siblings Archives | The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants https://www.babysleepsite.com Get rid of frustrating baby sleep problems and heartbreaking tears with our baby sleep guides and sleep consultations that let you get the rest you need! Thu, 03 Feb 2022 13:41:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.babysleepsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cropped-favicon-b-3-32x32.png siblings Archives | The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants https://www.babysleepsite.com 32 32 Tips to Help Your Toddler When Bringing Home a Newborn https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/toddler-tips-when-bringing-home-newborn/ https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/toddler-tips-when-bringing-home-newborn/#comments Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:00:16 +0000 http://www.babysleepsite.com/?p=27011 Bringing home a new baby can be wonderful but also an adjustment to your toddler. Your toddler has to adjust to the new baby, might feel jealous at times, and in some cases show aggression toward the new baby. Today, we share tips to help your toddler adjust to life with a newborn. Toddlers Get […]

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Tips for Toddler With NewbornBringing home a new baby can be wonderful but also an adjustment to your toddler. Your toddler has to adjust to the new baby, might feel jealous at times, and in some cases show aggression toward the new baby. Today, we share tips to help your toddler adjust to life with a newborn.

Toddlers Get Jealous of a New Baby

When I was pregnant with my second child, I knew it was “normal” to wonder if I could possibly love my second as much as my first. I remember having conversations with my mommy-friends and hearing from most of them that going from 1 to 2 children was hard. Only one of my friends said the transition wasn’t that bad. “You’ve already adjusted your whole life to having children… what’s one more?” she said.

What I wasn’t prepared for was how hard it would be for my 2 ½-year-old toddler to share her mommy. I’m pretty sure she cried more than the newborn those first three months. It was hard on all of us. But we survived, and today, my 13 month-old and 3 ½-year-old were eating pears together in their side-by-side chairs while I read them a story… so very sweet. I hardly remember the challenges we faced in those early months of becoming a family of 4.

Sure, there are still days that my 3 1/2-year-old whines more than my 1-year-old cries. There are times I haven’t been able to be the mom I’ve wanted to be to one or both of them. I’ve had to use my oldest daughter’s favorite television show to “babysit” while I tried desperately to get the baby to nap. She didn’t mind, that’s for sure!

Part of the solution I’ve discovered is having an acceptance and understanding of my limitations. Even with help, I am still only one person. I’ve found the kids have forgiven me for being human and still think I have superpowers!

Tips for Toddlers to Adjust to a New Baby

Here are some tips that I found helpful in assisting my oldest to life as a big sister:

  • Big sister party!

    It was important to find a way to turn the focus onto my oldest because everyone around us was so excited about the new baby. We kept the celebration small and laid back. Just my husband, Grandma, and a family friend were invited to celebrate my oldest becoming a big sister. We bought a few toys at the dollar store and a cake. My oldest was so proud and excited about her party! She still had a huge temper tantrum that night at bedtime, haha!, but I know the extra love made her feel special. We talked about her party for months after.

  • Consistent bedtime routine

    My oldest was starving for my attention and desperately wanted me at bedtime. I couldn’t always finagle it, but if I could, I tried to do her bedtime routine during the first few months. This gave dad or Grandma one-on-one time with the new baby, as well. It was very important for me to be consistent with my older daughter’s bedtime routine, including having a distinct ending. She started having tantrums at bedtime, especially when I put her down in her crib after cuddling in the chair. I ended up using a 5-minute timer on my phone to help her know when snuggle time was over. The 5-minute timer would ring, and she knew it was time to go into bed. My consistency was very important. Even if she wasn’t consistent, I had to be.

  • Sticker charts

    Focusing on my daughter’s positive behavior was very important in the early months, since a lot of her behavior was not positive. For example, getting her pajamas on without crying earned a sticker. Each step of the naptime or bedtime routine could earn her a sticker. If she earned enough stickers, she got to pick either a small prize or to do something special together (like go to the park). See our sticker chart tips here.

