Trapped Toddler Parents of Winter 2020/21 Support Thread - Puddlesuits at the ready!

[ReallySpicyCurry]

Are you the parent of a small child who doesn't yet sit still for more than five minutes? Do local lockdowns mean there are no baby and toddler groups for miles? Are you sick of walking the same three routes every day since March? Then come and join our support thread! I have started this after some of us had a good moan on a thread in AIBU ("To be worried about staying sane stuck inside all winter with a 2 year old?") because I thought it might be nice to share ideas/activities/general moans and concerns, over what is probably going to be a tricky winter for those of us with babies and toddlers.

Don't forget the answer to all your prayers though... The ever reliable puddlesuit. Puddlesuits are absolutely mandatory this year, and you are expected to wrestle your child into one and make them jump in puddles daily. If your child goes blue with cold, administer a swift dose of hot chocolate and hope your local Amazon delivery driver gets move on with your latest order of kinetic sand/playdough/ball pit/stickers. Failing all else, Peppa Pig is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, in October as in March.

We've played with hats this morning! Little one won't actually wear a hat whilst out but he's found it hilarious playing with them and me wearing them too

Thanks for the float or sink suggestion, we combined it with puddle-jumping this morning, enabling me to sit on the step with coffee and a biscuit while DS chucked leaves/stones/petals/acorns and various vehicles into a massive puddle on the driveway shouting “float boat” or “all gone”. Later the vehicles will have a trip to the “car wash” so that’s another hour sorted.

Also love the idea of leaving some shopping bags out for DS to find post-nap. And trying on hats.

Well I’m still bloody pregnant. 41w today.
We’ve had the train set out. this morning, he’s helped me prep tea (beef stew in the slow cooker.) Off to his gymnastics class in an hour.
Exciting trip to the car was and petrol station this afternoon when I will drop him home and go and have a scout round the lidl toy event that’s starting today. Oh and we’re going to bring the pumpkin back inside and felt tip all over it again as it’s washed off in the rain.

@MonkeyPuddle sending labour-y vibes. I’m 39+3 and have completely lost the will to live. Went to T+8 last time so it’s hardly unexpected but I am utterly depressed by still being pregnant nonetheless. Genuinely considering going for a run later in the hope it might move things along a bit 😬

I really feel for you all. Mine are teenagers now but I did spend about six weeks inside with a baby and toddler during swine flu because the baby needed a chest op. So I do have a glimmer of what you're going through.

I made a lot of bread, and a lot of glittery / scented / textured playdough to get through.

Another thing which helped was a game called "push mummy off the sofa" which is exactly what it sounds like. I made it part of the game that mummy didn't smile or talk (and indeed mostly had her eyes closed) so it was great for days when I couldn't be all smiley and "yes darling" the whole time. The toddler used to tire himself out immensely climbing all over me and I just used my body weight and rested my face.

[quote StrawScarecrow]@reallyspicycurry

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2020/oct/27/covid-toddlers-from-uks-poorest-families-hit-hardest-by-lockdown[/quote]
Yep that’s the one I read. So sad.

Just read it, thank you. Really sad but not surprising. Children in this country are being let down terribly.

@ReallySpicyCurry thank you for this thread! So many good ideas and lovely supportive people.

I have 3.5 year old and 4 month old DSs, so not strictly toddlers but still appreciate the ideas. And feel for all you heavily pregnant ladies! Utterly, crushingly exhausting.

DS1 goes to nursery which is a godsend as he is a Very Active Child. Nursery teachers have had to speak to me about his unwillingness or inability to sit still long enough to do any crafts/ drawing / learning - he wants to be outside, running around all the time, whatever the weather.
The thing I’m struggling with is how to navigate any puddle jumping fun without the baby getting soaked - unless we’re on a flat, buggy friendly surface obviously, but would be nice to off road to find the best puddles.

