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.

What I came to say was that I went to poundstretcher today. Not sure if they are open in England or not? But I bought some window gel clings. They had a xmas/snowy selections and I went for snowmen that can be used after Xmas when the new baby arrives. Thanks to the thread for that advice.
I also bought a multi changer pen and foam letter (future tuff spot thing) for stocking fillers. They also had some foam bath toys... a clock and mirror which I thought was good for £1

Clock and mirror...
And also I bought a new foil sticky book. It says it's no mess and fun which suits me. It's not a scratch off foil book. Something different that can go in the 'activities for when I'm breastfeeding' pile. There were different styles there. That was from Asda for £3 and finally some dinosaur felt pens from home bargains for £1.50.

All stocking filler tat really but with a view for managing a toddler and new baby.

@ReallySpicyCurry I love the cat story! That’s adorable! Sounds totally chaotic but completely cute at the same time!

I’ve just had a lovely big row with DP as he’s wanting to feed 20 day old DD formula/Expressed milk to ‘lighten the load’ on me. But I’ve told him twenty billion times I don’t want to feed her formula, I don’t want her on bottles, not yet anyway, and that I don’t find feeding hard/a burden. He can be useful in other ways. But my god he’s pushing the feeding thing. Pushing my bloody buttons.

@MonkeyPuddle I'd lose my rag over that to be honest and I'd make it clear it won't be up for negotiation.
Have you seen this very small and easy and quick to read book... it's very good and informative and you can throw quotes at your husband from it.

Camomila we are in Germany and it's normally long here, it does seem to be even longer than normal though.

@footprintsintheslow just shoved it onto my amazon order it pisses me off because she’s still so young and I’ve worked so hard to BF and I’m really bloody proud of myself. I didn’t/couldn’t feed DS and she’s my last baby so it’s incredibly important to me to BF her. I’ll sometimes have w moan as BFing take awhile at the mo and DS will need something/food needs making/housework/etc and I’m sure in his (pea) brain that he thinks if he gave her a bottle that would free me up to so the other mundane, but entirely necessary tasks, rather than just getting on with them himself.

Oh and I’ve made a FB group of people want to join, it’s called ‘puddle suits at the ready!’, it’s a private group but should be visable

@MonkeyPuddle I've just found the group and asked to join. I also use a pseudonym on fb as I'm a teacher. My profile pic is a mermaid.

Just stick to your guns and failing that aim them at your husband.

In all seriousness you are doing incredibly well and when things calm down maybe explain (like I've had to a million times) that just because I'm moaning about something, doesn't mean I want anyone to find a solution.

I also made some ground rules that it wasn't up for discussion ever again. My MIL wanted to give me lots of advice about breastfeeding... which basically involved her telling me to give it up so she could have a go at feeding the baby. 😤🤬🤯

@footprintsintheslow added you. I’m impressed I managed to make the bloody group
Yeah DP is a ‘fixer’ which is grand, but it doesn’t need fixing, sometimes, like you say, I just want a moan!

I'm in!

@MonkeyPuddle tell him to summer down or you'll squirt milk at him. I only had to warn mine once

Simmer down, not summer!

Thanks for the welcomes.

@ReallySpicyCurry that's what I'm hoping! And love the sound of that dolls pram.

@footprintsintheslow yeah, saw some very cute pictures. And it's been useful reading people's comments who are a few weeks ahead in terms of preparing for the baby. Hope your husband is doing OK and things aren't too tough atm.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere why these obsessions?! DS is into opening slamming shut shutting kitchen cupboards and drawers and likes helping empty the dishwasher. Which is lovely, but does involve me a) doing lots of thanking him for passing me things whilst very quickly getting anything breakable off him and b) stopping him putting dirty things away in whatever drawer he fancies

@MonkeyPuddle requested to join fb group (photo is me reading to DS in the park). And that sounds really frustrating with your husband. Hopefully he's now listened to what you've said and realised there's more useful things he can do atm.

@monkeypuddle I've requested to join, my profile is one of my wedding photos.

