Best products for when you went from 1 child to 2?

[Anonymous]

Expecting my second in the spring and extremely excited, but a bit anxious at the thought of juggling 2. Our 1st will be 2 when baby comes. What products were helpful when you went from 1 to 2?
Expensive loungers or swings or worth it? All tips are much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Good carrier ( we like K’Tan for tiny babies, then the mini baby bjorn, then a traditional more supportive carrier as they become mobile.

Monitor with two cameras.

Good double stroller (with a similar age gap we went with the uppababy vista).

Beyond that we used the same stuff we used with the first kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good carrier ( we like K’Tan for tiny babies, then the mini baby bjorn, then a traditional more supportive carrier as they become mobile.

Monitor with two cameras.

Good double stroller (with a similar age gap we went with the uppababy vista).

Beyond that we used the same stuff we used with the first kid.

OP here. Thank you! We're researching a double stroller vs. wagon so glad to know it was good with a similar age gap!

[Anonymous]

Same age gap, loved the City Mini double.

Other than that, nothing.

[Anonymous]

This was unintentional but the most useful thing I did was ensure my 2yo was totally safe on everything at the playground without parent help/spotting by the time the baby was mobile. Such a relief to let her go play without trying to hover in two directions at once.

[Anonymous]

We had a 4 year age gap, so double stroller wasn’t necessary for us. I got a ton of use out of my baby K’Tan. 2nd DD was carried around far more often than our first DD was, and it was helpful to be able to have 2 free hands to do things with my 4yo.
A good backpack to use as a diaper bag - big enough for all of baby’s needs, plus room for snacks or whatever I ended up needing to carry around for older DD.

[Anonymous]

TV with Nick Jr.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to scare you, but I had this age gap (26 months) and it was rough. My toddler didn't have much of an opinion on the baby, seemed neutral to positive about him. But looking back it was clear the adjustment was HARD. I expected her to hate the baby or something obvious, but it wasn't like that.

Just try to remember that your 2 year old is still very very small. And is not capable of understanding or expression the tough emotions that come with adding a new sibling. I felt like my sweet toddler went off the rails into crazy toddler defiance about everything. Maybe she would have anyhow, I don't know.

So my advice would be, read No Bad Kids NOW. I wish I'd read it before my toddler lost her mind so that I could have helped her a bit more.

In the long run, this time feels short now bc mine are 6 and 8 and it's terrific. But oof those years of 2 little kids was hard.

[Anonymous]

Backpack diaper bag so you have both hands free.

[Anonymous]

Definitely a carrier if you don't have one. My first wanted nothing to do with it but thankfully my second loved it. We never needed a double stroller--DS1 used the stroller and DS2 was in the carrier. I think we rented a double stroller once or twice at the zoo but that's really it.

We also had a swing for our second, which was useful. We never had one for our oldest but there was always someone to hold/rock him so it didn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to scare you, but I had this age gap (26 months) and it was rough. My toddler didn't have much of an opinion on the baby, seemed neutral to positive about him. But looking back it was clear the adjustment was HARD. I expected her to hate the baby or something obvious, but it wasn't like that.

Just try to remember that your 2 year old is still very very small. And is not capable of understanding or expression the tough emotions that come with adding a new sibling. I felt like my sweet toddler went off the rails into crazy toddler defiance about everything. Maybe she would have anyhow, I don't know.

So my advice would be, read No Bad Kids NOW. I wish I'd read it before my toddler lost her mind so that I could have helped her a bit more.

In the long run, this time feels short now bc mine are 6 and 8 and it's terrific. But oof those years of 2 little kids was hard.

OP here. Thanks for all your suggestions and for this PP's reality check. I'll check out No Bad Kids but if there are other books worth reading for managing the transition (or children's books to introduce the idea of a sibling) that would be great.

[Anonymous]

Push trike for the older kid plus carrier for the younger. When they are a little older, hiking backpack for the younger!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Backpack diaper bag so you have both hands free.

This! And a good carrier for the baby - much easier to keep with the single stroller and carrier (while you can) before bumping up to a double stroller/sit & stand when the baby is more mobile.

[Anonymous]

Mine are also 26m apart - 2 months and about 2.5.

I purchased the Stokke Trip Trapp and Babyset for our newborn. Being able to plop her down in that, at table level with her sibling, has been really helpful. All other baby holders tend to be floor level (Dock a Tot, Mamaroo, Baby Bjorn bouncer), which I find less helpful.

[Anonymous]

Alllll the carriers buy them all (up to what your budget will allow).
Things that your 2YO can do by themselves for 5 min… color wonder markers, kinetic sand, anything. Keep them put away and pull them out when you really them.

A playgroup or mom’s morning out or something for your oldest.

The petal bathtub folding thing that goes in a sink. Wash baby while older child is in the bathtub. Ymmv