During your first pregnancy, you had the time and energy to prepare for your baby and time to rest when needed. However, now you are trying to overcome those pesky pregnancy symptoms while running after a toddler. Parenting during pregnancy can be exhausting, but there are steps you can take to ease those struggles.
Parenting During Pregnancy: How to Parent Other Kids When Pregnant?
Luckily, there is a way to parent other kids when pregnant with minimal effort. It will be more complex than your first pregnancy, but below are the steps to make it as easy as possible.
Ask for help.
The truth is you will need help to parent kids while pregnant. It is not easy. So, accept whatever help you can get. Even if you have everything ordered and planned, you should accept help to relax. Everyone needs help, pregnant or not.
Also, your kids need to be open to accepting things from other people. They should not be only attached to you, parents. This would help in a school environment.
They also need play dates because building relationships is significant for them. Let them go to their friends’ houses and spend time. This would be great for you to have free time.
Create a schedule.
By creating a daily routine, children grow up healthy and happy. Routines help children feel safe by knowing what to expect at every time. Sleep schedules are so important too. They will help you both get enough sleep, which you need when pregnant.
Routines would help you schedule time for yourself to do your favorite things. Also, your children need to learn how to self-soothe themselves to sleep, so do not carry them until they sleep. Rather, teach them that they need to rely on themselves to sleep. If you create a good routine, not only would bedtime be so easy, but the whole day would go by smoothly.
Spend time with your other children.
Spend time with your children every day. Trust me when I say this would build your relationship and decrease the number of problems that may arise each day. When you give positive attention to your child, they will not ask for negative attention.
Spending time with your children will also teach them they are worthy of your time. However, they still need time for independent play because they need a break, and it is essential not to rely on you for play.
Look for more accessible alternatives.
There are so many options for everything to make your life easier today. You can order out instead of cooking which is very exhausting.
They are also toddler classes where you could leave your child in an educational environment and finish your errands independently.
Moreover, you can take your children outdoors. Children tend to do better outdoors because they release a lot of energy when running and playing. Take them to a park, and let them play with whomever they want. You could go on morning walks with them, which is excellent exercise when pregnant.
Explain to your child you’re pregnant.
Your child should know you are pregnant. You should be the one who says it. Remember, telling them when you are unlikely to miscarry is essential. So, you do not need to tell them early on when you think you may be pregnant or have just found out. The second trimester is the best option.
Tell them that you will be responsible for a baby and that babies are demanding. Reassure them that you love them and will spend time with them. Read stories about siblings so problems won’t arise when the new baby comes.
It is usual for children to be jealous and become clingy to you. Just keep reassuring them that you love them.
Teach your children responsibility.
You are not always responsible for everything. Teach your kids from a very young age that everyone has responsibilities at home. Searching for age-appropriate house chores or teaching them how to clean is easy. Giving children confident, easy house choices can give them time to rest. Your children need to learn how to be independent and responsible.
Stack up on activities.
There are busy basket ideas for children all over the internet. Buy some baskets and fill them with activities or age-appropriate toys your children would like. Hide them; whenever you feel overwhelmed, take one out and give it to your children. This would keep them busy, and you could rest a bit.
Don’t look for perfection.
Let go of unimportant things. Don’t waste your time or energy on everything; letting go is sometimes your best choice. Ignore previous problems. You don’t always need to parent your child.
Also, don’t look for perfection. Your house doesn’t need to be spotless. Your child could watch some TV. Don’t follow every rule; trust your heart and live your best life.
Parenting During Pregnancy
Overall, parenting during pregnancy is difficult, but you could follow the steps above to help make it easier. Also, you may be very exhausted one day and the other fine. So, during the days of exhaustion, let others help you and find a more accessible option for everyday duties.
Halimeh Salem, the founder of the Crying Toddlers Blog, is a mom of two, Sama and Basem. She has dedicated her time to helping other women overcome the obstacles of pregnancy and motherhood.