My tuff tray doesn't have a stand but I'm thinking I may buy a new one that comes with it. Theres a smaller one on Amazon for £40 which I've got my eye on. I need a table for DS to set up his play sets that DD can't destroy so I think it'll be handy for that

My son likes to play with toys at eye level which is why I'm thinking tuff tray as he currently uses the TV stand and the window sill. Thank you to the poster who recommended the IKEA square table, unfortunately we haven't the space for it. I've seen a round fold up IKEA table but it's small. B&m do a similar metal one for £10, it's 47cm diameter but again it looks small.

I'm not on FB sorry :( right then, time to get the little one up for the day!

@PinkDaydreams I'll be staying on the thread too whilst dipping in and out of Facebook as I don't use it very often.
Toddler got up at 5:15 today. I've threatened to give the grow clock away if she's going to carry on ignoring it. She used to get up at 7am every day. Nothing lasts does it...good or bad.

@PinkDaydreams would this from IKEA be any good?

Mondays are my lie in day. DS stays at his dads house on Sunday nights. I’ve just fed DD and have got her back down to sleep so am going back to sleep til whenever she decides to wake up.

Today my plan is to master the sling, sort through DS’s old clothes and see if next door want them and drink lots of cups of tea.

That's exactly the same one I've seen in b&m! I'm thinking it won't be large enough to do water play with, but it's good because it folds down easily. Honestly so torn on what to do!
@footprintsintheslow 5.15, that's early! I feel for you

@MonkeyPuddle I’ve asked to join the FB group, my photo (about 10 years old, I’m not terribly active!) is me drinking tea. I hope you get to rest and enjoy plenty of cups today, sounds like they’re needed.

Pushing the cat around sounds fab.

This from argos, but seems small.
Do the stands for the tuff trays fold down?

That's what I can't work out, if the legs on a tuff tray can be folded away or not. One I was looking at had to be unscrewed from the tray each time so I thought that's no good. But I can't work out if the legs on others can be dismantled easily.

I bought my tuff tray from eBay. The legs come in 6 sections (all in a C shape) that slot together so you could take them apart fairly easily but would then need to store the pieces.

I’ve asked to join the FB group @MonkeyPuddle please, picture is my family at a wedding.

I’ve been really rubbish recently. I’ve been self isolating for the past 10 days which has been painful and I’ve responded by doing less with the boys! They are getting better at playing on their own with their lego etc and we’ve been in the garden a lot getting muddy.
We put up the hobbycraft shop and painted it which they enjoyed. It was a nightmare to put together though, not helped with them ‘helping’ so if anyone is thinking of getting one I would put it together without them around. Thinking of getting them the train for Christmas as DS2 is obsessed with Thomas but I need the stress of the shop to fade first 😂

I do get the formula thing but I don't think quoting that book at him will help (much as it's brilliant!)

I think men sometimes get in a fix-it mindset and decide that breastfeeding being a burden on you is something they need to fix, even when you've told them no it's not. Annoying. I would try and take it as a means well thing though.

All these newborns are making me a bit broody

We have been through the book pile today and I've identified some that I think DS2 will enjoy. Up until now I've only really read him board books, because he tries to rip the pages. But someone reminded me of Bear Hunt the other day on FB and I thought he'd love that at the stage he is now. Remembered today and dug it out to read, he was sooo excited it was adorable. Followed along with all the "Uh-oh!" and "Oh no!" :o he doesn't have the attention span to follow a story really but he loves repetition and anything with a tune/rhythm.

Hello! DH is working all week, out of the house (unusually for him as he’s self employed and wfh mostly) so bit of a baptism of fire for me with newborn and DS by myself.

@MonkeyPuddle sounds like you’re doing so well, try not to let your DH get to you re bf - sounds like he just wants to help in a misguided way. I’ve been panicking a bit with feeding as my baby is still jaundiced (18 days old now) and feel like it should have gone so I’ve been feeding every 2 hours round the clock - exhausting!

@Lostthetastefordahlias I haven’t had a chance to prepare my timetable yet but that’s tonight’s plan! I am bf do it will be flexible but it’s more about trying to plan stuff in for DS that I can set up in advance and make sure he’s getting enough entertainment/interaction etc.

We just went to the park this morning with baby in sling. He loved it. And is napping now thank goodness (I think naps are on their way out 😭)