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.

@LittleMissLockdown I’m desperate for my 10 month old to start walking too! She managed a couple of wobbly steps with her hands outstretched like a zombie yesterday, so hoping she’s on the way!

Great ideas, love the theme day ideas. I've got a tuff tray but haven't done loads with it yet although I did make a farm with using Weetabix as walls and bran flakes/porridge oats as flooring which went down well. I also ordered some samples of fake grass for free to use.

I'm desperately waiting for DD to start walking to, she's cruising on furniture but won't let go of it yet

[quote Debradoyourecall]@LittleMissLockdown I’m desperate for my 10 month old to start walking too! She managed a couple of wobbly steps with her hands outstretched like a zombie yesterday, so hoping she’s on the way![/quote]
I feel your pain. At 10 months he's in that really annoying not a baby and not a toddler stage.

He's not quite mastered wobbly steps in a purposeful direction yet. He gets way too distracted and seems to forget he was trying to walk.

@Motherofmonsters I did the grass samples too! If you glue them to a wooden tray with a bit of a rim, it makes a really good field/farmyard etc for small world play

Welcome to all newcomers!

@ReallySpicyCurry. Some fantastic ideas there....especially like the parachute one! I like the idea of a walk in the dark, but please do hi vis your little people (bit of hi vis tape on the jacket or something like that)...we took DS to the playground in the dark the other day when we were caught out by the hour change and temporarily lost him in the dark which was scary .

Could I be annoying and add Five little men in a flying saucer to your list of space songs? It's a personal favourite of men .

Not 'men', 'mine' . Silly typo!

Under the sea theme activities for older babies/younger toddlers (because it's so rainy looking out of my windows it feels like I'm in a submarine.)

Everything is no mess and requires 10mins or less set-up time. I did them from morning to bedtime.

Shark/Boat Game (Gross Motor Skills):
Baby version: Put baby in laundry basket and jiggle boat about a bit, baby can enjoy try to climb in and out. Use any toy fish you have as props and a scarf to swish about as waves.
Toddler version: As above but toddler can also run about pretending to swim, occasionally shout "quick a shark, back in the boat!"

Lunch time (Fine motor skills): Tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches or pasta, baby can try self-feeding, toddler can help make sandwiches.

Quiet Time (communication, language and literacy): Read any sea related book together, if extra tired watch snail and the whale on netflix/iplayer.

Creative Activity (toddlers only): Cut fish out of coloured paper, encourage toddler to colour in or stick random stuff on as scales.

Bath Time (Personal and Social): Have long bath with bubbles and toy boats, sing row row your boat (after a while, if you can get DH/DP to take baby/toddler out and stay in bath!)

I will do some of these tomorrow with DS2 while DS1 is at school.

@MessAllOver thank you, you've just reminded me to order some hi-vis for DD2. I have DD1 absolutely covered in the stuff for her school run, much to her disgust, but forgot about the toddler. We used to live out in the sticks with no pavements or lights, so used to be very well kitted out with hi vis vests and torches, but since moving back to civilisation I've forgotten how necessary it is

@Camomila great ideas- I really love the fish scale craft!

I’ve screen shotted so many of those ideas! Thank you! I’m not at all imaginative with things like that in the slightest, I’m in awe of the things my sons nursery think up for them to do.
Well I’m waiting by the phone for the hospital to call me to go in for my induction. Bag packed, toddler fed, refusing to get dressed mind you, grandma on standby. Induction day made slightly more complicated as DS has a different dad to new baby and today is swap over day so I have around three back up plans to move him between his dads and my house.

@Littleseeds11

hollandscountryclothing.co.uk/products/malvern-ladies-waterproof-bush-coat-jack-murphy-jac-062

I have something similar to this I got years ago from a Countrywide store. I might look a bit silly in it but I'm dry from top to toe and warm.

@LittleMissLockdown it's so tough isn't it but I'm finding this thread really helpful and supportive. I also find it makes me a bit accountable so I can share any successes from day and pick up all the other great ideas from people.

@ShrimpingViolet welcome along.

I love reading the theme ideas.

Here's some successes today.

I moved the tuff spot close to our back doors so I pottered round and prepped dinner whilst chatting to toddler who played with lentils and crap. She made 'hedgehog food' in a glass jar which seemed very exciting to her.

Then I gave her some blankets and pillows and a hot water bottle and she made a bed for her toys and got in herself.

Now it's raining of course so I've manically chucked everything in this kitchen. But it was a heavenly couple of hours which no doubt will never happen again for us with this particular activity.

So many brilliant ideas here!

@monkeypuddle best of luck, will be thinking of you x

@Camomila these are brilliant ideas. DS is underwater obsessed so that's the next few days sorted for us.
Just picked up a magnetic letter board from home bargain for £4! Great for any kids who are into their letters and numbers as DS is. Currently spelling out some simple 3 letter words on the board for him and he's very engaged.

