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.

@Motherofmonsters well first you take your breast of chicken, place it in the tray, drizzle oil over it then.... Oh wait

What about those craft feathers you can get, and some of those rubber eggs? Laminated pictures of chickens snipped into squares to make simple puzzles? Some hay or sawdust for a farmyard effect? Chicken themed songs - chick chick chick chicken, lay a little egg for me The book Chicken Licken. Lay it all out on the tuff tray and get her to make a nest for the chicken

We used to have loads of those rubber eggs to put under broody chooks. My mum tried to boil one once

@Motherofmonsters. One of those gross rubber chickens where you squeeze the egg out ? Someone gave DS one at the start of this year and it kept him busy until it got so dirty it had to go in the bin.

On a nicer note, how about a few plastic chickens, make some simple cardboard fences, and use a small cardboard box to make a little chicken house? Porridge for farm effect.

Great ideas thank you! I have some fake feathers, I could cut out a chicken shape for him to stick on. I don't have any fake eggs but could make some eggs out of playdoh. I have to sing the lay an egg for me song before he goes bed every night!!

@Motherofmonsters how about the book Rosie's walk. (See pic). You could read it, reenact it on the tuff spot abs then let little one wreck your beautiful set up. You could make a nice barn out of a cardboard box with lollipop sticks on it.

We had a low key day with me playing with the toddler a lot rather than me doing chores whilst toddler plays in the same room.
She loved the lady bird orchard game, sticklebricks and a magnet fishing game today.

Then it started to tip down and I remembered I had a bag of ducks bought for my classroom that I've brought home so I chucked them in the pool of water in the tuff spot and she had a great time. She then asked for a pot, spoon and hose pipe and she played for an hour. Obviously a waste of water but lots of fun.
Ducks were super cheap from pound stretcher.

Day whatever of self isolation. DH has been at home which means poor DD can get out a bit.

Yesterday I ripped up some kite paper and gave her a glue stick, she stuck all the ripped bits to some jars and then I varnished over them. Then we planted some Paperwhite bulbs in vermiculite.

I think we're going to to the sake thing over Advent and put LED tea lights in. Kite paper creates a stained glass effect. Eldest DD makes window stars out of them and they're lovely.

We also did another cut up magazine collage. DD absolutely loves doing them.

Better weather today so hopefully we get out into the garden for a bit, and we have snow globes to make.

Only five more days of isolation left. Planning a trip to the garden centre to see the Christmas displays and other human beings next weekend

*to do the same thing over Advent

Footprints, I love the duck pond

Right then I need honest opinions! Second hand solid plastic paddling pool/sand pit, it's been thoroughly cleaned. Do you think it'll be suitable to bring into the house as a tuff try type thing?

Yep
I've done the same in the past

Fab! Now to decide what to put in it! Currently upside down with cars on.
Also, do any of you ever have the sandpit in the house or is that a stupid idea?! obviously not a permanent feature!

@pinkdaydreams DS's old nursery used to have a sandpit on the floor inside and it was very popular. DS has kinetic sand he uses but can't see why you couldn't have normal sand apart from the mess.

Today I'm attempting potty training, morning went well afternoon not so much

DD has been playing with kinetic sand this morning. A great indoor activity but needs setting up properly to minimalize mess. DD had a bath after playing with it...she managed to get sand all over her...bath was a good follow up activity.

@pinkdaydreams we have used the sandpit indoors a few times. Once we are done I strip DS (and myself if necessary!), shut the door on the mess so I can sweep up in peace later, and immediately do bath/shower time.

We are in proper lockdown again, can walk in the immediate vicinity of the house but not beyond that which is very limiting. Any suggestions for motivating toddlers to just walk? Usually I persuade DS with the promise of the park or cafe. Thinking we could look for blue cars or big puddles, maybe do a scavenger card. Give him a bag to carry... feeling very uninspired and trapped!

@OhRosalind

We are in proper lockdown again, can walk in the immediate vicinity of the house but not beyond that which is very limiting. Any suggestions for motivating toddlers to just walk? Usually I persuade DS with the promise of the park or cafe. Thinking we could look for blue cars or big puddles, maybe do a scavenger card. Give him a bag to carry... feeling very uninspired and trapped!

Oh you have my utmost sympathy that sounds beyond rubbish.

Someone either on this thread or another suggested making each walk a colour hunt e.g on monday look for red things, Tuesday blue things etc. You could depending on the age of the toddler let him loose with a camera to take pictures of each item, that might motivate him on the walks.

@OhRosalind how about a number search, look for any numbers on your walk like road signs and number plates and house numbers?

Or how about a bag of chocolate buttons in your pocket to entice them round.

I did hear about someone who used to show their children the bag of buttons at the beginning of the walk and say every time you moan you lose a button. But if you are very good all the way until home you can have them all.

I haven't tried that approach, I do the puppy training approach of if you can walk for another three lampposts you can have a button.

I think I need some waterproof trousers for little one as I don't think he will wear his puddle suit. I remember some being recommended on here but can't find them. Can anyone recommend some please?

DS has two pairs...Didricksons and lupilu (I think that's the Lidl ones). The lupilu ones are lined and very warm. We've also had second hand muddy puddle ones in the past.

I thought I remembered Lidl from here, they had them the other week on a special didn't they? Gutted I didn't realise I needed them then!! I've seen the muddy puddles puddleflex for £15 , don't know if that's a good price or not though?
Also, what size am I best getting? He will be three in January. Do I get 3-4 or 4-5 to last next year as well?

I find bigger better (especially if they've got side poppers as DS is a long skinny eel). The lower they come on the outside of the wellies, the less chance there is of water getting in.

We have muddy puddles ones that are just plastic and work really well.

DS has been at his dads today, we’re not together. I’ve spent the day with DD attached to my breast or trying to get her to stop crying and go the fuck to sleep.

We’ve got a breast feeding peer support group tomorrow so DP will take DS to the park in the morning while I talk to random women about my tits in a desperate bid for adult woman human contact. Maternity leave isolation hitting hard today. Bit weepy.

Got an orchard games afternoon planned.
I really miss grown up contact. I don’t have many friends and I’m lonely. DP is wonderful, but I need more.

@OhRosalind I'm sorry to hear that. Have they said how long it's likely to be for?

I am finding self isolation incredibly difficult, and hope and pray this is the first, last and only time I have to do this. It won't be though, due to mine and DH's jobs. I think it would have been better a few months ago, but after Lockdown 1, then the brief freedom of summer, then NI Lockdown 2,then the onset of autumn and this utterly rubbish weather, it is just Too Much. I'm going to bed with a book as soon as I've put DD down, something I haven't done for years, since I worked nightshifts, but I've had enough and I've another 4 days of toddler wrangling on my own.

@MonkeyPuddle I'm sorry you're having a crap day too. It seems to come in waves, doesn't it?

@MonkeyPuddle I know what you mean about feeling lonely, I haven't really got any friends so going to the toddler groups was my way of socialising, even though it was just "nice weather today isn't it" with an adult, or "yes please I'll have a biscuit". At least it was something most days. DH works away during the week so the only adults I see now are scanning my shopping through the till at b&m or Asda!
It's hard making friends as an adult I've found.

I'm so sorry so many people are having a tough time. The friends we socialise with locally at the moment are the ones I met through baby and toddler classes... so it's shit in more ways than one for new mums as they can't build a support network .