  • Line Up their Schedules

    Try to get their schedules to line up at least some of the time, if possible. For example, when my youngest was taking 4 short naps a day (around 4 months old) her first two naps were short (which is common around that age) and I helped extend her 3rd nap to an hour since my oldest was napping at that time too. Aligning their two naps allowed us to get out of the house afterward to do something that my oldest would enjoy. The baby’s 4th nap was oftentimes on the go in my carrier. It’s not easy to line up schedules, but we have schedule juggling tips here.

  • Special Nursing/Napping Basket

    Nursing did not come easy to me and my youngest baby (she was born early). I found it helpful to have a special basket full of fun toys that my oldest could play with while I tried to nurse or nap the baby. These would be toys that only came out at those times, so she would be excited to play with them.

    If I needed to leave her for short periods of time, I would make sure she was in a child-proofed room and had something fun to play with. Or, we would all sit on the couch while I nursed the baby, and she either played with her toys or had me read her a book. It wasn’t always graceful, but we got better with it over time. I found this blog helpful in coming up with ideas for my basket and for other ways to keep her entertained.

In the end, I love my two girls more than you can imagine, of course. Expectations mean a lot and now I know that some days are simply better than others and I imagine that will be the case for you, too.

What tips did you find helpful to ease your toddler into the big sibling role with a new baby?

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7 Tips To Successful Sibling Room-Sharing https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/sibling-room-sharing-tips/ https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/sibling-room-sharing-tips/#comments Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.babysleepsite.com/?p=9276 We’ve discussed how YOU sharing a room with your baby can affect your baby’s sleep, but what about when your baby needs to share a room with a sibling? We know that some of you have been anxiously (dare we say desperately?) awaiting this article. Fear not, we have 7 tips to successful sibling room-sharing. […]

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Sibling Room SharingWe’ve discussed how YOU sharing a room with your baby can affect your baby’s sleep, but what about when your baby needs to share a room with a sibling? We know that some of you have been anxiously (dare we say desperately?) awaiting this article. Fear not, we have 7 tips to successful sibling room-sharing.

Why Should Siblings Room-Share?

We know many of our readers are finding themselves faced with the task of transitioning their kids into sharing a room. And we know that for many of you, room-sharing isn’t really a choice — it’s something you have to do.

This is often the case for families who are expecting a new baby; suddenly, you have more children than you do bedrooms, and the sleeping arrangements have to change.

Or maybe you’re downsizing. This was the case for my family. Years ago, we moved from a three-bedroom home to a two-bedroom rental, and it just wasn’t an option for my boys (age 2 and 8 months at the time) to have separate rooms anymore. Some of you may even like the idea of siblings sharing a room and being (emotionally) closer growing up. Whatever the reason, these tips should help!

Sibling Room-Sharing: “Is This Going To Work?!”

The prospect of suddenly shoving two (or more) kids into a room together and expecting them to easily sleep in the same room can seem overwhelming. If your children have never shared a room before, you may be wondering how the new sleeping arrangements are going to affect their sleep (or if they’ll sleep at all!)

Take heart, readers! We know how you feel. A few of us have done room-sharing in our own homes, and we understand perfectly well the panicky “Is this going to work?!” feeling. So we compiled a list of 7 tips we think will help make room-sharing easier for everyone in your family.

7 Tips For Sibling Room-Sharing

  1. Create Personal Space.

    One of the toughest things about having your children share a room is that all privacy disappears. While this might not bother young children, it may bother older kids a lot. If you know that the lack of privacy and personal space is going to be a problem for your kids, then work to create a private, personal area for each child, as best you can.

    For example, consider buying two of everything (2 beds, 2 dressers, 2 nightstands), and then creating a side of the room for each child. This creates separate spaces for the kids and helps both feel like they have their own space. Some families have even gone so far as to string a curtain along the center of the room so that when it’s pulled shut, there’s actually a separate (and private) area for each child.

  2. Honor Your Child’s Sleep Schedule.

    This is especially true for those of you who are putting babies and toddlers/preschoolers in the same room. Don’t assume that just because your children are sharing a room, they also have to share a sleep schedule.

