How to survive 2 under 2…….As I am writing this, I have to dig very deep in my memories. Right now, it marks more than 6 months that I am a mom of three. My two oldest are 5 and 3 years old, and my youngest is 6 months.

In this blog post, I am going to share how to survive 2 under 2 with my 5 must do’s.

If you told me 10 years ago that I would be 35 and that I would be a mother of three, I would have laughed at you. As much as I have always adored children, I did not think I was fortunate enough to have them, and I sure like hell didn’t see myself with a life partner. But that might be a story for another time.

I found out I was pregnant with baby number 2 when my daughter was 10 months old. I actually had no idea that I was pregnant, but my stepmom looked at me and asked me if I was expecting?

Yes, I did notice some changes in my body; I faded during an event (I thought that was because of exhaustion) I was tired (again I thought I was exhausted).

I started a new fulltime job that I really adored when my daughter was just 3 months old. I was still nursing her, which meant pumping during my workhours. And I really had to navigate the whole new mom/working mom thing.

My husband and I knew we wanted to try for another baby together when the time was right. We both grew up with siblings, and we both loved that idea for our daughter.

Never in our wildest dreams, we thought that we would be expecting so soon after our first child together.

When the Clearblue pregnancy test came out positive, I went through all kinds of emotions, and to be honest, I felt so overwhelmed I cried.

I had no idea how I would survive 2 under 2, and it made me feel very overwhelmed.

I was taking a tough course at that time, I was trying to prove myself on the work floor (I mean I just started that job) and my previous pregnancy was not the easiest one. But even going through all these emotions, I knew one thing for sure this baby was more than welcome and was already very loved.

I had severe SPD (symphysis pubis dysfunction) during my second pregnancy, which resulted in me having to take very early maternity leave.

Having SPD with a just 1-year-old who only started to walk at 15 months was not easy. My daughter was so young she could not understand that I could not carry her.

During my pregnancy, we also found out that my mother in law had terminal cancer. I had the sweetest mother in law, and she fought so hard because she was so determined to meet her second grandson. My family was going through an intense rollercoaster at that time, and never have I experienced joy and grief so close to each other.

Our first son was born at home within an hour. So yes, I had a hard pregnancy, but my delivery was so relaxed and calm at home in my own bedroom with my husband, doula, and midwife. While this is not very common in the Americas in the Netherlands, it is not uncommon to have a home birth.

I recovered quite quickly from my SPD after giving birth. It was an emotional time because my mother in law really waited for the delivery of our son and passed away 2 weeks later. Physically I was okay, but emotionally it was tough, and I had no idea how I would survive the 2 under 2 while I also had to deal with some curveballs in life.

Going from 1 to 2 children and both under 2 years old while needed to be back at work within 4 months was not easy, but it is not impossible when you arrange a few things.

I will share with you how to survive 2 under 2, and my 5 must do’s:

1. Plan your weekly meals

This is by far the best thing to do, especially when you work. Plan your meals for the whole week, and if you do groceries during the weekend, try to go when the store opens early in the morning and not with your entire family, just one adult. Seriously my grocery runs were my Zen moments. If you have a chance, do prepare some meals during the weekend. Prepare meals that freeze in very well like a Bolognese sauce for your pasta, or marinate your meat. Cut your vegetables or buy the ones that are already cut. If your baby is already eating and you want to make the food yourself, prepare all the baby food and make small portions and freeze it in. When freezing food and meals, do not forget to write down the date of preparing the meal and what it is. A quick google search, and you know what the livability is of certain types of food.

2. Put all the outfits and other things you need in the morning ready the night before.

And with that, I really mean everything of an outfit, even the socks, and shoes.

I nursed all my children, so when we would wake up, my husband would get the oldest child ready. I would make sure that when the kids were up, I was already showered.

My standard outfit was 9 out of 10, a dress! I would literally put that on 5 minutes before leaving the house because I did not want my baby throwing up all over me when feeding him. All these things will save you time and stress in the morning.

3. Make time for your better half

Date nights – I know this is a thing in Canada and the US, but this is not really a thing where I am from.
So my dear ladies and gentlemen never stop dating your partner. It is crucial, and especially when you are becoming parents, and your previous lives have drastically changed.

I admire couples who make this a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly priority. You both need a breather from your children sometimes. Right now, with social distancing and all, it might be more challenging. But even in these times maybe you should have a date night inside your house when the kids are in bed.

If your children are like mine and they are terrible sleepers and bedtime is drama, it might be a bit tougher to get this done.

4. Involve your firstborn

Maybe I should have put this at the top. But the moment you are expecting and you are ready to share the news, involve your first child in your pregnancy. Tell them about the brother/sister they are expecting. If you do this, it might make things easier when the little one arrives.

Not every child will become jealous; some are pretty okay with getting a new sibling, but I can tell you this my daughter, who is the sweetest for her little brother(s), had a tough first week.

Luckily while being pregnant, I got the best advice from my father’s oldest sister, who has 4 children, including twins. She told me to involve my daughter in everything in feeding the baby, to ask her to help to change the diapers (even as pretend play), to ask her for help when picking clothes. And boy, she was right; it really helped. Thank you, aunt Lucille, for the best advice ever.

5. Have one – on – one time with your child

It is essential to have one-on-one time with each child. They love it. Especially when everything changes when a new baby arrives. Now that they are older, my children know that sometimes it is mama or papa time alone with them.

These were my 5 must do’s in how to survive 2 under 2. I am by no means an expert, and everyone has their own way and methods of raising their children.

Being a parent means learning every day, and every child comes with their own character and therefore own challenges. But I do hope that any of these tips will work for you.

Please share in the comments what has worked for your family if it is not in my 5 tips.

Thank you for reading!