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.

@MonkeyPuddle ‘Run’ is quite a grand term for one minute walk, one minute jog up the lane for half an hour in the rain to be fair 😂 Good luck with your induction! DS was 9lbs so I was expecting another chunk but this one seems to be smaller judging by growth scans so keeping my fingers crossed for a successful VBAC. I don’t really fancy the c section recovery with a clingy toddler. DH is also ‘dying’ with a sore throat 🙄 It’s the same virus me and DS have had lingering for the last two or three weeks and we’re still alive!

@footprintsintheslow I might go and leave DS with DH... he seems to think the washing machine business will be easy. I strongly suspect it will become a saga 😂

Posted too soon.... Especially now she's hit her teens. DD2 so far seems more of the kicking and howling variety, which is terrible for my shoulder muscles when I drag her out of places, but doesn't cause me to break into a cold sweat like DD1 did

Weather is horrific here today. I'm really hoping my five minute mum book comes in the post. We were meant to be meeting elderly relatives for a socially distanced meet in a park, but there's just no way they could manage it in this gale. Such a shame. They are missing the DC very much.

We're going to go to our local charity shop instead, and see what DD2 can get for 50p. It's probably not ideal because of Covid and all, but I've been taking her there the odd time with a few pence just so she can practise face to face interactions/communications with strangers. She is very good at giving the 50p and saying please and thank you and we sanitise before and after

Apart from that, I don't know what we'll do today. Saturdays at home were usually really simple but enjoyable for us pre covid, as we've both had to work weekends quite a bit at times, and then at other times there'd be clubs and competitions for DD1. So home Saturdays were spent at the library getting new books, visiting grandparents, having a leisurely breakfast, going for a walk. The only thing we can really do is the breakfast but it's less of a treat when you're stuck home all day anyway, I mean we could still be having breakfast at dinner time if we so desired. And the walk too I suppose, but the less said about bloody walks the better

@PolarBearStrength I’m still very impressed! DP is getting me a gym membership for Christmas (at my request) as our council gym up the road does Pilates and yoga classes at really good times and it means I’ll be able to have some time to myself, plus I’ll be able to take the kids swimming on the cheap.

@ReallySpicyCurry it’s crap isn’t it. Just crap. Hopefully the five minute mum book will help, I really rate it. We play games from there a good few times a week as they’re so quick and easy to set up. Part of her ethos is no expectations of play, so take two mins to set it up and if they play, that’s great, if they don’t, no worries. Pack it away for another day.

@MonkeyPuddle that sounds great!

Anyone else getting a tiny bit stressed about the potential for another lockdown? Seriously considering moving in with my parents for a bit just so there are extra hands available to help. But not sure DH will be on board and it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare with chickens, and fish, and rabbits.

Yes, I'm wondering how it will work here. Schools are meant to be open on Monday, with everything else opening up again two weeks later. Themmuns up at Storming kind of went "mutter mutter, yes school back on Monday mutter mutter" but there's been little else said or done, the schools haven't said anything, and we've all expected it to be four weeks anyway. I think they're watching and waiting and if there's another lockdown they'll keep schools off for longer, even if it only applies to England. I've done all my Christmas shopping for exactly this reason

@ReallySpicyCurry you've described it exactly for my toddler and for my response! So reassuring I'm not alone or the first. Thank you.
Btw, We had gro clock fail so she was up at 6 but her nappy had leaked so I think that woke her.

Welsh weather update: rain as usual but now with gales which is wonderful.

Planning a late breakfast now to kill some time. Then it's rugby day in our house.

Also I've had some photos printed so may amuse toddler with looking at them for a while.

Looks like all the nations are waiting for Monday to hear announcements. Love to everyone in these crazy times. Stay strong failing that have a drink.

Honestly, I'm messing around online while she watches little Baby Bum and plays with Duplo, Slacker Mummy!

What age is the five minute mum book aimed at?

Yay. Another lockdown. Brilliant. Thank fuck I won’t be pregnant and can drink wine. God I can’t wait to have a drink.

@Juniperandrage it’s from about 2 I’d say, if you google her she’s got a website with some of the games on to look at before you lay out for the book.

We went to the park, 15 mins there and the heavens opened. Brilliant timing mummy.

Yes, @Juniperandrage, I’d say from 2 up to about 5. Her website and Instagram are really good though the latter is quiet just now for half term.

Ah shame, mine is 18 months. I'll remember it for when she's old enough though, thanks

Have a look at Play Hooray too, @Juniperandrage. Lots of stuff for very littles there.

The idea of another lockdown with this infernal rain is to much for me today!

This morning I got both DS and newborn DD ready to go out by myself - a success! Then me and Dah took them out for a walk..But sadly it looks like I've anther nap refuser. Clean, fed and burped and in her lovely pram - 90 mins later still awake. I fed and changed her in the park (how the fuck do I do that alone?!). Eventually she nodded off but the moment we walked in the house she woke up again. So now she has fallen asleep exhausted, on me.

What kind of newborn is awake for 4.5 hours?

Went to friend’s house, still not in labour. Going to make a massive soup this afternoon whilst listening to the archers and leave DH to manage DS and his terrible grumpy mood.

