Anonymous wrote:Ok I am a sahm with a 5, 2 1/2, and 1 year old and I don’t know how to entertain the 2 1/2 year old when I’m putting the baby to sleep so she watches more tv than I would like. Also, she no longer naps and gets really cranky around 2:30 so an episode then helps me maintain sanity or make a phone call. How do you nannys keep the other children entertained when you are potty training or engaging with just one?!

Half an hour a day is okay, don't worry about it, you have your hands full. If she watches more than that, start instituting a rule that the only TV time is after lunch (or whatever). Take her in the room with you when you put the baby down and let her play something that she doesn't normally get to play with, or ever get a couple of new quiet toys just for this time. One of my charges was mad for stickers. If you go with stickers, make sure they're easy to peel off - nothing worse than the baby almost asleep and the older one wailing because she can't get it off! Call it Quiet Time because she baby is going down and ask her if she can help you with some things - close the curtains, sing the baby a lullaby; let those be her jobs. She will hopefully feel included and with the help of her special toys will be able to stay quiet for however long it takes you to put the baby down.

Just generally try to include her more when you have to do things with the baby - ask her to bring you the diaper, hand you a towel when you're bathing (but also be prepared in case she's not feeling like it). One of my charges got to be really indispensable to me during bath time - the bathroom was weirdly shaped and it was hard to get everything in place, so she was amazing about handing me things and entertaining the baby. In another family I had a 6yo, 4yo and a 1yo - when I was cooking dinner it was the older ones' job to entertain the baby, so if your older child is around during some of the time you need help with, 5 is old enough to do a little help - and it's already possible to reason with a 5yo that this is the time of day he's got a job to help you keep the 2yo out of your way, even offering some incentives if that helps.

Having a 2,5yo and a 1yo is a tough job and it's going to get easier, just hang in there. In the worst case scenario, if you give them all enough attention and have quality time during the day otherwise, even two hours of TV a day won't turn them into serial killers. Hopefully.

TV is okay.

Just tell the kid No sometimes. Easy peasy. It's all about moderation.

Thank you for the tips! I would like to eliminate tv for the 2.5 year old as I feel that it’s not good for her but it has unfortunately become our routine! Any more tips are welcomed. You are all amazing nannys!

Anonymous wrote:Ok I am a sahm with a 5, 2 1/2, and 1 year old and I don’t know how to entertain the 2 1/2 year old when I’m putting the baby to sleep so she watches more tv than I would like. Also, she no longer naps and gets really cranky around 2:30 so an episode then helps me maintain sanity or make a phone call. How do you nannys keep the other children entertained when you are potty training or engaging with just one?!

As a nanny, I agree that if TV has never been an option - the children never ask for it. I take the 2.5 yr old in with me to help with the baby when I need to change, feed or put the baby down for her naps. My older two charges are in school, generally, during the day but in the afternoons or when they are home, their responsibility is to engage the 2.5 year old for just those few minutes. We have quiet time in the afternoon where my 2.5 year old charge has to rest if not sleep, which also gives me time with the newborn. I set up the schedules based on what we need to do when.

My 2.5 year old was potty trained when she was 22 months so potty is not an issue. And she does either nap or rest as I just insisted on it.

The 2.5 year old has easy books and life-the-flap books in the baby's room as well as a few toys that she only gets to play with when she is in there with me and I am dealing with the baby's needs. We do "circle time" where I include the baby for the baby's stimulation.

Honestly, nothing ever works perfectly on a daily basis but I am strict about rules and schedules - I have to be as the nanny to four!

When I had two-year-old twins and an infant, I would set them up with an activity, start a playlist of children’s audiobooks that we recorded together, and close the gate on the door of their baby proofed room.

I also cut down on the amount of time it took to put the baby to bed. We did her bottle downstairs, burped her on the walk up the stairs, and it was only a three minute bedtime routine which consisted of singing her special lullaby while changing her diaper and getting her sleep sack on.

As for naptime, even when my kids think they are done with naptime, we still do mandatory quiet time each day in their bed with a limited supply of toys.

TV is a cop out. If you take that option off the table for you, then you will find a way to make it work. It is fine if eliminating TV is not your priority right now, but I just roll my eyes at people who claim that there’s no way to live without it with small children. It feels essential because you always have it as an option.

Anonymous wrote:Ok I am a sahm with a 5, 2 1/2, and 1 year old and I don’t know how to entertain the 2 1/2 year old when I’m putting the baby to sleep so she watches more tv than I would like. Also, she no longer naps and gets really cranky around 2:30 so an episode then helps me maintain sanity or make a phone call. How do you nannys keep the other children entertained when you are potty training or engaging with just one?!

TV was never offered as an option. My 2.5 yr old charge doesn't think I know how to turn the TV on so when dealing with the newborn, she comes with me and sits and reads her books or plays. I always start potty training at 20 months and my charges are all trained well before two - and again, TV was simply never and option. My charge likes me to sit with her when she has to poop so we sit and talk. The new born comes with me everywhere!

Ok I am a sahm with a 5, 2 1/2, and 1 year old and I don’t know how to entertain the 2 1/2 year old when I’m putting the baby to sleep so she watches more tv than I would like. Also, she no longer naps and gets really cranky around 2:30 so an episode then helps me maintain sanity or make a phone call. How do you nannys keep the other children entertained when you are potty training or engaging with just one?!