    If your baby needs to go to bed at 6:30, but your toddler won’t fall asleep until 8:00, that’s okay. Put your baby to bed first, and then use the extra hour and a half to have some one-on-one time with your toddler! Read a few extra books, take a longer bath, or squeeze in some cuddle time. It’s perfectly okay for each child to have different (and separate) bedtime routines and schedules, even though they’ll be sleeping in the same room.

  3. Nicole’s Note:
    “This is an important one! If need be, do your baby or toddler’s bedtime routine in another room, if they are waking the other while getting settled for bed. Also, at different ages, your toddler may be going to bed earlier than the baby (who still naps, for example). Make sure you are respecting their individual needs.”

  4. Be Creative With Naps.

    One of the toughest parts about sleeping your children in the same room (in my experience, at least) is figuring out how to do naptime. Naptime can be more challenging than bedtime to begin with; add to that the fact that your two children are now supposed to be napping two feet away from each other, and you might have a real problem on your hands!

    If you find that your children simply won’t nap in the same room, and are keeping each other awake, you may have to get creative about the napping arrangements. My solution was always to nap my boys in different rooms. The youngest would nap in his room, in the crib, while my oldest took a nap in my room, on my bed. That worked well for our family. And there are plenty of other creative arrangements you can come up with, too. I knew a family who always had a portable crib set up in one of their bigger closets; it was their baby’s favorite place to nap!
    SlumberPod for sharing a room with babyAnother great option is to use a product such as The SlumberPod® (Use Coupon Code BABYSLEEPSITE20 for $20 off!

  5. Get A White Noise Machine (or MP3).

    White noise can help promote better sleep for everyone, but in my opinion, it’s especially useful in helping to create deeper, more peaceful sleep for kids who are sharing a room. The noises that one child makes during the night can make it harder for the other to sleep — one snores (or talks, or coughs) and wakes up the other. White noise can help solve that. This white noise machine has come highly recommended by many families who contact us.

  6. Be Firm and Consistent.

    This is good advice for parenting in general, but let’s talk about how it applies specifically to sibling room-sharing. It’s a given that putting two children in the same room is going to (at first) make sleeping harder. Your children will want to look at each other, talk to each other, play with each other, etc.

    Decide early on what you’re going to allow, and what you’re not. Establish boundaries, and set limits. Some families have a strict “lights out, no noise” policy at bedtime — when the lights go out, the children have to be silent. Other families allow some talking and giggling at bedtime, but put a limit on how long it’s allowed to continue before the kids have to be silent.

    My approach has been to send my boys up to their rooms 30 or 40 minutes before bedtime. I let them play and make noise to their hearts’ content. Then, precisely at 8, it’s lights out and no more talking. This works well for us. The boys get their fill of noisy, wild play (and of each other!); then, when it’s bedtime, they’re ready to settle in and be quiet.

    There is no right or wrong way to do this, of course. The only thing that really matters is that each of your children gets the sleep that he or she needs. However, if you find that one child is keeping the other awake, and that both children’s sleep is suffering, make some changes to your approach.

  7. Have a Back Up Plan.

    Sometimes, even your best-laid plans go haywire, don’t they? Even us supermoms and superdads get caught off-guard! 😉 Maybe the baby goes through a sleep regression and suddenly starts waking during the night. Or maybe your preschooler contracts the flu and is up half the night vomiting. In times like these, it’s a good idea to have a back-up plan.

    When my boys were little and were first sharing a room, my youngest son still wasn’t always sleeping through the night (he was only 8 months, after all!). And so, during nights that he just wouldn’t sleep soundly, I’d set up the Pack-n-Play in our kitchen and let him sleep there. It allowed our oldest son to get the sleep he needed, and it spared me the stress of having to frantically shush and rock the baby, in the hopes that he wouldn’t wake his brother.