You are all heroes and geniuses - so many good ideas here! Well, DD’s old nursery doesn’t have any space for her so instead of having mum guilt for packing her off there I get to have the same guilt for letting her watch thousands of hours of Peppa Pig and Super Simple songs on YouTube. The 4 month old has stopped sleeping day or night for longer than 45 minutes at a time, so I’ve got bags of patience and energy. [Sobs into millionth cup of tea]

@LassoOfTruth oh god I feel for you. Just try and focus on the fact that nothing lasts for that long...good or bad!

What has everyone done today? For us it's rained all day:
✔️cars down ramps
✔️made Welsh cakes
✔️books obviously
✔️many many screaming tantrums
✔️sticker book bullshit

Tomorrow aiming for a walk to try out the new to us buggy board and to do some autumn leaf craft.

We actually had a really nice day. No cheesecake though - DS1 was annoyed at the baby all morning and DH had meetings/deadlines ( his desk is in the living room and we live in a flat).
My parents took pity on us and came to get me at lunchtime, the baby had a really long nap, DS1 did puzzles and craft that DM picks up every time she goes to Aldi/lidl, and then we all had a roast (DH too, he came to pick us up).

Also, the HV phoned me to arrange DS2s 10m development check - no cleaning the flat as its online :)

Hopefully it'll be drier tomorrow and we can go for a walk with the pushchair and both DC (I'm guilty of leaving one home with DH quite often to make things easier!)

@footprintsintheslow sticker book bullshit! How did I forget we have sticker books! Ah you superstar!

I’m carting DS off to nursery tomorrow and planting bulbs in the garden. I would do it with DS but I know he’ll be bored within 0.4 nanoseconds and hopefully a big of vigorous digging might set my labour off.

We had an OK day. The reshuffling of DD's bedtime plus endometriosis joy has left me a bit drained, so it hasn't been the sparkling week of activities I'd planned, but we went to the post office this morning (DD's most favourite place) to, thrillingly, post two parcels. While we were there we discovered they've expanded their random food section to encompass BREAD MIXES so we bought one and made foccacia. Tramped through the local woods- it was, no word of a lie, the Somme. I lost a welly. The teen started to gently skid down a hill at one point. Glad we did it though. That's the thing, there's no walk so fucking shit and miserable that I've ever regretted getting out of the house and going on it. Toddler desperate for a nap but still won't, so we curled up in her all new toddler bed and read millions of books - she actually trailed me up and into her room to the bed, which I thought was good, she's associating it with sleep and rest.

DH painted a blackboard on her wall with blackboard paint too, so I could do with getting some new chalks for that.

We also got the P. E cones and beanbags set out and messed about with that a bit.

Still too much telly for my liking though - it's a bit of a crutch right now because she refuses to nap but is so tired that she lies on the sofa and asks for "songs"... But again I'm waiting to see if the sleep evens out a bit

@MonkeyPuddle I hope communing with the bulbs sets off labour for you!!

@Camomila perfect weather for a rescue roast- your parents sound lovely

I don't expect to ever see a HV again at this point

@footprintsintheslow I want Welsh cakes now. Yum. Ate my body weight in them when I visited years ago

Weather was so bad here we stayed in all day. Played a lot of doctors/nurses (teddy and I are long suffering patients with many illnesses), some small world play (v boring for me - we re-enacted some Percy parkkeeper stuff), chalk on blackboard for about 5 mins (cleaning it off was highlight), plus stories and 15 mins of spot on YouTube. No independent play from DS to speak of - need to work on this! To be fair to him he’s so happy I’m now on mat leave I think he just wants to make the most of it. God help him when the baby arrives...

Well today we played in the garden in the morning (the lid blew off the sandpit - so following all the rain we have had we had an impromptu messy play session).
This afternoon we went to a pick your own pumpkin farm. I described it to a friend as the Somme. Thankfully my lovely toddler doesnt like mud so he was very happy to sit in the wheelbarrow. Both he and newborn DD were great, but I'm not convinced it was worth the mess it caused in the car.

