Trapped toddler parents: support through winter and beyond

[squishymamma]

Following on from the previous thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4292353-Trapped-toddler-parents-Inspiration-and-support-needed-through-the-summer-hols

Not the most inventive name but apt I think...

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

Its the beyond part I am looking forward to - can’t wait until leaving the house doesnt involve half an hour of wrestling unwilling dcs into puddlesuits!
Hope you had an ok night @Motherofmonsters. Debating going to a garden centre today @Chocolatetrifle & thought of you not sure if it will be rammed today as its the school holidays!

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

Thanks for the new thread @squishymamma, hope DS stays well.

[manysummersago]

I saw your threads last year but had a baby … now he’s just turned one and just started to take a few tentative steps so classed as a toddler, I think.

I do struggle with what to do with him. He’s at nursery five days a week, which is a bit rubbish. At home he has loads of toys but he does get restless and clingy.

[Motherofmonsters]

Thanks for the new thread @squishymama, I'm assuming no baby yet. How are you feeling?

DD woke up for an hour at 2 and then woke at 7 so can't complain. Not sure if I can stand singing twinkle twinkle anymore though.


Welcome @manysummersago, I find it tricky around that age for things to do as they want to do things but don't quite grasp it. Maybe some water play or different textures in a box for them to rummage through

[Chocolatetrifle]

Oooooh the new thread thank you @squishymamma for sorting it.

Well, we went to the garden centre again this morning (obviously) but it was cut short as dS2 started crying and complaining about earache. He was inconsolable, then fell asleep on the way home and then he then woke screaming again. I've given him ibuprofen and hopefully he seems a bit better now. Our walk- in centre (which feels like my second home) just said they won't see him unless he gets discharge or a fever with it, so hopefully we can manage with ibuprofen and calpol.

@squishymamma , how is your DS? How are you feeling today?

@Lostthetastefordahlias, did you make it to the garden centre?

@Motherofmonsters, it sounds like you are doing really well with the night time change of routine. Hope tonight goes well too.

@manysummersago, hi and welcome, you are in the right place!

[MoreAloneTime]

Am I the only one who has contemplated burning the puddlesuit?

[HenrysHome]

Can I join please? Spending a lot of time freezing my butt off in parks with my outdoors obsessed puddle-suited 15m old!

[squishymamma]

I agree with the dislike of puddlesuits. I also dislike having to wrangle gloves onto my 22 month old who somehow always gets all the fingers muddled up but point blank refuses mittens

Hope you had a good time at the garden centre if you made it there @Lostthetastefordahlias.

Welcome to the new posters this will become your favourite thread, promise

@manysummersago I agree that is a hard age. My DS enjoyed "cleaning the floor" (and still does) so we do that together with me hoovering and him with a play mop. We also read a lot of books and played with stacking bricks etc.

@Chocolatetrifle what a day you're having! So many ear infections in your house, hope it's just a mild one that clears up fast and he can sleep tonight.

Still no baby here, had yet another sweep and she didn't sound very optimistic beginning to give up hope we'll be meeting him this side of Christmas. DS still has a fever, he's also complaining of toothache so we checked him (no easy feat because he kept biting us) and it seems he has a molar coming through. But his fever is a bit too high for it to be that so he must have some kind of illness despite being pretty much his usual self, just more tired.

So unsure of whether I should test him, since he literally just has a fever and the guidance here at least is to test with "respiratory symptoms"...what would you do?

[Plantsandpuddlesuits]

Hi all can I join in, I haven't been posting on previous threads but have been reading. As you can probably tell from my username we are quite outdoorsy anyway! I have a 3 year old who practically lives outside 🤣

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma, how high his is temperature? From experience, anything over 38 in this house usually indicates tonsillitis or ear infection. Is it coming down with ibuprofen/calpol? How many days now is it? Can you get him seen?

[Chocolatetrifle]

Welcome @Plantsandpuddlesuits and @HenrysHome.

My toddler won't even wear wellies never mind a puddlesuit!

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

Following…! So far we’ve been to a local farm,
Which sadly is now closing for winter, and ran around a shopping mall. Kids are 3&5

[Chocolatetrifle]

@OnceuponaRainbow18, welcome too, to introduce myself I have a just turned 4 year old and a just turned 2 year old, both boys, we've had lots of bugs, illnesses and infections since about September, one after another. I like inflicting arts and crafts onto my little darlings and I'm absolutely dreading any announcement of lockdown or limited household mixing again, I still have flashbacks of trying to get through last winter.

