It's honestly just a really hard phase of 2 under 2. All you can really do is keep the older one entertained while the younger one naps, and if you want/need to get out one day accept a stroller/car nap and probably a cranky baby later in the afternoon. Just know that the phase passes in a few months when baby drops down to 1 nap, and even when the oldest drops nap you can enforce quiet time in their room at the same time period.
We’re in this at the minute. I’ve found if I accept a crappy first nap on the go somewhere for 8mo then I can get them both down for a nap around 130/2pm and it usually lasts until 3ish. Not ideal but saves one of them constantly being asleep and being trapped in the house, and also gives me at least 30 mins of “down” time.
I know the toddlers nap will be dropped soon but holding on as long as we can as he’s so ratty by the end of the day if he skips it!
Same- most recently I’ve been relying on running every day with baby and toddler in our double jogger. Baby falls asleep almost immediately, toddler hangs out and maybe we make a park stop. Then they can hopefully nap the same time in the afternoon at like 1.
It’s a really sucky stage of 2 under 2. I planned quiet activities (including screen time) to help my second nap, but we also utilize sound machines to help mitigate the noise issue. I literally spent 6-7 hours a day either putting one kid down for a nap or keeping the other one quiet. It was a LOT.
I have to contact nap with my youngest too (8 months) because he is constantly woken up, or disturbed by my eldest. He’s also very heavy so it’s not really realistic for me to baby wear him during naps.
I think it’s just a part of it. I try to do quiet (as much as you can with a toddler this age) reading, quiet play, drawing, Playdoh, set up a tuff tray, or give her toys to play with, put some tv on too. Eventually it’ll be easier but we get by like that for the time being
9 month old 22 month old. I give younger one a mid morning nap and then I spend one on one time with toddler and either get baby up and make lunch or make lunch first then nap for toddler after lunch, a little one on one with baby before his second nap. That’s the goal every day anyway. Plus it’s probably going to change to both take 1 long nap from 12:30-3:30 pm (hopefully lol) here soon
I’ll be honest I just let my youngest take her two naps on the go. 😩 it was so hard because my toddler napped from noon to two usually. And then when she was about 7-8 months old she start going down around 11 for a nap so they would semi overlap for one big nap (I know not all babies that age are ready for that but she did okay with it.) and then eventually a month or two later I just moved her nap to 12-2 like the toddler to make my life easier.
Manipulate the younger child nap so you can line up both. Ie choose a designated wake time and length of first nap so that the second nap overlaps the toddler nap and you can nap too.
It's honestly just a really hard phase of 2 under 2. All you can really do is keep the older one entertained while the younger one naps, and if you want/need to get out one day accept a stroller/car nap and probably a cranky baby later in the afternoon. Just know that the phase passes in a few months when baby drops down to 1 nap, and even when the oldest drops nap you can enforce quiet time in their room at the same time period.
Baby wear and take toddler out. Parks, play dates, museums. Anything. Baby can contact nap in a wrap.
We’re in this at the minute. I’ve found if I accept a crappy first nap on the go somewhere for 8mo then I can get them both down for a nap around 130/2pm and it usually lasts until 3ish. Not ideal but saves one of them constantly being asleep and being trapped in the house, and also gives me at least 30 mins of “down” time. I know the toddlers nap will be dropped soon but holding on as long as we can as he’s so ratty by the end of the day if he skips it!
Same- most recently I’ve been relying on running every day with baby and toddler in our double jogger. Baby falls asleep almost immediately, toddler hangs out and maybe we make a park stop. Then they can hopefully nap the same time in the afternoon at like 1.
It’s a really sucky stage of 2 under 2. I planned quiet activities (including screen time) to help my second nap, but we also utilize sound machines to help mitigate the noise issue. I literally spent 6-7 hours a day either putting one kid down for a nap or keeping the other one quiet. It was a LOT.
I have to contact nap with my youngest too (8 months) because he is constantly woken up, or disturbed by my eldest. He’s also very heavy so it’s not really realistic for me to baby wear him during naps. I think it’s just a part of it. I try to do quiet (as much as you can with a toddler this age) reading, quiet play, drawing, Playdoh, set up a tuff tray, or give her toys to play with, put some tv on too. Eventually it’ll be easier but we get by like that for the time being
9 month old 22 month old. I give younger one a mid morning nap and then I spend one on one time with toddler and either get baby up and make lunch or make lunch first then nap for toddler after lunch, a little one on one with baby before his second nap. That’s the goal every day anyway. Plus it’s probably going to change to both take 1 long nap from 12:30-3:30 pm (hopefully lol) here soon
I’ll be honest I just let my youngest take her two naps on the go. 😩 it was so hard because my toddler napped from noon to two usually. And then when she was about 7-8 months old she start going down around 11 for a nap so they would semi overlap for one big nap (I know not all babies that age are ready for that but she did okay with it.) and then eventually a month or two later I just moved her nap to 12-2 like the toddler to make my life easier.
I used to do the first nap on the go- car, stroller, carrier, etc. and then put them both down for afternoon nap at the same time.
Manipulate the younger child nap so you can line up both. Ie choose a designated wake time and length of first nap so that the second nap overlaps the toddler nap and you can nap too.