Trapped toddler parents of the fabled Winter 2020/2021. Puddle suits at the ready..hello Christmas!

[footprintsintheslow]

New thread as the other one is running out.

A place to find find and share ideas of how to get through these crazy times with lockdowns and babies and toddlers.

New members welcome.

Rain here too, sigh.

@MonkeyPuddle good luck with the appointment. Hope they can find an answer

Send help, it's going to be one of those days...

DS woke at 5, is purposely not listening to me and has already cried a billion times. DD has worked out how to get on the sofa by herself as I discovered when my back was turned dealing with DS

Wow. Thanks for introducing me to kinetic sand. Mine arrived this morning and my DD loves it! She never plays independently but happily sat for 15 minutes squidging it up and making stamp shapes while I fed DD2. It's a miracle! Now to hide it and bribe her with it throughout the next few weeks 😆 we also got into birds this morning. I had a delivery of bird feeders and food arrive so we filled them up and put them out for the birds 'lunch' and we are regularly watching them out the patio window to see if they have come yet.

Going to get some kinetic sand I think!

Does anyone have any good waterproof toddler glove/mitten recommendations? DS has lovely merino wool mittens which are great for keeping his hands warm but they get soaking wet in minutes at the park. It was a mercifully dry day today though and we had a lovely trip to the playground. Think will attempt some painting this afternoon.

@MonkeyPuddle good luck with your appointment. My DD has also dropped from 96th centile to 50th because her tongue tie reattached (nightmare). It’s been cut again and I think feeding is going better now so I’m hoping she’s on the up. Stressful when they drop down and I’m just relieved she had a buffer by being so big to start with!

Doc has prescribed omeprazole, it’s been ordered by the chemist so should be in on Tuesday, fingers crossed!! @FolkSongSweet hod that sounds stressful for you, hopefully now it’s been divided she’ll chunk up. MyDD was just over 10lbs so she’s got a bit to spare but I don’t want her dropping any further, I’d also like to give my nips a break from the constant feeding!

Gloves wise I bought a 3 pack from Asda and just swap them over when he starts complaining but he’s pretty tolerant of them being a bit wet.

We’ve had the sand out again, legit don’t know how I parented without it 😂 I keep ours on a lap tray and just slide it under the sofa and the pop it on the dining table to play with, the tray keeps it’s pretty contained. We’ve had the duplo dinos in it today. I like that I can leave it out all day and it doesn’t dry out, DS will just keep going back to it.

He’s currently playing his magnatiles and telling me he won’t share his toys with his sister when she’s a big girl, bodes well!

Hope your day has improved @Motherofmonsters
but I wouldn’t judge you for opening the plonk to get through the day!

I love kinetic sand to, DS will play with it for hours!

Our day improved until DS went flying off his bike and has cut up all his hands and chin. He was very good about it after he stopped sobbing. He got back on so was fine. I think MIL is traumatised though, she got it on video. Am I a terrible parent to ask her to send it to me?

@MonkeyPuddle hope the omeprazole helps. Hopefully will help with the constant feeding - my boy did that, I think it’s to soothe their throat because the reflux is painful. Both my boys dropped a fair bit of weight and ended up with a CMPA diagnosis.

@MummaBear4321 bird feeder watching is a favourite here too! I got some nice bird Flashcards from Little Robin Education, we’ve started matching them to the birds we see.

DH working from home today, so we got out for a walk at lunchtime. Nice because we live in a lovely place, but I can’t really go out from our front door with both kids on my own. Now time for snack + Bing + sit down.

It’s my birthday soon, I’m wondering what I can ask for which would make getting out and about easier!

@Motherofmonsters you’ve had a bit of a shitter of a day there! Hope he’s ok!

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere Yeah I’m pretty sure she’s in pain, she was badly with it the other night and I gave her some calpol, I know you’re not meant to before 12w but I figure she had it with her immunisations and was fine. She did settle after it as well.

We’ve got a load of freezing food that has rolled in, I’ve dispatched DP and DS out in the garden as DD is finally asleep and I want 10 minutes without someone touching me or talking to me.

Yucky hideous rain here too.

After seeing our bubble for my 2 days off I've missed my little ratbag for the two days he's been with pil for childcare! The tufftray has finally arrived and ds merrily causing havoc with waterbeads whilst I drink coffee and try to remember how ball pit balls were annoying in their ability to spread everywhere compared to this...

Sorry to those having a tough time, sending solidarity!

Folk song, oohhh both mine had ties, both reattached twice. Honestly so so stressful. They were such skinny babies it was awf and I spent my whole time fretting about them and about my milk supply.
I completely sympathize. Make sure you get some me time mini breaks if you can it's awful, and the maternal stress side if things is woefuully under recognised.

Hi all! Hope you don't mind me jumping on. 16 month old here and due another in April so dragging a big bump around with me as well now! Feel like walking my head against the wall most days doing the same old rainy walks so hoping for some inspiration on this thread.

