What to do about toddler sleep when you have an older child or other children who need your attention?

The days and evenings are easiest if you simply expect your toddler to fit in around ordinary daily life with an older sibling or siblings.

The toddler's naps occur on the go during the day, as you meet your older child or children's needs (doing kindy or school drop-offs or taking the older child to music class or soccer practice or play dates or birthday parties), and then plan days you will enjoy as you parent, rich in social connection, walks, and meaningful tasks outside the home.

This means that your toddler is immersed in rich and diverse sensory motor experiences almost by accident as she fits in with your family's life. Sleep looks after itself, especially if you add in your other toddler-sleep superpower of milk, if you're breastfeeding. If you're not breastfeeding, you might still be using the bottle, though this will depend on your toddler's age. You can find out about when it might be time to stop bottle use here.

You could say this is taking off the sleep lens, and putting on the sensory lens. It's an important way to grow joy in early life, even when your hands are already full with an older child or children and you have a little toddler busily running around by your side.