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 nearly there. Last day of isolation for me here too.

I set up our tuff tray with kinetic sand, a mirror, and lots of those different shaped scoops you get. DD's fine motor skills are coming along nicely so that's one good thing.

DH took her to the park as he got out of work early,and I took the opportunity to take down the cot we had set up as a sidecar on to our bed, decluttered stuff like the spare stair gate and the cot mobile, and basically removed the last vestiges of toddler from our room. On one hand it's brilliant because I can have it the way I want it, so it's an adult space again, but on the other hand it's bittersweet because it really does mean the baby years are behind us for good, as we won't be having any more. It seems to have gone so fast, since the day we spent putting that cot up. DD is almost 2 and a half now.

@PinkDaydreams I know what you mean about family members. I've elderly relatives who have missed out on almost a year of seeing the DDs, and shielding friends and family that I've not laid eyes on apart from once briefly during the summer. I know it'll not last forever but I feel that the ties that bind everyone together are starting to weaken and things are going to be very different in the future.

@MonkeyPuddle I love that peg idea. So simple but great.

@WensleydalewithCranberry welcome along. I'm 33+6 and want to be out in puddles whilst maintaining a perfect house. Not happening here!

@ReallySpicyCurry it's terrifying how fast time goes. At the time its so hard but really then you miss it.

We've been to our local castle/park. It was absolutely freezing so we weren't out long.
But we have finally finished our volcano. It's been a Mammoth task but I've wanted to do this for a year now and with baby coming it was now or never. I'd hoped to get it done during the Welsh lockdown but it took much longer than I thought. Anyway here it is in situ...see pic.
Toddler thought it was totally wow and then immediately went off to play with playdough. 😬🙄🤪

We are still flogging the Elmer milk bottle and have had three sittings of glueing tissue on. I really just want to finish it myself and get it over with but that's not the point so it remains unfinished but getting there.

Just to say my tuff spot isn't anything like this normally. Usually it's in the garden with slimy rain water and dead leaves floating round.

That volcano is cracking!!

DS doesn’t want to go to bed without his baby sister and all I want to do is crack open a bottle of wine

I've made it! Kids are in bed and I can relax. DH has virtual pub night so I'm on the bed watching a film eating a giant bar of chocolate. Glad your at the end of your isolation to reallyspicy

That volcano is excellent, well done!

@WensleydalewithCranberry. Welcome! You've come to the right place .

@footprintsintheslow. Loving the volcano! Maybe play it cool and let toddler catch you playing with it and making the dinosaurs talk to each other .

God, that volcano is epic.

Will the chickpeas get silhouetted in ash a la Pompeii?

Hahah there will be no ash!

Thanks for compliments. This is a total one off burst of energy before giving birth.

I tell you what she really loves about it is the coloured rice. A load of that alone would have done the job.

Apparently chickpeas can be dyed the same way as rice. Might liberate the packet from the back of the cupboard.

@MonkeyPuddle do you need dried chickpeas for that?

@footprintsintheslow yeah i think so.

So we made a start on our dino world tub here. DS has shown some minimal interest in making the dinosaurs eat, drink and swim, but fiddling with a pipe cleaner has been a big hit . I'm hoping that the addition of a volcano with lava where the dinosaurs can hide and some caves will increase the "pull" factor. Otherwise I'll be playing dinos on my own!

I envy the imaginative parents. We’ve got a rice crispie building site on the go. I’m stuck under feeding DD. Park this afternoon.

I'm loving the dinosaur world's, Ive tried my best but DS just isn't interested in dinosaurs. I'm hoping DD will like them.

DH is gone into work this morning to try and get sorted after missing two weeks so we're having a standard morning. It's mostly consisting of potty training, Duplo and battling DD to get her to sleep.

This afternoon we are going out to run around the woods!!!! I can't wait

@MessAllOver this is a fantastic idea, it looks brilliant and I love the fact it's contained in a box.

@MonkeyPuddle I'll be snaffling your idea for later in the week as diggers are in this weeks box of toys.

