Our approach overall in raising out 2.5y/o and 6m/o boys is a consistent one I think, but we don't have a particular strategy thought out in advance. We go with

Our approach overall in raising out 2.5y/o and 6m/o boys is a consistent one I think, but we don't have a particular strategy thought out in advance. We go with the flow. We pick up on queues, to eg. start potty training when he shows interest in it. No use in forcing it before then. Our 6m/o still spends many nights sleeping between mom and dad. Getting him in and out of his own bed & room after breastfeeding is not so easy, so better have relaxed parents in the morning than tired ones. So, yes, very much now also coming out of the survival mode. Concerning technology, if anything, I have to keep technology (ie. my phone) away from myself to not use it on the side while playing with my kids. I feel terrible each time afterwards; the addiction is strong. But for our oldest, no iPad or something, unless very very occasionally on our lap to play some puzzle game. Our TV can do YouTube Kids, and he really likes to watch stuff with tractors or cranes etc. I hate that stuff since it just watching some kid play with tractors and it just goes on and on. If he has to watch TV to cool down after some intense playing (head or body), I'd rather put on Peppa Pig, Pat & Mat, Shaun the Sheep or Sesamestreet, anything that has at least a story and maybe some educational content to it. Not just mindless stuff.