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.

Hope youve had a lovely time with your mum MonkeyPuddle and got a break. 4 weeks isn't easy is it. Mine is 12 weeks now and is so much more settled.
I am not ready for another week. Debating getting out some Christmas presents early to get an easier morning tomorrow

@MonkeyPuddle thank you, you reminded me to find out whether the gymnastics class we were due to start is starting up again! I’m hoping it’ll prove a better outlet for DS’s daredevil tendencies than the sofa antics we have now.

@Lostthetastefordahlias I’m tempted every day to break out some of the presents! I also have this image of life being easier post-Christmas when there are lots of new toys to keep him occupied. Not sure that’s realistic sadly...

We've all been unusually efficient (me and DH) /good (DSs) today.

This morning DH took both DC to the park while I cleaned/did laundry/made lunch. DS2 happily ate breadsticks and didn't miss me my boobs
Then they both played nicely with the happyland toys in the while I folded the laundry (finally found something they can play together with no choking hazards or DS1 getting cross when DS2 breaks it!)
After dinner we watched Secret Life of Pets and DS1 didn't got scared.
Then the book I ordered for DS1 arrived a day early so we read that as our bedtime story and everyone went to sleep straight away.

I am off to capitalise on this run of luck and update my CV and apply for jobs! (shame there is no lottery today)

- closest thing to a clover to pass the good luck on for you all tomorrow

*in the afternoon

(my luck doesn't extend to nice clear paragraphs)

@Lostthetastefordahlias I bought some kinetic sand today for Xmas present but I can see myself tempted to give it to son when he's having a whinge day!!
I've booked soft play this week which I'm looking forward as it'll get us out doing something different. Last time we went was in January but son was more interested watching the cars driving past the window and didn't really 'soft play'. We'll see what happens this time. I'm hoping he will play as I'm aching all over from him jumping on me at any given opportunity!

@Camomila. Good luck with the CV!

We've been doing some repainting in the house for the past couple of weeks and so have been living amongst boxes. DS has enjoyed it, but I haven't enjoyed constantly having to rescue him when he's teetering on the edge of a pile of them! On the other hand, they make great tunnels for his toys.

Now that the mess is easing up and we're getting back to normal (work also less busy, whereas it's been crazy and I've been doing loads of overtime for the past few weeks), we're going to focus on our Christmas train track (autumn one cleared up). It's still all about trains here so hoping DS will enjoy pushing them through the fake snow and delivering presents to all his engines .

We've had a few days of the three pigs 🐷 on our tuff tray. Toddler has loved it and I've left the craft stuff out on it so she's added to the houses and re attached any fallen off eyes and ears.

I've noticed with any organised craft she likes doing the structured bit for about 20 minutes but really loves a day or two of just doing her own thing with the materials.

The yoghurt pot and toilet roll characters have thoroughly been used and I find her re-enacting little bits of the story or just making new bits up. It's been lovely.

But all good things come to an end and I've cleared it away now. Trucks and Grimms rainbow and acorns on it today so it's less messy for me. Not sure it'll hold her attention though.

I'm going to do the postbox/Xmas cards tuff try on Tuesday. Hope everyone is well.

What's people's plans this week

Today I spent nearly 3hours at minor injuries as DS fell over at preschool. He banged his head and badly but his lip and they were concerned he was a bit dopey after. He's okay though, nothing major. We had to wait in the car to see the nurse and as I left in a flap I don't bring any snacks or toys so I basically had to rummage around in the car to find stuff to amuse him.

footprints your 3 little pigs sound great!

@Motherofmonsters thank goodness he was ok. Are you ok as I always think it's worse for the parents!

Trucks and rainbow were a flip but it was tidied away and mess free so no loss there. What she really loved today was using the sellotape dispenser. Not exactly Eco friendly but honestly she was silent for an hour.

Tonight I've changed it to the post office set up...I'm not even going to mention it to her.

@Motherofmonsters so glad he's ok

@footprintsintheslow what's that you've made the post box out of?

Over the last few days we've

• made a salt dough advent spiral
• made paper chains
• done lots of colouring in
• made brownies
• made pizzas

DH and DD have also been doing bits and pieces from the Blossom and Root preschool curriculum while I've been at work.

If any of you have children obsessed with Horrible Bing, the Bing website has actually got loads of fairly straightforward activities and printables- matching/memory games, Christmas decorations, a pop up theatre. Most of it it requires only the printed sheet, scissors and glue. We made the paper chains from it and we have a wreath all printed out and ready to go. There's a nice Bing bedtime routine chart which we've stuck on DD's bedroom door

I am a bit of a character snob usually but quite frankly I no longer care and DD loves it, so the bloody rabbit is apparently going to feature heavily in our Christmas decor this year

Glad everyone else is twitching madly regarding the early opening of Christmas presents. The Orchard Games in my wardrobe are calling to me...

Also everyone's activities look and sound great

MessAllOver, have you got one of those decorative Christmas train tracks that you put around the tree? I'm so tempted by the cheapo one I've spotted on Amazon, but I feel that it will be a one hit wonder and DD2 will probably squish it

@Motherofmonsters. So pleased your DS is ok but sorry to hear that you've had such a trying day!

@footprintsintheslow. That looks fantastic! Posting things is almost always a hit.

