Is it in anyway possible to have a nice day with a toddler?

Thanks for this! Sounds just like my 2.5y boy.
Everything starts off well until his cereal is in the wrong bowl, water in the wrong cup, I missed a seed in watermelon, I've dared to put butter on toast before honey, won't let him eat raw potatoes, I could go on!

It's hard. Just remind yourself how cute she is and don't take her too seriously. Give her lots of cuddles but not necessarily what she wants when she wants it.

@AliceAbsolum I wish I had learned more about their development when mine where younger I found out much more about it when they passed that stage.
I think it would have helped me cope more, understanding that what seams like chaos has some method. And how to expand it.
Also I saw an incredible clip on fb once of I think a Chinese granny with young child doing loads of really simple but effective fun things that support development. I wished I'd seen it when mine young

Hello OP, every child is different and would be different at that age too, so some are more challenging than others. I would say, being outside is much better then staying in, and if you are indoors do get her to do things on her own, rather then you doing it. It will be easier for you, and she will feel better as well. I know this will not help you right now, but my mom used to say, she was happiest when she could hold my hand and I did not understand it until my kids became teenagers. 😔

No matter how hard this phase is, try to cherish and enjoy it as much as you can. You can still dress and feed her, take her to the park and make her happy with simplest things, like a treat or some TV time, and you are still her world and she wants to spend time with you. You can sleep and cuddle with her, you can care for her and protect her. These are the things you should try to enjoy. This will be over before you know it. Hugs.❤️

Oh she has potty trained young! Do you have any tips? I want to start training mine soon but dreading it with 2 of them lol! My older ones I trained at around 3.
Does she still wear nappies at night time?

Nope it's rubbish. I enjoy moments very fleeting moments the cuddles kisses and wonder in their face. But whole days together are hard work. My 7 and 10 year old whilst still can be hard are so much more fun than my toddler !

I die a little over the long 6 weeks summer break that's a really hard slog for me. We are all different. Parenting in different circumstances. I try to focus on making life as easy as possible (within reason still keeping to bedtimes and relatively healthy food etc ) and add in what I can do to make it more enjoyable for me. Pop a podcast on when they are busy playing, and accomplish small tasks that make me happy. Dance to music. Laugh as much as I can through the madness of it, deep breath through the rest of it.

You're not a awful parent to not enjoy it. I don't think we were ever suppose to parent this way in such isolation. I take every day managed a genuine achievement because it's so relentlessly hard.

This makes me a bit sad. She tips her toys out - so what? Yoghurt down her front - standard. Only a fool gets a toddler dressed before breakfast. Days out with two year olds are great. They love everything. And if they hate it, then five minutes later they love it.

Have to admit my normally lovely DD has whinged throughout today. Got a blessed relief from it in naptime

My fave thing today was our 1.5h nap.

Have the people ordering the OP to the park noticed she took the child to nursery? She’s probably at work!

@AliceAbsolum it is tough going. Like a PP, I found my DS hard hard hard at 2. He woke at 5, which I loathed and I was obsessed at one point with trying to get him to sleep later. I had two days a week off with him and truthfully I dreaded them and felt an awful sense of relief when Monday rolled round.

I think I just hadn’t let go of my old life as you succinctly put it. There was still part of me kind of wanting to maybe have a nice morning at a group and then go to the park but then maybe if I could have handed him over to someone else until 7pm I’d have been happy.

Two years later and honestly I’ve got into my groove a bit. The 5am get ups stopped at about two and a half when he dropped his nap, toilet training wasn’t easy but we got there and he’s … nice.

Problem is I have a 20 month old as well now! And as much as I’m looking forward to a bit more time for me I don’t have that dread feeling about days off any more. It stops being so lonely when they can chat back.

Getting out yes but I have to admit I hated being in the house with my toddler so much I went to the other extreme. At one point when he was two I was literally going to a group in the mornings then a cafe for lunch and soft play or something in the afternoon. It was crazy and we were both tired. We now have a good combination of busy days and chilled times. We always get out of the house but it isn’t all of the time unless it’s a special day trip. And we’re all much happier for enjoying being home a bit more!

