Storytime with 2 Children

I have a 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old. If my husband is not home, I will usually put the younger one down first and let my older one watch a cartoon while I read a book. Then, I read to the older one. Every once in a while, I read to them together and switch rooms for it. If my husband is home, we will usually switch back and forth who gets to read to each one. And, sometimes we even do a whole family read! I think it is nice for them to have the experience of each individual parent reading to them and putting them down. Then, they don't give either one of us trouble going to sleep.
It is a little difficult to have one on one time with 2 of them once the little one gets older so the story time would be a good time, but it is even easier if even just once a month or every other week you can really be alone on an outing or something just for an hour or two one on one.
You are going to love it!

I

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I was in a similiar situation. My 2 girls are 16 months apart. At first it was very hard for me to accept that there was another baby coming who might take up so much of my time and leave my 16 mo. old without any. It totally wasn't like that at all. It just all works out. I did read books to my 16 mo. old by myself (to still have that one on one time)or have my husband do it. As a fun "treat" we would include the baby. My 16 mo. old thought it was very cool when the little one joined us. Good Luck. When parenting 2 small children there is no right or wrong, do just what feels right. If it doesn't work, just change it up!

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J.,
We have a special routine with our 2 yr old as well. Now, unless I am feeding the baby, we take turns with the reading. Then we all sit together and sing praise songs. The one big thing we have changed is that we sing our 2 yr old his night night song then we repeat it for the little one. Softly with his name and then the boys tuck in.
There are a few things that we make sure it's just the two yr old. others we have started to bring the baby in.
One thing if I may. When you are at your birthing place after the birth. If your 2 yr old comes to visit I urge you to have the baby not in your arms. This way they are open for your older one. The other thing we have made sure other people do is to have them say hi to our first child before they make that bee line for the baby. It makes him feel important and loved.
I hope this helps.
Michelle

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I would play it by ear. If the baby is awake when you are doing story time, then include her, ecspecially if you plan to hold the same bedtime routine. If not, then just do story time with your oldest daughter. I always made time for my oldest daughter when the baby was sleeping. She also enjoyed helping take care of her little sister (even though she was only 18 months). She would do things like hand me diapers, wipes, diaper cream, etc. We didn't require her to do it - she just did (and sometimes baby didn't need to be changed yet). You'll find that a routine works out without really even thinking about it.

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J.; i would continue the bedtime routine, and incorporate the new child right along with it, and i would also have mommy and me time with the older one, keep the routine, with her, and make another time mommy and me time, otherwise, your future bedtime will be more like havock, when you have to read to each of them individually , i always tried to incorporate the new baby into our all ready routine, so others accepted them too, besides that little one inside of you has all ready sat in on your nightly readings and she is all ready acustomed to it, reaading to them even in the womb is very beneficial, so i would keep doing it with both children, maybe let her know now that baby is also listening to story, and when it comes out, it will get to be here with us, too, just have fun and enjoy life, if your daughter had a little freind over, and it was bedtime would you not include the freind in her bedtime ritual ? of course you would, how is it any different with a sibling, no one likes to be left out, and you will find that special something that you and her can do . in time, leaving them out also makes the older one feel like they dont have to accept the child , mommy dont, why should i , just keep doing what you are doing, you can do this, dont fret the little stuff and i understand the feeling of that second child and taking away from number one, dont look at it as taking away from but adding to, D. s

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First let me tell you congratulations! I have 2 children also, an 8 year old and a 2 year old and I read to them together with no problem, we actually make it a family reading and all cuddle up in my 8 year old bedroom and read together (me, my husband, son, and daughter). There are many other ways to spend one on one time together with your 2 year old so reading to them both at the same time is a nice way to spend quality time with both and you'll find that the older they get the more helpful it will be when the 2 year old is learning to read and may even help the baby when it's her time to learn. I would start out now by asking her if she would like to read to her sister now while she is still in the belly and then maybe once she is born help her hold her sister while you read to both of them.

You will have mommy & me time when the baby is sleeping, arts and crafts, something special that you do together now besides reading that she enjoys. Plus it will make for a less crazy bedtime when they are older.

I hope this helps. Congratulations once again!!

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Hi J.,

As a mon with 2 boys 26 months apart I suggest reading to one at a time. It gives them a special time alone with mom when they are young. My boys are 14 and 12 now, long after I stopped reading to them I still went in and spent those few minutes (10 or so) before bedtime and let me tell you that some of the best conversations come along during those few minutes. When kids are relaxed they have time to ponder on the day. Weather its a good day or a bad day. They like to share it at this time, Not when they come in from school, or while you are rushing around with dinner and chores ( cause they are usually busy with friends or screen time) Its bedtime all those thoughts come to life and conversation is best. Enjoy your little girls they do grow quick :) It seems like I was in your spot just a few years ago and now my baby will be graduating in 6 short years. God bless you.