  8. Nicole’s Note:
    “We have a lot of families who need their toddler and baby to share a room. One caution I share with others is not to have them share too early. A toddler has good intentions, but they are unpredictable. She may try to feed the baby something or cover him with a blanket, for example. They can be good intentions that can be unsafe for a baby. I recommend waiting until the baby is older, if you still have a toddler who is too young to understand the ramifications. Instead, YOU share the room with the baby.”

    7. Remember That Room-Sharing Gets Easier With Time.

    Changing your children’s sleeping arrangements probably isn’t going to be an easy process at first. (Change never is, right?) In the beginning, your kids will probably wake more often at night, and will probably be more sleepless than usual. But know that it’s going to get better! Once your children adjust to the new sleeping arrangement, things should return to normal. In fact, if your kids are anything like mine, once they get used to sharing a room, you may find that they can’t sleep any other way!

Do your children share a room? How do you make it work for your family? Scroll down to share your own tips below!

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Sibling Series Part 2: Juggling Different Baby and Toddler Sleep Schedules https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/baby-toddler-sleep-schedule-juggling/ https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/baby-toddler-sleep-schedule-juggling/#comments Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:00:16 +0000 http://www.babysleepsite.com/?p=6236 Lately, a lot of people are writing in about having a new baby (very exciting!) and wondering how to juggle more than one sleep schedule. This article will give you tips to maintain multiple children’s schedules, when their ages vary (multiples have a different set of challenges, so that will be a subsequent part to […]

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How To Balance Sibling Schedules

Lately, a lot of people are writing in about having a new baby (very exciting!) and wondering how to juggle more than one sleep schedule. This article will give you tips to maintain multiple children’s schedules, when their ages vary (multiples have a different set of challenges, so that will be a subsequent part to come).

Once you help your baby sleep through the night, and then your baby becomes a toddler, many families decide to add another baby into the mix. If you haven’t, you might want to read the first part in this series, Do you have another child after a horrible sleeper? At each stage, the challenges are different, because a newborn’s sleep needs are very different than that of an 8 month old, for example.

Balancing Sibling Schedules: Your Newborn’s Schedule and Your Toddler’s Schedules

When you first bring home the new baby, this is, ironically, probably one of the easier times, unless the new baby has colic or is otherwise more high-needs. Of course, this is only my perspective and opinion and there are a lot of factors to keep in mind and what’s easier to me may be harder to you.

A newborn baby will sleep SO much in the beginning and, for the most part, will be content to be in a Boba Wrap type carrier, laying on a baby playmat, or playing in a swing. Carriers are great for having the ability to allow you to do things for/with your toddler while also keeping the baby happy, and there are many other benefits of baby wearing. I used to put my younger son in a wrap while I cooked dinner or let my toddler chase me around, putting my baby to sleep in 2.2 seconds. It was great! When the baby is a newborn, schedules are virtually non-existent and you should put your baby to sleep after just 1-2 hours of being awake. At this age, sleeping on the go is typical and welcomed.

Balancing Sibling Schedules: Your 4-12 Month Old’s Schedule and Your Toddler’s Schedule

This is, by far, the most common time when I begin to get e-mails from parents. The problem? Your baby is growing up, becomes more social, may not be as portable (if he was to begin with), needs more and more time to “help” to sleep, then the 4-month sleep regression hits, and, eventually, the 8 month old sleep regression. You may be up with the baby numerous times each night and then you no longer have the luxury of napping when the baby naps (if you ever did), unless your toddler is in pre-school or some type of “Mother’s Day Out” program. And, you simply can’t take an hour to get your baby to nap while your toddler is unattended. And, if you’ve ever tried to tell your toddler “Sshhh… be quiet while the baby falls asleep.” you know that is a difficult feat.