I’ve ordered some zip lock bags, paint, lentils, scoops, ingredients to make gloop and an inflatable tuff tray off eBay for £3 so I can gauge how into messy play at home will go before I commit to a proper tuff tray. She’s only 16MO but I’m preparing for all classes and soft plays being cancelled with the (according to the daily mail) nationwide lockdown looming 😭

I feel like I've had a holiday today. We found some songs on Netflix that mesmerised her so had a proper lie in and relax. Then a big full breakfast, rugby and husband home all day to co-parent.

It's not been all roses round the door of course. She's had a terrible day for the potty and has done a wee on my grandmothers piano. Literally she climbed up and wee'd on the keys!!! Every toilet has been an accident today so not sure what's going on there.

But we did some leaf painting and made a sort of autumn wreath by sticking leaves around a cardboard pizza base. So I feel I've done my mammy bit too!

No idea what tomorrow will bring. Maybe she'll poo on the harp?!

Oh @footprintsintheslow poo would be rather hard to clean out of harp strings wouldn’t it?!

My dd really enjoyed the pumpkin spotting walk we went on this evening.

@OhToBeASeahorse I had a nap refusing newborn! Would only sleep on me so I decided to embrace it. Got a stretchy sling off eBay for a tenner and he had lovely long naps in there. At 4months now I’m trying to get him used to napping in his cot - he would still much rather nap on me but is getting better at cot napping.

Really hoping DH won’t have to be off work again with this lockdown. He struggles with his mental health in winter time at the best of times and the routine we’d got ourselves into has been really helping him. Never mind we will find a way through I am sure!

I’ve looked up five minute mum on Instagram - really love it and am going to try a couple of her games tomorrow! Thank you for the recommendation all. Think I will get the book too.

Sign me up 😂 we are also doing the longest nursery settling in in the history of the world. We've done a month and he's still only staying for an hour and a half and it's taken this long for him to actually speak to his teacher.

to you English lot. Lockdown again eh.

@footprintsintheslow at the widdling on the piano

I had so little motivation today, I felt like I did right at the start of all this, back in March. Felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Same thing today. I don't do well with the six weeks or so between Halloween and the solstice anyway.

The charity shop trip this morning surpassed my wildest dreams. We got a wheelybug for the princely sum of £3. It has a wheel missing, but I've been able to order a replacement one online for £5. I'm really pleased, it's a great contribution to my "ways to keep toddler active and moving even if stuck inside" battle plan.

A cardboard autumn wreath is a really good idea, I might try that tomorrow.

I am on a FB group that has quite a few US based homeschoolers on it, and a lot of them consider themselves ws "homeschooling" their toddlers already - which I suppose makes sense when you compare to nursery - I mean they're not expecting them to write War and Peace, but they have a loose daily structure/timetable made up, with different activities planned out. Again we're not talking anything too adventurous- it's all, 10.30-12, nap, 12-1 lunch then storytime, 1-2 walk, 2-3 planned sensory activity and free play - but it's the daily routine that is appealing to me at the minute - I'm vaguely considering putting an evening aside to do something similar, just to give our days more structure and to avoid falling into the pit of watching too much TV and putting on weight again (have lost two stone since the end of July) but on the other hand, planning a daily schedule for a 2 year old seems a bit OTT.

@ReallySpicyCurry a routine is how I coped in the first lockdown. I tried to stay upstairs till 9am doing songs and stories. Then I loosely chunked the day up. It helped my sanity a lot. That was in the old days when she napped.

Great weight loss by the way. How did you do it?

Disappointed about the news of another lockdown, but I'll be off mat leave this time so will be working 2 days a week to mix things up a bit and at least there's still nursery. Agree with the loose routine. That kept me going the first few weeks especially when we had to self isolate.

Thanks for 5 min mum suggestion. Will take a look.

We'll be staying in bed a lot on non-nursery days here. Reading books mixed up with ipad and songs until at least 9.30am! I foresee lots of very long afternoon baths - DS is going to be so clean .

Going to buy a few more interesting bits for our wooden train track. Then we might binge-watch Thomas and do some train art and colouring in and read train stories... We can easily kill an hour or two going for a "train walk" along the footpath beside the train track.

I might do one up then. I'll have to type it up and print it and make a list of resources though twitches madly and put it on the fridge.

I've been losing weight mainly through low carbing, a bit of fasting, and not inhaling Minstrels of an evening. Replaced them with running. I feel miles better for it, but it's starting to get a bit tricky because lockdown makes me want to snack, as does cold weather. But I'm determined that next summer I shall float around in this gorgeous vintage dress I bought at the start of this year. It is so, so pretty and just the right cut for me (awkward figure) and I love it. I couldn't even wedge my tummy into it when I got it, but I can get the zip up now if I don't breathe or move, so I'm nearly there

@MessAllOver get to lidl, theyve got a toy event on and I got some cracking train bits for DS’s Christmas present on the cheap.

Stupid lockdown, that means museums and the library shut again :( I'm in Liverpool so have already been in tier 3.

Two windy walks today which were very enjoyable. We collected lots of sticks which little one enjoyed hitting on different surfaces and listening to the noise they made. I like the autumn wreath idea too. My little one really hates messy play though and isn't into crafting yet.
I've go the 5 minute mum book but feel my little one wouldn't do anything in there yet, he's 2.9 but is behind (on ASD pathway), I'm going to go through it again though and see if I can use it as a rough plan.

Well done pp for losing weight! I've come up with the (insane) idea of giving up chocolate for November. I love chocolate, I've been eating far too much of it though