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Your 2 yr old will adjust better than you think. That said, there is no reason you can't read to both. Babies love to be read to and it is soooo good for them. The 2 yr old will get plenty of 1 on 1 time while baby naps...that was one of my concerns too but I learned that I worried for nothing. After all, eventually you'll be reading to both, right?

~Good luck and congrats!
~L.

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Hey J.,

I too have two girls...two years apart. When #2 was born I would at first read to my eldest by herself unless I had to feed the baby or she was fussy.

Really it seemed like one on one time was more for me than my daughter! She enjoyed one on one time but when we brought her sister in to share a room or a story she didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she seemed to really like sharing the bedtime story.

Now that they are 3 and 5, they still share a room. What I like to do is have one pick a book and read the book on the other's bed. Then alternate each night. Or, you could pick a favorite spot to read and let each pick a book on different nights...or let them pick a book each and read both.

Don't fret, there will be plenty of moments alone with both your girls. I'm sure it will all work out.

Congrats on baby #2!

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J.,

It will be quite some time before your new baby is ready to sit for story time with you and your older daughter. My fondest memories of my two sons, who are also two years apart, is reading time at night before bed. I would have one on each side of me, leaning in close to look at the pages while I read. I can't imagine not having them both together during that special time. It is important to have some one on one time but that usually comes by chance when one goes somewhere with Daddy and you are left at home with the other. I have never tried to plan that kind of time, it would just happen and then you take advantage of it when it does. Things will fall into place for you when the second baby comes. You will probably have lots of one on one time with your daughter because the baby will most likely be in bed sooner and then you can spend that time with her. I think it is important though that both children see you are not partial by exluding one in an attempt to make personal time for the other. Children can really put you through your paces trying to see if you have a favorite! As soon as your youngest is ready to sit with you for story time, by all means include her (or him!)

Best wishes to you,
S.

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Good Morning J.!

In answer to your question, my vote would be to continue read to your daughter before bedtime with just you and her. She is going to have to share mom and dad a lot during the day.. this gives her that one time that says that she is still special, valued and loved by her parents.

I have 4 (10,7,5,and1) and have read to all of them before bed from a young age. It is wonderful how now the 2 older ones don't really need me (or want me!) to read with them anymore.... but they still want me to "tuck them in" and it is during this time where I learn so much about their lives, what they are struggling with and what they have questions about. For me it is the one time of day... that no matter how crazy the day has been... I make sure to have that time to connect with every single child.

Hope this helps! Congratulations on that new beautiful baby coming!
Peace,
B.

There are a lot of responses to this and I didnt read all so this might be a repeat. I think that story time with two kids will be the least of your worries!! I babysat 5 children at once and they all wanted me to read the story that they picked out...so, I would worry more about how much time its going to take! :)

Besides that, when your youngest is old enough to pick out stories, you can switch between the youngest and oldest picking one out every night. There should be less rivalry that way.

As a note, one-on-one mommy and daddy time is important no matter what. You and your husband can pick days of the week to do something special with each of your daughters and that should help make things a little easier as your oldest transitions from being an only child.

Hope this helps!

She probobly would just want some one on one time, but maybe try asking her if she would like to have her little sister come in and listen to what her older sister gets to listen to and read with mommy. She just might like the idea of showing off what she gets to do with mommy. But only once in a while.

my kids are 18 months apart..

when the baby was a baby..and taking lots of naps.. I would read to the older child whenever the baby was sleeping.. There was a while that the baby slept morning and late afternoon.. and so I had a chance to read to my older child before her midday nap..

At bedtime.. my husband reads tothe older child and read to the younger child.

It is hard to carve out one on one time with 2 very young children.. even if you are home all day every day... hdlrehho

No reason to stop now. It got harder for me when I had 3 and they began to go to bed at the same time, and had different reading interests. You won't have that problem for awhile. What I did was transitioned to my oldest reading to me and then to himself. He may have resented it, but there was never any sign of it.

Hello J. - definitely continue reading to your two-year-old by herself - it's her bedtime routine and I think you should keep that going - why should she share you at that time. ANd the new baby isn't going to want stories for a while anyway - then she'll have her own at bedtime when she does. Make your older one feel special as much as possible - and remember that she's still very little and don't expect her to become a big girl overnight - good luck - Alison

You have some great feedback. I think each child needs their own time with Mom. You need to find what works for you.

My two girls are 12 months apart and we have separate one on one time. The girls have their own rooms and slightly different bedtimes so I can read with one while the other is with Daddy. I spend a lot more time reading with my 2 1/2 year old than I do with my 1 1/2 year old but as she gets older, I know that will change. Good luck.