@ReallySpicyCurry. I'm tempted by the tree trains too, but they don't look very robust and what DS likes best is pushing the trains round the tracks and acting out various scenes between them (so Gordon from Thomas the Tank Engine pushing Percy out the way and saying "You silly small engine!" and things like that).

Plan is to re-watch all the Christmas episodes of Thomas and Friends and then set up the Christmas train track to deliver all the presents to the engines. I've splurged unjustifiably on the wooden Bigjigs santa train, some foil mini presents from Baker Ross and some fake snow, plus we have a few Christmas things from last year.

I am a bit of a character snob usually but quite frankly I no longer care and DD loves it, so the bloody rabbit is apparently going to feature heavily in our Christmas decor this year

DS loves Paw Patrol. I do not. However, as my mother pointed out, it is his Christmas as well as mine and so he is getting various plastic bits of Paw Patrol junk (second-hand to assuage my guilt about the plastic mountain). I know making up little stories between the characters will keep him busy for hours on end - sometimes you just have to sacrifice your principles for a bit of peace .

@Motherofmonsters Hope you're ok too, I agree its usually us mums that are most shaken up when they hurt themselves

@footprintsintheslow That's a lovely postbox set up. Have you read 'The Jolly Postman?' I thought it was a primary school classic but DH had never heard of it when I mentioned it.
If DD enjoys the post office game, she might also like 'offices' (paper, pens, old mobile, toy/broken laptop) DS1 would play that for hours in the first lockdown. Including answering the phone like DH!

We put the tree up today DS1 did all the decorating, I'm just going to move the small baubles DS2 can reach but apart from that it can stay as it is. Just waiting for everyone to fall asleep so I can get out the advent calendar and nativity scene.

(they're asleep, just at the twitchy stage!)

Thank you everyone, I'm okay just had the initial oh no. I think he's going to be one of those whose always hurting himself doing something. He can be a whirlwind sometimes.

I've got a gingerbread house kit to do tomorrow with DS. Im hoping it'll stay standing up

Glad your DS is OK @Motherofmonsters, hope you're doing alright too.

Thanks for the Bing recommendation @ReallySpicyCurry. DS loves it and he's getting some figures for his birthday on Friday, so extra activities will go down well. I think he might sort of understand this year so that's exciting, but I'm looking after him on Thursday and I wish I could get some of the stuff out then (so many jigsaws...).

Had a good weekend getting DS involved in making pizza and throwing things into streams and waterfalls. I like the idea of post office games for this week and it'll be interesting to see if DS is interested. @Camomila offices sounds genius - DS sometimes 'helps' me work (sits on my lap and types nonsense into word or draws on paint) but we've got some old computers around for him to bash.

@Motherofmonsters glad DS is ok! I’m amazed we’ve not ended up at A&E yet with mine, it can only be a matter of time... gingerbread house kit is a good idea, I might look out for one myself.

I too have a mass of secondhand Paw Patrol plastic wrapped in the cupboard. Though that is designated for his birthday in two weeks. I’m really excited to see his little face, apart from one Bing cuddly he’s never had character toys.

@ReallySpicyCurry good tip on the Bing printtables! I’ll have a look, need to get my printer hooked up. I’ve just bought a laminator to make various activities...

Gingerbread house was a success. Much easier than I was expecting.

@Motherofmonsters. Looks great! How long are you planning for it to stay intact ?

Well it's already missing some sweets!! I was hoping for tomorrow but it's not looking likely!!

@ReallySpicyCurry
The box is as on the floor in m and s food hall. I think it's from their fruit section.

Again the biggest hit of the day is the sellotape dispenser although the book under the pillow totally blew her away.

B and M do trains around tree things for £12.99. I've been tempted but I'm also trying to decluttered at the same time so I've resisted.

I'm a tv character snob too. I can deal with pyjamas at a push but no wellies or real clothes.

@Camomila the holly postman is being passed down to us by a friend. Such great books.
She does love to get her hands on my husbands work laptop. Him not so much.

@Motherofmonsters house looks fab and yummy. Smash it up and eat it so I don't have to think of it anymore.

@Motherofmonsters

Gingerbread house was a success. Much easier than I was expecting.

Very nice! Do you eat it yourselves or do you out it out for the birds to feast on?

Little one is in a right mood today! Food shop this morning, a game of emptying the food cupboards and putting it back, then took him to the park this afternoon but we only lasted 15 minutes as I hadn't brought the right toywith us so he had a full on meltdown. Back home now playing with water beads. TV is on in the background as I'm feeling rubbish today, headache all day. I've got a box of Christmas books for us to read through later on after bathtime :)

@Motherofmonsters glad your DS is okay! My toddler outdid herself by falling down the stairs yesterday, naturally when my car was having its MOT. Luckily she seemed totally fine. I was carrying the enormous 5 month old down stairs behind her and just screamed. I seriously thought she’d break at least an arm or something but she hasn’t a bruise on her. Poor wee thing was very shaken but fine after some calpol for her head and chocolate for her troubles. This last few days we’ve been able to get a lot of mileage out of pritt sticking things to cardboard boxes and making snowflakes by stealing daddy’s printer paper and hole punch.

We’re moving in two days, I can’t believe it! At long long last!

@LassoOfTruth you poor thing. Falling down the stairs is traumatic for everyone involved. I hope you had some chocolate too!

How is everyone?

Today I actually got around to a chicken activity. We stuck some feathers on cut out chicken shapes and a duck. They've lost their shape and there's glue and feather everywhere but DS had fun