DING
your new baby when you have By Pinky McKay
Pinky's top tips for including your toddler at feeding times
I
magine that your partner has just brought home a new lover and announced that you are all going to live together. It will be fun! You will be best friends! After hearing that your partner loves you and his new lover equally, you are asked to share all your things with this intruder. It also turns out that you won’t be getting as much attention as you used to because the new lover is a bit upset about something. Anyway, you are such a clever person, you can do lots of things by yourself now. Oh, and by the way, you must be gentle with the new lover! Wouldn’t go down too well, would it?
Consider, this could be just how your toddler might feel when you introduce him to a new sibling. Is it any wonder then, that he shows his feelings by becoming clingy or demanding, when you are spending so much time feeding and helping your new baby settle into life on the ‘outside’. Managing feeding times can be especially difficult because it takes so much time in the early days, so here are some tips to make it easier:
Feeding station
Set up a corner for feeding times, with special things to occupy your toddler: snacks, drinks, storybooks, a scrapbook and crayons or a big cardboard box and crayons – your child can hop in the box and colour the ‘walls’. Crayons are a better tactile experience for littlies than textas and they are far less messy (simply remove any crayon marks on walls by wiping with cooking oil or a ‘magic eraser’). Alternatively, a CD or MP3 player with your toddler’s favourite songs.
A boobie box
Pack a box of special things to play with at feed times only (rotate toys/activities). The boobie box goes away when feeds are finished.
Little packages or busy bags
Make up some ‘busy bags’ (great ideas here) to bring out when you need time to care for your baby – put a small ‘surprise’ in paper lunch bags –stickers, a snack pak, matchbox car or simple activities. Give these to your toddler before you have a ‘reaction’ so he feels included, not ‘rewarded’ for meltdowns.
Sit on the floor
Sit with your toddler on the floor or big bed and draw in a large sketch pad or read stories while you feed. This can be a nice snuggly time for everyone. 94
Peninsula Kids – Spring 2019