Experts have noticed a growing trend of women parenting two toddlers under two years of age. It has emerged that over half of women at parenting centers plan pregnancies close together. This is actually a convenience because you can do potty training, diaper training, and sleep training all at once, and the children can play together. According to some parents, close sibling spacing reduces the time away from their career or paying for child care.
Would two kids under 2 be possible for me?
Of course, but you need to balance your mommy duties. Here’s how:
Give them equal attention!
Cheri Flake has two children, who are almost two years apart. Her firstborn is Owen, who was 20 months old when Violet came into this world. Flake shares that the first day that she was alone with them they woke up at the same time. She was so unnerved that she started crying. A sense of desperation welled up in her. It was then she questioned her mothering abilities. Eventually, she realized it was necessary to prioritize based on physical and emotional needs (in that order). If one child is crying because it’s hungry and the other because it’s just looking for attention, obviously the first should win. Likewise, if one is crying because it wants to be held and the other because it just fell down, the second one wins.
Juggle Their Naps!
To sync nap times, you could try moving all of the baby’s naps forward in 10-minute intervals every other day until they begin to coincide with the toddler’s. Put the younger child to bed first because it needs more sleep than the older one.