Some tips:

  • Begin a nap and bedtime routine early on to cue the baby to sleep. Involve your toddler in the routine by making him a helper in the routine.
  • Limit how long you work on a nap with your baby. If she’s not asleep in 20-30 minutes, get her up and try again 30 minutes later. Your toddler needs your attention, too.
  • Once your baby is around 6 months old, consider implementing a predictable nap schedule, try to be home for those naps, and avoid car rides before them for optimum sleep. A predictable routine/schedule will help give you one-on-one time with your toddler. Before then, plan to run errands, go to the park, or go on playdates in the afternoon, where your baby’s third or fourth nap will be in the car.
  • Teach your baby how to fall asleep, independently (easier said than done, I know!). I can’t tell you how nice it was to be able to say “nap time,” walk into my son’s room, put him in the crib, and then walk out and get back to my toddler. He was an “easier” sleeper, so if the boys had been born opposite order, I’m sure it would not have been that easy, so I’m thankful.
  • Work on overlapping at least one nap between your baby and toddler’s schedule. For example, your 6 month old baby may sleep at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m., so target your 18-month old’s nap to be 1 p.m. Or, target your 10 month old’s naps to be 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. so your toddler’s 1-3 p.m. nap has 1 1/2 hours overlapped. This will enable you to do chores or enjoy some downtime (you deserve it!). Or, if your baby is waking too early for that and you haven’t been able to fix that, consider waking your toddler earlier such that he can nap closer to 12 or 12:30 p.m., for example.
  • Although it’s common to try to combine bedtime routines, sometimes at these ages, it’s easier to put the baby to sleep, first, then your toddler later. Most babies this age need an early bedtime anyway and their interests are usually very different at this age, not to mention your toddler probably desires more uninterrupted time with you by this time of the day.

Balancing Sibling Schedules: Your Baby’s Schedule and Your Pre-schooler’s Schedule

The trickiest thing about having a pre-schooler and a baby is the fact that you need to keep your baby awake for the drive to/from drop-off. My recommendation is to work hard on getting your baby on a schedule that works for drop-off/pick-up. For example, if your baby is waking at 6 a.m. and can’t make it to 9 a.m. drop-off, work on shifting his schedule forward to wake closer to 7:30 a.m. This is a common problem, I know, but if your baby takes a 5 or 10-minute nap in the car and then awakens when you get home, it may be hard for him to go right back to sleep in his crib. Do recognize, though, that one of the baby’s “jobs” is to adapt to your family life and it may or may not be perfect for him or her. You can only do the best you can and you can’t keep a toddler cooped up in the house all day, either!

Your Toddler’s Schedule and Your Pre-schooler’s Schedule

Ideally, your toddler’s nap would not be later than 1 p.m. or so, but this can wreak havoc on a schedule in which you have to drop off or pick up your pre-schooler from school. In general, you’ll have to keep your toddler awake until after drop-off/pick-up and try not to let her snooze in the car (not even for 5 minutes) unless she is easily transferred to her bed for a full-length nap.

This is a common age to begin combining bedtime routines if you haven’t already. If my husband is home, we usually each take a child or task (for example, I might oversee putting on the pajamas and he brushes their teeth). Then, each of us reads to one and cuddles, and then switch. If one of us isn’t home (or isn’t available), together, we eat a snack, put on pajamas, brush teeth, and then we each choose one book to read, and then one waits while I cuddle with the other and then I cuddle with the other (I choose who depending on who needs to go to sleep first). I have found trying to cuddle with both at the same time leads to too much silliness. 🙂

One common issue in this age group, including school-age children, is that your pre-schooler or school-age child may not nap anymore, in which case, his bedtime most likely needs to be earlier and sometimes that means going to bed before his younger sibling. This can be difficult to accept for the older sibling. We are working through this right now, in fact.

One important thing I have learned since I’ve had two sons is that everything can’t be 100% “fair” all of the time. They are different people with different needs. You must make decisions based on what’s best for each of them. It will be impossible for everything to appear fair and, although I do try when it applies, I have stopped trying when it doesn’t make sense. Adjusting expectations and explaining why something is a certain way often helps. Also, listening to their frustration and empathizing helps them feel heard, which is important. It may not change the outcome, but at least they can feel good that you understand how they feel.

Need Help Balancing Sibling Schedules? Take A Look At Our Resources!

 
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Need help knowing where to start? Visit our Help Me Choose page for helping choosing the Baby Sleep Site® resources that are right for you.

