This post brought to you by Stride Rite. The content and opinions expressed below are 100% my own.
Now that Isaac isn’t an only child anymore, I’ve been making a real conscious effort to remind him that even though life has changed so much, he is still loved SO much!
One of the ways we do this is by setting aside one on one time with him. Isaac and I have been going for walks after dinner. It’s the cutest – he skips and runs next to me while we talk about every little thing we pass. He now says after dinner, “Walk, Mommy? You and me?” It’s enough to totally melt me! I included more ideas for how to make your toddler feel loved in the newborn transition days at the bottom of this post!
I made a big deal of going on a “date” with him the other week to Target. He was beyond excited for “Target – just you and me.” Funny, it wasn’t always fun to shop with a toddler before, but now that it’s special time between the two of us, I really enjoy getting out with just Isaac!
We went to Target to try on some new sneakers for fall – did you know they have a new line by Stride Rite called Surprize?
I had Isaac pick out which shoes he wanted (PS – we do choices for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g lately! Great for toddler behaviors!) He chose the blue “Darion” sneakers:
He thought it was pretty fun to run down the aisles while he was trying out his new sneakers. I was just sitting there trying not to tear up – when did he get so BIG?!
I’ve talked about my love for Stride Rite shoes before, and I’ll do it again! They’re comfortable (they even have memory foam footbeds), they fit little feet very well, and they’re super durable.
We’ll be using these sneakers for our evening walks all throughout the fall!
Speaking of those walks, here’s how we make sure our toddler is feeling loved and apprecaited while there’s a newborn around:
1. Make 1:1 time a priority. Tell your child it’s time for “just you and me”. Pick something they’d love to do (and put away your phone!) and just love on them! This could be a walk around the block, a trip to Target, getting a special treat (ice cream?), or even reading books in a room removed from the baby.
2. Get them involved. Let them be a “big helper” (even when it’s not all that helpful). My son helps me with diaper changes, picking out outfits, reading to Nora, etc. Sure, it usually takes us a lot longer, but he feels really validated when he helps me, and loves being a big helper!
3. Show him how much the baby loves him. Our daughter smiles and coos at Isaac constantly, and I make sure to point it out every time. I say, “Look at how much she loves you! What a big smile! She loves watching you throw balls!” When he sees her smiling now, he says, “Nora love you!” It’s absolutely adorable!
While there’s many more things you can do with your toddler during those newborn days, these have been the top three for our family.
You may even take them for a trip to Target to get some fall sneakers like we did! 🙂 You can Shop Surprize by Stride Rite at Target or online. Check out Surprize for girls and Surprize for boys – they’re adorable!
Have any great tips for loving a toddler through those newborn days? Leave them in the comments!
Check out Stride Rite’s social media channels for more information about the Surprize line!
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