@FolkSongSweet how old is your toddler?. I dont think DS would play doctor yet. I feel a bit stuck with him - I keep thinking 'when he is bigger it will be easier'.

@FolkSongSweet. Could the baby bring him an exciting new toy of some sort? To say sorry for taking up so much of your time .

DS here plays quite nicely for a bit sometimes (though I think he's a little older than your DS), with toys like his wooden train track (with lots of tunnels and bridges) and his car garage/car ramp. Anything involving pushing vehicles along. With small world/roleplay, he still likes my involvement so he'd be wanting me to play with him too still.

You’re all so brill. I use TV as a way to get my dd to chill out if she needs to, too. Also when I need to get the baby to nap sometimes (he is too excited by everything at the moment so I have to take him to a darkened, quiet room). I may be in the minority but I feel zero tv guilt. I honestly do think it has its place and without waffle the wonder dog yesterday would have gone far less smoothly.

Yesterday morning dd was at nursery so did loads of messy stuff there, then we did an hour at the playground including rolling down the huge hill as she was already filthy. Then home, scooter on our street, Water painting, puzzles, a pretend adventure in the woods (herbidea not mine) then dinner. We brought back an old favourite of dancing after dinner. So much fun and a great stress release for us all at the end of the day. We just whack on some music and go nuts.

Today we are collecting books from the library, posting parcels and doing Halloween crafts. I’m going to Nick a PPS idea of black hand print spiders - thank you! And also one I saw online to print pumpkin shapes using a halved apple and orange paint.

@MessAllOver and @OhToBeASeahorse he’s 2.5 exactly. He’s really discovered pretend play in the last few months which is great except that he needs me to play a role in every game. I need to think up more games where my role involves lying/sitting still...doctors is definitely a great one!

We haven’t done anything for Halloween at all - might steal some of these craft ideas or at least buy a pumpkin!

@ReallySpicyCurry how is the gro clock going? We've moved our wake up time to 6:35 and it's worked well so I'm moving it to 6:45 for tomorrow. Unfortunately my husband woke me up snoring at 3:15 and I've been awake ever since so I actually feel murderous towards him.

We’re on holiday in a cottage on a farm for half term and the change of scene for all the puddle walks is really helping my mental health! Different puddles - that’s as high as my aspirations go these days.

I was getting DS out of his puddle dungarees by the car the other day as another mum was getting her DS out of his puddle suit and she admired the dungarees and I told her where to get them. So that’s one small help to another mum.

@deplorabelle Push mummy off the sofa sounds amazing! Games where you get to lie down and close your eyes are the best. I like Doctor for this reason.

Help me, I have no motivation today. I cried about a hundred times yesterday. I am so hormonal and sick of pregnancy. And now my parents are having to self isolate until next Wednesday so my easy backup childcare option has been stopped. MIL will have to come from two hours away if I go into labour before then (neighbour is on standby to fill in!). And our washing machine has packed up. DH is going to spend all day swearing tomorrow trying to install a new one (in fact a new washer and a new dryer) so I’ll have to try to find somewhere to take DS again. I have no idea what to do with him today because of bloody half term making everything busy.

I’m just exhausted and want to have a baby now 😭😭😭

I’ve already let DS have a jam sandwich in bed this morning and now we’re watching Messy goes to Okido under the duvet together. We need to go out though or we’ll both go mad.

@PolarBearStrength oh god it all sounds too much.
How about a bed picnic with goodies and a snuggly film on a laptop?

If anyone is wondering what the weather is like in lockdown Wales: its the 6th day of bastard rain. 💧☔️💧

@PolarBearStrength ok where can you go that you don't have to parent very much? We have an enclosed park where the toddlers can manage everything alone safely and I take a massive flask and chair and sit their chilling out.

My other options are (shudders) soft play and Ikea which really is just a massive home corner to play in.