 
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Next in our Sibling Series: Part 3: How to Maintain Twins and Multiples Sleep and Feeding Schedules.

Other parts in the series:
Sibling Series Part 1: Do You Have Another Baby After a Horrible Sleeper?
Sibling Series Part 3: How To Maintain Twins and Multiples Sleep and Feeding Schedules

What is your biggest challenge in juggling different sleep schedules?

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Sibling Series Part 1: Do You Have Another Baby After a Horrible Sleeper? https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/another-baby-after-horrible-sleeper/ https://www.babysleepsite.com/siblings/another-baby-after-horrible-sleeper/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:23 +0000 http://www.babysleepsite.com/?p=5652 “Should I have another baby?” is a question that spins through a lot of parent’s minds, but when your first is a horrible sleeper, it gives it a whole other meaning. Can you go through this again or, worse, what if the next child is an even worse sleeper? For some of you, that might […]

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have another baby“Should I have another baby?” is a question that spins through a lot of parent’s minds, but when your first is a horrible sleeper, it gives it a whole other meaning. Can you go through this again or, worse, what if the next child is an even worse sleeper? For some of you, that might not even seem possible. This article will be part 1 in a sibling series that will explore how you might make the decision to have another child or not and sleep tips for handling more than one child, multiples, or otherwise.

Beyond practical matters such as the cost of having a baby, there are a lot of emotional triggers in your decision to grow your family with another baby (or babies). I look around at some of these larger families and wonder how they can have 3, 4, even 5 children! My two boys run me fairly ragged. 🙂 But, as my eldest gets older and even more independent, I can definitely see that things are easier in many ways, and still hard in others.

Although I don’t know what drives your decision making, I will share tools that I used to decide to go ahead and have a second child (and I’m glad I did!) and why we stopped at two. Ha! Obviously, I can’t tell you the best decision for your family, but I will try to help you consider different aspects of it. 🙂

Weighing the Pros and Cons

As with any good decision, I weighed the pros and cons of having another baby. First, it’s never about quantity. The love you have for a baby, even if that is the only thing on the pro side (which it’s not) could outweigh a million cons.

In my case, it was not the sleep-deprivation that was my biggest con, but more so it was the experience surrounding sleep that made me pause about having a second child. Could I go through the first two years all over again? Could I take months to teach a new baby to sleep if it came to that, again? Could I go through all the frustrations, again? After all, it inspired a whole website about it! I could handle the temporary sleep loss of breastfeeding once or twice a night, but could I get up every two hours AGAIN and start all over? Not to mention, it probably could have been more bearable if my son was at least happy when he didn’t sleep enough, but he wasn’t! He was such a crabby pants without sleep that it made everything so much more stressful. Add in his intensity and persistence and he is a high-demanding little boy, even at 5 years old.

In the end, my pros: the light of my life, the smiles he did have, the laughing and giggling, the hugging, the breastfeeding bond, the nurturing, teaching him sign language, watching him grow, seeing him learn to read, etc., and cherishing all of the time we did have together NOT surrounding sleep was worth every minute of frustration I had trying to get this little boy to sleep!

Looking at the best-case scenario

As I was pondering the pros and cons of having another baby, I envisioned the best-case scenario:

My son was finally sleeping all night, most nights (still wasn’t perfect at this point, especially when the nightmares started) and I envisioned him only getting better. I envisioned having another baby who was a dream sleeper from the beginning and was one of the “easy” babies I’ve heard about. Ahhh… daydreaming can be fun, even if you know it will probably be a pipe dream. 🙂

Looking at the worst-case scenario

After seeing the best-case scenario in my head, I said to myself “But, what if…the new baby is a worse sleeper and my toddler’s sleep starts getting worse with a new baby here?” After all, I’ve helped plenty of people whose third child is the difficult one, for example, not the first. The worst-case scenario looked something like this:

