"It can be a juggling act trying to navigate how to handle a toddler and a newborn in the same space. Both age ranges need different stimulation. I also can’t fail to mention how a mobile toddler sets the tone of how engaged I have to be with one child or the other in a lot of situations. “Hold my ‘cold’ coffee” has become my mothering mantra most days. But along with the juggling act, I’ve found mom hacks have become a way of life, especially with multiple kids in the mix.
While figuring out how to ‘divide’ time was a struggle I initially encountered, my favorite mom hacks are ones that ‘share’ time. When the mom hack involves some sort of sibling connection with an older child and second child, it’s a bonus and a win-win for me and the kids. A recent hack I came across on Instagram comes from Leah Turk (@theptparent), a mom and a pediatric physical therapist. Turk’s caption mentions that when she was expecting her second child, she worried about being able to make each of her kids feel “special and connected.” Her adorable viral video does just that. According to Turk, it can help your older child bond with their newborn sibling. The viral hack has been viewed over 900K times, garnered over 21k likes, and has been shared over 25k times. If you currently have a toddler or older child and a newborn at home, make sure to save it like I did.
The Viral Sibling Bonding Activity
Turk’s viral mom hack is so easy that I’ve had my toddler and newborn do this every morning since I encountered it. One Instagram user, @1_rubina, agrees, “This is the first time a post says easy activity and it is actually easy lol.”
The video shows Turk’s baby looking at a DIY black-and-white, high-contrast photo during a tummy time session. The DIY artist?—her cute toddler. Her toddler is then seen with a black, washable marker in hand doodling across multiple sheets of paper. Turk instructs to “have your toddler make contrast cards for baby to look at” during tummy time. If you want to do this, too, the supply list consists of things you already have in your home: white paper and black markers, crayons, paint, etc. Once your toddler is done with their artwork, they get to present their oh-so-cute masterpiece to their little sibling. How adorable is it that your toddler is contributing to your newborn’s brain development?
Parents are trying the sibling bonding hack with their newborns
I’m not the only mom who thinks this hack is genius. Instagram user @rell_ja commented, “Love this! Instead of buying cards, just create 🙌.” My toddler loves to draw, and he also likes to help me when it comes to his little brother from time to time. Seeing my toddler’s face light up when my baby responds with “coos” and smiles to his drawings not only warms my heart, but it warms his, too. Turk also posted, “Charlotte [her toddler] watched this yesterday with me and said ‘She likes it!’ When Willow was looking at the card she made in the video 🥹 and she wanted to make Willow another picture 😂💗.”
Why High-Contrast Cards are Beneficial for Newborns
Newborn snuggles were my all-time favorite way to pass time during the long newborn days, but my son’s pediatrician also advised me to do playtime activities with him during his wake times, too. My first thought was, “How do you ‘play’ with a newborn?”
One way to have your newborn ‘play’ is by having them look at high-contrast images. Turk already showed us how to do this in her own video, but why the black-and-white drawings? The reason for this is that newborns can’t actually see any color until they’re about 4 or 5 months old. Most of what they see is blurry. Those high-contrast, black and white baby toys you asked for on your baby registry allow them to see those images as clearly as they can. Exposing them to high-contrast images increases visual and brain development.
Other Playtime Activities to do With Your Newborn
Tummy time
Showing your baby black-and-white images isn’t the only way to help them reach their developmental milestones. Tummy time is an activity that “helps babies develop the muscles in their back, neck, and trunk” so they can hold up their body and head on their own. Pathways advises to space tummy time sessions throughout the day, “adding up to an hour.”
Talk to your baby
Your baby can’t quite talk yet, but you may find them cooing or babbling. Help Me Grow MN says talking to your baby “promotes communication and language development.”
Baby massages
One way I love to calm my own baby is with baby massages. Baby massages can help your baby sleep, feel calmer, digest food better, and reduce symptoms of colic. Consult your health provider for proper ways to perform them.
Sing and play music
Have you ever wondered why your baby sleeps to soothing lullabies? According to Dr. Renee A. Alli, music helps babies “connect, communicate, move, relax, coordinate, and feel pleasure.” I mean, I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t fall asleep to my baby’s lullaby playlist.
Sometimes, my toddler’s drawings are a bunch of lines and squiggles, but this morning’s masterpiece might be my favorite. My toddler is a big Blue’s Clues fan. He told me it was Blue, Josh, and Magenta. I might just make all these drawings into a board book to pass on. When they’re older, I’ll have proof they had a cute sibling bond connection.
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.