[quote fastandthecurious]@Camomila these are brilliant ideas. DS is underwater obsessed so that's the next few days sorted for us.
Just picked up a magnetic letter board from home bargain for £4! Great for any kids who are into their letters and numbers as DS is. Currently spelling out some simple 3 letter words on the board for him and he's very engaged. [/quote]
Ooh DS would love a magnetic letter board!!

Managed to take DS out for a good long walk this morning through the park. Took him out for lunch too as it’s going to be the last time it’s just the two of us for a long time with the new baby coming and lockdown imminent! DS was a little angel and walked really nicely. He only asked to get in the pushchair for the last km or so!

I really liked your post with the bracketed skills @camomila it’s a good reminder of how many developmental boxes you can tick just by varying everyday activities (lunch, colouring, reading, bath time) a little bit and using a theme to get the most out of them. Thank you. I’ve been feeling guilty about DS (22 months) missing out on stuff not being at nursery but this makes me feel better (Obviously the social side is a different issue). We will have an under the sea day this week.

My offering for the day is themed walks: DS loved our “Halloween walk” spotting pumpkins and bats in shop windows despite it being one of the same few routes we’ve been doing since Spring. He is already excited about his “blue walk” (his favourite colour) tomorrow, We’ll be spotting lots of vans I think, but I noticed the bakery has blue macaroons so that may be the treat at the end.

Good luck @MonkeyPuddle!

@MonkeyPuddle good luck today! Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Had another sweep this morning so I’ll race you 😉😅 (Think you’ll win!)

Yes. Good luck @MonkeyPuddle and @PolarBearStrength. Sending best wishes and hoping you'll have exciting news for us soon.

Finally caught up with this all, having bookmarked it the other day. You are my people! Acknowledging that it is utterly shite doing this with a toddler (and an early years, and a newborn...), but offering actual genius ideas to make the days bearable. You're saints.

We did an aeroplane day recently.

Aeroplane spotting walk

Built an aeroplane by rearranging furniture

Glued lolly craft sticks together to make wooden planes (lots of ideas for this on pinterest, some fancier than others). Tied them to string and hung them from sticks so they could be flown around.

I drew little planes on blue paper and they drew chalk vapour trails

Then I cut bodies and wings out of card, they stuck them into blue paper and we unrolled cotton balls to be vapour tails

Theme days are definitely where it's at for us. I honestly think my kids couldn't care less about the theme, but it helps me feel like I'm heading somewhere in a day, rather than aimlessly flinging toys out of the cupboard at them.

Anyway, thanks to you all, I've now got about £800 worth of stuff on my lockdown survival wish list I'll break it to DH gently...

I've been lurking since this thread started and there's some fab ideas! I have 3 DC age 8, 6 and just 2, my oldest has ASD and watches a lot of TV to self regulate but I must admit it has sometimes made me a bit lazy with the other 2 because he was never really into craft etc as a toddler, it would just end on massive sensory overload.
I'm trying to do one intentional activity a day with DC3, and DC2 often joins in.

Today we had a lot of fun, I've got one of those glass water dispenser jars with a tap on it, I put it on a little stool with a washing up bowl underneath on a towel, some cups and spoons, and let DC3 make a very wet mess. When the water ran out in the jar I just refilled it from the bowl so minimal waste too.

Hi everyone hope you are all sane. If you are thinking of buying lockdown craft stuff Baker Ross has free delivery with code FREEDEL1 if you spend £29. Offer ends tomorrow night. I couldn't spend the amount on there so not worth it for me but when toddler is older I'll be able to I'm sure.

Today:
💧tuff spot lentils, beans, acorns and conkers were a hit. Used with tongs, spoons, sticks, jars, pots to fill and funnels. She loves a funnel into a clear plastic bottle. That's our number one bath toy too.

💧 little reading den under tuff spot with blankets, cushions, teddies and hot water bottle.

💧 books x 1 million

💧 made scones.

No idea for ideas tomorrow except it's my Monday housework day and I change the toy rotation over to a new box. So that'll hopefully keep her occupied.

Thank you all for sharing your brilliant ideas! And for the solidarity. Makes it feel more manageable. I love the theme day ideas.
Tomorrow’s plans for me are loosely Autumn-based and involve

1. making cupcakes with muddy puddles on top (chocolate icing) that come from a ready mix pack ( can’t be doing with baking from scratch with a 4 month old who needs feeding or putting down for a nap every 5 minutes).
2. Then out for a muddy puddle walk (obviously, for I am a good MNer ) and collecting leaves.

3. Going to give the wreath idea a go with my craft-averse 3 year old.

1. Will read stories about nature which include the seasons, and of course watch a few episodes of the ubiquitous P. Pig for muddy puddle jumping inspiration.

@PolarBearStrength they’ve managed to break my waters so I think I might just pop you to the post

*pip

Good luck @MonkeyPuddle and @PolarBearStrength!