As for me I feel a bit hysterical as have been awake since 2am because of a very ill husband. He has a reoccurring condition and it's taking over our lives. This sounds awful but I wish he'd go and stay at his parents when the episodes come on as we are all up all night. He's in agony and there's nowhere to hide in our tiny house.
I sound very unsympathetic I know but he doesn't want me to do anything or poof after him at all. It's just regular sleepless nights for us all. Then he sleeps the next day to recover whilst I have to parent.

Today we have watched lots of tv whilst ignoring the dinosaur land in the same room. Really can't stand Mr Tumble, Justin isn't so bad but Mr T does my head in.

I tell you what is a hit for short amounts of time...plastic crossstitch and a chunky needle and wool. My toddler quite likes to sit and do things quietly from time to time. I appreciate this isn't for everyone. And I'm
Only talking 10-15 mins Max.

@footprintsintheslow that sounds really hard for you all. I understand why you say you want him to sleep elsewhere, it’s just that added another thing that makes everything harder and everything is worse when there’s a lack of sleep involved. You have my sympathies!

We’ve been down the park for 2.5 hours, DS is now knackered so he’s plopped in front of paw patrol. I managed to feed DD in public for the first time, in the northern November drizzle I’m actually quite proud of myself.

Saw this idea on Facebook, milk bottle car wash, small holes poked through the lid of the milk bottle so water trickles through.

@footprintsintheslow. My sympathy . Your DH does sound ill and not just malingering (which makes it worse as you can't just tell him to get lost!), but it's annoying when they keep you up and then you have to do all the house stuff and parenting the next day, grr, while they lie ill in bed. When I'm ill, by contrast, I just have to get on with it and I'm sure it's the same for you.

Wow some of you are having very creative weeks. Is it wrong that I'm jealous I can't come round to play. 😂

footprintsintheslow sorry to hear you're having such a sucky time. Don't feel too hard on yourself, sometimes you're right that it would indeed be easier if they were unwell out if earshot.

WensleydalewithCranberry welcome hopefully you find good company here, if not we also have cake so its always worth sticking around just for that.

MessAllOver I often play with the dinosaurs by myself. I'm slowly conditioning the small child to love them as much as I do. It always used to be my favourite topic when I was teaching Reception.

We've had a good day today overall. We've visited 3 parks (I got cabin fever), played with pretend kitchen food and practiced climing in and out of boxes. Small human has also taken to trying to do something resembling a headstand which is pretty comical to watch.

Husband is in hospital now and I've suggested he stays at parents when he is let out so he can recover without a toddler climbing on him and I can get on with normal life and get some sleep.

@footinthesnow, hope he's okay and you manage to get some sleep while hes at his parents.

Everyone has woken up full of life at 5.30am today, apart from me. I wish I could sneak back to my bed. DH is back at work again this morning but were taken DS out on his balance bike this afternoon. Need to tire him out before his return to nursery tomorrow.

@littlemisslockdown how is the walking going? Does your little one use a walker? Everytime I put DD on one she just sits down and crawls off. She is getting very good at climbing however, caught her up on the TV stand

@footprintsintheslow. I hope your DH feels better soon. And that you manage to get some peace and a bit of a rest in the meantime .

Well I luckily enough ordered new wellingtons and rain suits at the beginning of March so we had them when needed. Everyday these past few days! They live in wellingtons. Even go to school in them I just can't get them off !! Not so great when they jump next to my ds in the pram who's in baby blue and white 🤣
Also bug hunting and play doh is an every weekend activity and on a Sunday after tea we add to ""our big book of us ""
Just a huge blank book that we put pictures in. Memories. Drawing and thinks that help the children learn - numbers, colours, vehicles, animals ! It's fab xx

[quote Motherofmonsters]@littlemisslockdown how is the walking going? Does your little one use a walker? Everytime I put DD on one she just sits down and crawls off. She is getting very good at climbing however, caught her up on the TV stand [/quote]
If I tell you I'm playing the reverse psychology game on DS in regards to walking that should give you a clue as to how well it's not going. He can walk with a walker but he's so stubborn if I try to get him to do it independently.

He is also have a master climber, I feel your pain! The tv stand is quite the impressive mountain to scale so far our favourite is the toy chest in the nursery (which the sly whatsit then uses to attempt to pull down the curtains!)

@MonkeyPuddle congratulations on the first of many outdoor cold breastfeeding sessions. You'll soon be a pro at it...brrr ❄️