Putting Kids Down With An Awake Infant

[blueclouds29]

I have been watching a 3 month old baby for about 4 weeks now and i'm due in May.
How do you guys handle putting kids down to sleep with the tiny ones awake. I have been sitting with them to rub their backs and make sure they don't get up. How am i going to do it with 2 infants??? AHHHHhhhhh
just the thought makes me scared they'll never go to sleep with the tiny ones cooing/crying/playing. LOL

[Lucy]

I'm assuming you are required to be in the room with them while they sleep? In other words, you have to have them in your line of vision at all times? So they are probably sleeping in your DC room, right?

I'm wondering if it would help to have a radio, or even white noise machine, that you could put near them, or in the middle of the bunch of them. That way they would have a noise constantly going, and possibly the baby making noise wouldn't bother them as much.

Just a thought

I am able to sleep mine in bedrooms, but I do put on a soft radio as well as a fan blowing away from them. The "noise" helps them not to hear the school-agers. (If they are here)

[Heidi]

Mine are in pnp's until they are old enough to be trusted on a mat...not even a thought until I have to when they are too big or potty trained.

I'm not really a back rubber myself. A little quick soothe, sure, but I'd sooner jump of a bridge than spend my quiet time rubbing a back. Not picking on you at all, but it's not my thing.

When they are awake, lot of hugs and laptime. But bedtime (or nap time) is nap time, and I don't mess around...I'm a BIG meanie!

[Zoe]

Mine are in pnp's until they are old enough to be trusted on a mat...not even a thought until I have to when they are too big or potty trained.

I'm not really a back rubber myself. A little quick soothe, sure, but I'd sooner jump of a bridge than spend my quiet time rubbing a back. Not picking on you at all, but it's not my thing.

When they are awake, lot of hugs and laptime. But bedtime (or nap time) is nap time, and I don't mess around...I'm a BIG meanie!

Oh you're not alone in that one. I don't do long drawn-out soothing either. Guess I'm a meanie too!

[Sunchimes]

I don't do the back rub either, for more than a few seconds. I tried it because I heard the rest of you did it, but honestly, it seemed to stir them up more. "Oh look, Sunni is giving me her undivided attention. I don't want to waste this, so I'm going to jabber at smile and try to stand up to visit with her."

Down, a pat or two and a "Go to sleep, sweetheart", and I'm done.

[SunshineMama]

I read everyone a story with the baby, and then put the baby in a safe place with toys while I lay the kiddos down. (Pack and play, exer saucer, play activity gym). I have not had any issues to this day with it; I found that if you explain to the kids what is going on and what has to happen they all understand and go down for a nap easily.

On the flip side, when the baby is sleeping, all of the other kids use their quiet voices and make a game out of being quiet for the sleeping baby. My other kids were all older though, 18 months and up, that wouldnt work for younger ones.

[blueclouds29]

I should have said, i only have 4 or 5 other kids beside the infants. The kids between 1 and 2 years old. I have a very small ranch house, no matter what room i'm in, i can hear them. I only rub 2 back of the younger ones, but yes would love to not do it at all. One is a very active child and would not lay still if i'm not there next to him.
For now I just have the baby in a bouce seat in front of me or laying on a mat between the two kids i sit next to.

[Crazy8]

I don't do back rubbing at all either.... I start babies out sleeping in pack n' plays in the bedrooms, then when they are on the one nap a day like the bigger kids they move to the play room - still in the pack n' play - I keep them there until I feel they are capable of sleeping on the mat without much issue - usually around 2 years old. From being in the pnp in the playroom they know the routine - they see the others sleeping on mats and it has never been a problem. Sometimes have to tell them once or twice to go to sleep or no getting up to play, etc. but it never lasts beyond the first 2-3 days of napping on the mats.

So, my awake babies can just hang out in a bouncy seat or exersaucer for a few minutes while I get the kids down. Then I bring baby in the other room with me and he/she gets my undivided attention for a while until their nap. I love it this way - I like a little quiet baby time.

[cheerfuldom]

yikes, thats a lot of younger ones and I know how hard it is to organize nap times with so many young ones in a small house (used to do it myself). So, is there any way you can put some of the kids in other rooms in pack n plays?

[blueclouds29]

The kids are fine once they fall asleep. I have no trouble with them falling asleep (as of yet). Just as the baby gets older and my baby get here it might become an issue. My younger ones on the mat will be 2 this summer. So i think they'll be too old to go back into a PNP. But yes, the baby can hangout in the exersaucer/ bouncy seat till i can take them into another room.

[e.j.]

I keep the older ones running and busy all morning. By the time nap time comes, they're so tired, they fall asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows. This past week, I've had two 8 month olds up and playing in play yards right next to the older kids and it hasn't been an issue at all. They watch the babies until they nod off.