Everything you just described is totally normal. It goes really fast so hang in there. My middle DC is 2.5 and then I’ve got another one to look forward to. 😂
My oldest is 6 and I can’t believe how much easier it is with him.

I really enjoyed my kids when they were toddlers, and I still really do now. Sorry, OP! I think some people just struggle with kids more than others.

Playground ! Or soft play if bad weather. They need to move around and explore..

God no it’s not possible! I’ve lost count of the number of times I carried one of mine out of a soft play kicking and screaming. My son was such an arse at the age of 3 that I increased my hours and went back to work full time.
Hang in there, it does get better.

I hate to break it to you, but it gets worse before it gets better. Think f'ing awful 4s.

It's a merciless grind for a couple of years

I found the simplest outings were the best, and always outside in good weather. Simple picnic in the park, or time at a playground.

Best holidays I had involved driving to France and going to chateaus - I could see something nice, toddler could run around massive gardens

I hear you!! My 2yo is a hurricane at the minute. We’ve tried to make the living room as toddler friendly as possible, but in general ive found I cope so much better outside the house. Make a few sandwiches, pack the bags and go the park or anywhere outdoors. He walks at an absolute snails pace but he’s entertained at least.

Try not to take it personally! It's really important that you continue demonstrating/modelling polite, positive, pleasant behaviour (even though it's very easy to get sucked into mirroring their own bad behaviour).

And there's no shame hiding in the loo for 5 mins with some secret chocolate, flicking the Vs at the bathroom door 🤫

It’s possible but it’s never the days you plan! The best days with toddlers imo are the random rainy ones where you walk to the corner shop and splash in puddles, do a bit of playdo, give them a bath and watch a bunch of CBeebies

What has breastfeeding to do with anything?
OP didn't ask for advice re that.

Extended breastfeeding is healthy and natural.

One of mine genuinely was a delight at 2, but the other one was so utterly ghastly that I'm still traumatised two decades on. No advice really, except that you just have to grit your teeth and get through it, and find the fun and pleasure in (very!) short bursts.

We used to catch the train just 1 station along and feed the ducks etc..try and get them to walk or run around playgrounds to wear them out ..

I felt like the toddler phase was to help you separate from them emotionally after being so in love with them as babies. Makes you feel like yeah maybe I could send them to nursery/ go back to work/ get on with my life.

@GingerKombucha don't feel bad about the museum, they weren't much better with a 10 and 12 year old.

Agree with previous posters, it always seemed easier to get them out of the house when that age, at toddler groups someone else can think of ideas and clear up the mess.
We did mornings out, sometimes lunch too (take a packed lunch) and then sleep in car or on the walk home. Then at home in the afternoons. Extra long bath times were good in the winter for filling an hour.
Also we had a kind of timetable each week which I think helps with their expectations and knowing what they were doing eg Monday swimming, Tue and Wed nursery, Thursday toddler group, Friday day out with friends.
I also used to get yearly passes at the local farm and zoo, seems expensive at the time but definitely got our moneys worth, it helped that lots of mum friends also had one so usually went with other people which as previously mentioned it's always better when there are other adults to talk to and other toddlers to play with. We could go as often as we wanted, even if we only stayed an hour sometimes or if they had a meltdown can just leave. We also went if weather was not great for the same reason plus it was usually quieter. There was no expectation of staying and seeing everything for a few hours as it was already paid for, also I think toddlers like the familiarity of repetition and tend to behave better if they know what to expect.

Also don't think you have to do things because others do them. My children didn't really like soft play so we didn't go to them that often, but mine love animals so we went to the farm/zoo a lot and still do even now they are a lot older.

Tricks I found included low expectations, simplifying the set up (don't have too many toys available to be tipped out), practical clothes and a routine that suits you