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

@Chocolatetrifle

Hope you’re all over the worse of the illnesses! Mine are at a forest school so touch wood slightly less bugs!!! Arts and crafts sounds fun- mine are both boys but they won’t rally engage in that sadly

[squishymamma]

@Chocolatetrifle hovering fairly persistently around the 39 mark. He hasn't touched his ears though and lies down no issue...this is the 3rd day now. Think I'll ring the drs tomorrow if there's no change, they'll have closed for the day now...

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma, he could have a bad throat? Can you see any white patches on tonsils?I've never experienced a teething fever here personally. Hopefully he'll be ok and sleep and settle ok.

[floatinginmyhomie]

Can I join please? I have a 20 month old DD and a 1 month old DS.

[AliceW89]

Can I join in please? 1.5 year old DS. We went to a different park on a bus today which he thought was just brilliant. On my days off, if we don’t have a group on, we go to the park, the garden centre, or (slightly embarrassingly) our local pub which has a big beer garden, cheap peas and chips for DS and good coffee for me! I meet my SIL at soft play quite often, will be sad if that is forced to close.

[squishymamma]

Welcome welcome @floatinginmyhomie and @AliceW89 pub is a fantastic idea, I'd never thought of that before. Some of the ones near my parents also have playareas...

Well DS slept really well last night and is still sleeping (it's 7.30am here) so I've just gone in to make sure he's still alive okay and he's sleeping quite happily. Didn't dare touch him though in case I woke him up so we'll see how the fever is when he finally wakes up.

Still no baby here (for those who are new I'm now almost a week overdue with DS2) so depending on DS it will be yet another day of pottering around, trying to find activities that require least effort from me. Might get out the Playdoh, it's been a while.

Hope everyone has a good day!

[Motherofmonsters]

We've been up since 5am and DD has mostly spent the time shrieking at me, her voice gets so shrill it goes right through me.

I wrapped a couple of presents and put them under the tree last night (for my mum and brother), DS came down and said rather sadly Santa came. I can imagine he was thinking all this fuss for one present. So I had to explain these were ones I bought for other people that we will swap on Christmas Eve as it's not just Santa who gives presents.

We're off to our usual gardens/farm place today so they can have a big run around with their cousins.


Play doh sounds like a good plan @squishymama. DD was 9 days late I remember it being a struggle at the end.

[Motherofmonsters]

I don't think this morning is going to end, how is it not 10 yet

[TallulahsCurse]

I'm out of the toddler stage now, but I hear you all - it's really tough, and it can be really isolating .... but it DOES get easier. I'm currently chilling with my school age DC and getting some of my work done, and my other is at nursery but when they're together they play nicely and I can get stuff done.
Hang on in there everyone !!

[Chocolatetrifle]

Hi everyone, oh@Motherofmonsters the dreaded 5 am get up, it's absolutely awful that. We made it to 5.50.

I had put a couple of presents under the tree (not for the DS's) but it was a mistake as DS1 tore one open when having a meltdown yesterday, so I've moved them now and won't put any out until Christmas. I shouldn't have put them there, even DS1 is too young to really understand totally.

This morning we've been to the garden centre, again, to meet my friend, where we got some reduced decorations for our real tree, which surprisingly is still standing.

I think DS1 is missing preschool, as he has been playing up so I've been refereeing again between the two.

I have however driven both around in the car and they've fallen asleep for a little nap so I can have some peace and eat a Lindor bunny.
Needs must as it's a long day.

@squishymamma How are you feeling today ? Os your DS better? My dS2 seems recovered from whatever was bothering him yesterday.

[squishymamma]

Tried Playdoh and he just threw it on the floor and led me back to the TV so guess what we've been doing literally all morning...

DS now down for a nap, doesn't seem to have a fever so fingers crossed he's getting better. Was very whiny so I think he's tired, but a long nap and a relatively early night should sort him.

Glad to hear your DS2 is feeling better @Chocolatetrifle. I have to smile every time you mention the garden centre, they should give you a VIP card at this point

@Motherofmonsters hope your day is going okay? Good to hear you'll be off to a place where they can run around and burn off some energy.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma I know, I am spending small fortunes in the garden centres at the moment on decorations and chocolate as DS1 is always pestering me for chocolate. Depending how I'm feeling I tend to give in at the moment- I'm such a bad mum .

Glad your DS seems a lot better, that's good news x