  • Toddler goes to sleep at 8:30 p.m.
  • Baby wakes at 9 p.m.
  • Baby wakes at 11:30 p.m.
  • Toddler wakes at 12:30 a.m. with a nightmare
  • Baby wakes at 1 a.m. before you even make it back to bed
  • Baby wakes at 3:30 a.m. but doesn’t go back down until 4:30 a.m.
  • Toddler wakes at 5:30 a.m. for the day and then goes to wake up the baby

Now, repeat it every day for months. Yes, it can happen. What’s worse than getting up frequently with a baby? Getting up with two AT DIFFERENT TIMES! Exhausting. So, this brings me to an important piece that helped me get past the worst-case scenario:

Denial

Hey, what was the chance that would happen to me after I’ve worked so hard on my son’s sleep? 😀 I’ve learned so much, I wouldn’t live the worst-case scenario, right? And, how could the baby’s sleep be much worse than my first’s and I made it through that…eventually, right? (Actually, it could get a lot worse as I’ve now learned!) What is another two years? They are only this young once and, how sad, one day they won’t even need me as much and be off with their friends. I can make it through this!

And, so it was decided and I…

Hurried Up

Once we decided that another baby would be a great addition for our family, we hurried up to start trying. Sadly, we got pregnant very quickly, but lost the baby 🙁 but, thankfully, got pregnant fairly quickly again a couple months later. Boy, was I soooo glad that I was already pregnant when my toddler hit the peak of his Terrible Two’s. Wow! That’s all I can say as there are no words to describe the sometimes frustration of having a 2 1/2 year old (at least mine). Finally, things started getting soooo much easier around 3 1/2. Yep, a year later and after his baby brother was born.

So, how was #2 as a sleeper?

Well, you can read my sleep training story, but all in all, my second was a MUCH better sleeper than my first. Their temperaments are soooo different! They are both easy and hard in their different ways. My first is challenging in many ways, but he was never mischievous, potty trained easily, and his attention span is solid. The second is easier in many ways, but he’s a “tornado” (i.e. you walk through the house and he’s taken everything out and moved on in about 30 seconds), fairly mischievous though it’s unintentional, and potty training ended up being more challenging. My second was NOT a dream sleeper, but he was also not my worst-case scenario, either, and we never had to do much “sleep training.” He ended up being in the middle. Since he was not “as bad” as my first, I was probably not as rigid, either, ironically. He likely could have been a much better sleeper, if I pushed it more, interestingly enough. Having had his older brother first definitely made me a bit more “forgiving” in terms of what was a “problem” or not for us to work on.

How we knew to stop at two

All in all, I am very happy we went on to have another baby. I can’t imagine my life without either of my boys. I love being a mom, even if it’s sometimes frustrating and draining. But, we did end up stopping at two. I believe that all families know when they are “done” and we saw that time come and go. My husband is a wonderfully involved Dad and one of the best I’ve EVER seen, but he is not a “baby” person (does not like deciphering why they’re crying mostly) and we couldn’t see going through the baby years, again.

Frankly, we also thought very little on the financial impact of a baby, even though kids costs a LOT to raise, but, there were certain factors we did think about money such as traveling/vacations and we knew the bigger our family, the less we could take the family on trips to see the world, which is important to us. We also saw less we could give the kids (less time, less attention, less sports, less whatever), the more kids we had, too. Our family of four felt perfect…for us.

All families will, of course, have different things that are important to them and all families have different patience levels for kids. Until you have kids, it’s hard to envision just how MUCH time and attention they need and, depending on a lot of factors, this may make or break you as a family. Family pressures, work pressures, and marital issues all play into the whole of the family and your family’s happiness level, and should be considered when you make as an important decision as this one. I will say, having your first sleeping well is a must before you tackle the next!

Other parts in the series:

How do/did you know you should or shouldn’t have another child?

For those persistent nighttime struggles, check out The 3-Step System to Help Your Baby Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your baby sleep through the night. For those looking for a more customized solution for your unique situation with support along the way, please consider one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultations, where you will receive a Personalized Sleep Plan® you can feel good about!

The post Sibling Series Part 1: Do You Have Another Baby After a Horrible Sleeper? appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

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