help!! new bub in the house

need some tips with managing 2 toddlers that have begun severely playing up since we bought baby home.

bub is now 2 weeks old and my just turned 3yr DD and 20month DS have decided that they want to kill eachother and destroy the house, and like to make meal times a nightmare, they normally get along quite well (as far as 2 kids go) and generally arnt destructive..just the normal 'mess' that happy kids make around the house, and they both eat well most of the time.

thankfully theyre not taking anything out on the baby and are showing a genuine interest in their little brother and even get up me if im not quick enough to respond to him crying! lol but yet theyre behaving like little ferals and its doing my head in sad

Hi, I have a few ideas, I’ll just list them.

• If mealtimes are an issue, get them involved? I know it is hard with a new baby but perhaps allow them to choose from a few options what to eat that night/day, and plan meals before you go shopping so they can be involved that way too. Let them set the table, choose their own plate and cutlery etc
• Make a simple chart for planning what you will do each day. Eg a piece of paper with “What are we doing today?” written on it. Then a heap of cut out bits of paper with blu-tac that say “reading”, “going to the park”, “going shopping”, “cooking” etc. Even really simple home activities like playing on their own could be added. You could also add the weather, what you are having for dinner etc.
• Set up a routine for the problem times? Eg if it happens at a certain time every day, make some playdough and they can do that each day at the same time? Or drawing or quiet time or DVD time?

I’m sure that a new and calm routine will develop soon so hoping this doesn’t last smile