. I’m extremely sleep deprived most days and only have energy for doing the bare minimum.

I don’t write this for pity nor to scare any new mother, its just the season of life I am currently in. Its survival mode and I feel like I’m crawling through the days. However, being a recovering perfectionist, I make sure that what ever I do choose to do with my time is intentional. Even though most days I feel as if I have accomplished nothing, my energetic outputs are important because I don’t have a lot of time or energy. It’s somewhat of a blessing because at such a young age, my toddler only really needs to be learning daily routines like self-care, learning patterns, and playing A LOT. This helps me focus on myself and my own basic needs. Often times new mothers and young mothers forget to take care of themselves because they are so busy making sure their children are well cared for. I remember a time where I had forgotten to eat for two days. Another time I realized I hadn’t showered in 8 days. From sun up, until sun down, and all though the night you are feeding, changing, nurturing, and teaching your children. It’s a job that has no breaks. It doesn’t matter if you are sick and have a 105 degree fever, you still have to crawl to the kitchen and feed your children (that’s a true story). It can be brutal at times and it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had both physically and mentally.

The other tough part about having two very young children, is that when you have to tend to the baby, usually the toddler needs help. This is a daily struggle for me when the baby needs to nap. My toddler is too young to be left alone in her room for 30 minutes while I nurse the baby to sleep. I’ve tried several times, setting my toddler up with an activity that’s suppose to take 20 minutes and she ends up walking into the baby’s room and wakes him up. This starts my 30 minute process all over again trying to put the baby to sleep. So my only option is to bring her in the baby’s room with me. Well, if you have a toddler, you know that doesn’t work well. Toddlers cant sit in a dark room for 30 minutes and stay quiet, its impossible. I’ve tried it so many times and it always ends up with me getting frustrated that my toddler is playing too loud with toys and wakes up the baby or is sitting there complaining and wakes up the baby. So what do you do… Screen time. I cringe even writing this because we got rid of our television years ago and we are a screen free family. I do not allow my kids to watch screens at all except for Saturday night movie night with their dad. Its literally the only thing that will keep my toddler sitting in one spot long enough to put the baby to sleep, uninterrupted. It works well, she stays safe and occupied and the baby doesn’t have to suffer and neither do I. Its not my preferred method of occupation but again, because I have no help with my children I have to find things that work for me temporarily in this season of life.

Once my 3.5 year old turns 4 I will be starting a more structured homeschool routine. Right now, I’m slowly preparing her for a smooth transition into Kindergarten. I’m come to realize that children thrive off of routines. It helps them stay regulated and know what to expect each day. Routines are so important to teach children at a young age and our days tend to run much smoother when they are executed. We have the same morning routine, lunchtime routine, and night time routine. Days will differ here and there if we have other obligations but the rhythm usually stays the same all year round. There are specific activities I set up for my toddler so that I can tend to the baby’s needs. There are also specific things I teach my toddler during our homeschool routine to help her become more independent which helps me out a lot in the long run.

We now have a pretty awesome routine going and I would love to share with you what it looks like to maybe help you multi-task during a challenging period of motherhood juggling two kiddos.