Will also be banking some ideas for when next one comes along and I'm stuck on the sofa feeding all day! DH has just got a new job working from home so I'm sure I'll be passing off the newborn to him during his conference calls... 😂

@Souperspooker so did you have to get them cut three times?! Sounds like I’m in the same boat as you were - mega stressed about my supply 😢. She won’t be put down either so is attached to me day and night. Really hard to play properly with DS1 though we did get some good games with his train set today while she slept in the sling. We also managed some bubble painting yesterday which he really enjoyed. Lockdown is really starting to grate on me!

Folksong sweet. Main lesson in learned was don't worry about the formula. You're supply is magic and will come back. If they're tummy is full they will sleep and you can rest.
Read anything by la leche league, or Kelly mom nothing else or it causes panic. And they'll be ok in the end. Kids survive famine etc, both mine, now 2 and 6 perfect and lovely and full of normal troubles.

Get a private lactation consultant, worth every penny. Usually v short term also.

Very testing day today, little one has been a moany hole alllllllll daaayyy! I think he's getting a cold though. I hope everyone has had a better day than I have! 😂

@PinkDaydreams

Very testing day today, little one has been a moany hole alllllllll daaayyy! I think he's getting a cold though. I hope everyone has had a better day than I have! 😂

Sorry to see you've had a rubbish day, sending good day vibes for tomorrow. We've had a wet miserable very moany day today too. DS is currently in the middle of molar teething hell...

Must be a sunday thing! We also had a very trying morning and first half of the afternoon- ds had a night terror the night before then still got up at 5.50 so he was very overtired and ratty with a penchant for tipping out glasses of water onto the floor. Managed to turn the end of the day around with a park trip and soap foam play but blimey there were moments when I cursed this bloody lockdown!

We have decided to give toilet training a go, few accidents but did manage to hold it for the hour or so at park then use the toilet when we got back so that was a win.

I caved and ordered some kinetic sand when I found out DH was working today. Absolute win, DS1 played with it on and off all day, plus it’s all back in the box not on my floor! Also gave our new kids knives their first proper outing, he loved them, mushrooms and peppers chopped for the stew! (Then an absolute meltdown over having to put the knife away but let’s skate over that). Baby is teething so that’s fun...

I’ve ended up in tears the last couple of days over how hard everything is. I’ve ended up deciding that DS1 will go to preschool next week. I don’t really want to send him, I’d rather keep him off for a bit longer, but I think as a family we are at breaking point now, and this is the only option. He absolutely adores it there and was super excited when I told him (it’s been almost a month as he was ill before Christmas).

But back on the positives, I have booked a holiday for us for June! I am looking forward to it already and sticking my fingers in my ears if anyone says it might be cancelled

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere. We love our kinetic sand here! Thank you to the pp who suggested it. Kept DS busy for 20 mins yesterday while I made dinner without bothering me for a "snack" and tantruming because it was refused.

It's such a difficult decision to make about pre-school. Fwiw, I do think my own DS benefits hugely from being with other children and the health risks are very small even for children with underlying conditions. But it's such a tough call .

Play ground, essentials shop and book reading this morning all went well. But then after lunch decided to take little one for a walk on his reins......disaster! Swinging off them, throwing himself on the floor kicking and screaming, refusing to walk, sobbing, banging his head on the wall/floor, covering ears....I put this down to his ASD but then could this just be normal 3 year old behaviour? To be honest I had a feeling it would happen as this is 'the norm' when walking on reins but thought I'd persist in trying anyway.

Oh and his birthday went well, thank you for all of the suggestions! Printer ink had annoyingly dried up so couldn't print off gruffalo pics as planned but went for a rainbow theme instead. He loved the balloons and streamers, so much so that the balloons are still keeping him entertained!🎈

for all those having a tough time.

I thought I'd let you know that the internal SADS clock I seem to possess is telling me that the winter is just starting to turn properly upward towards spring again. The little gains in daylight have some more momentum behind them. We've a long way to go, but progress is being made. Half way through January. Two weeks until February - Candlemas, pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, heart themed crafts on Valentine's Day, snowdrops. Then March, and March is practically a home run. Almost there.

I was thinking - and this might sound a bit daft/tragic/cringey, but wouldn't it be nice if we could all do a sort of mass virtual pancake day? I don't know, it just seems like the next day with greatest toddler appeal. Not sure what this would look like - can we just spend as much of the day as possible making heaps pf pancakes, plus varied and bonkers toppings, and take pictures of the finished project? Is this sleep deprivation talking?

A mass Puddlesuit Pancake Flip

@PinkDaydreams my boy flops to the floor and lays there if I try to put reins on him, I’ve never successfully managed to use them. I have resorted occasionally to him just wearing the little harness so I have a grab handle for emergencies! His birthday sounds lovely.

@ReallySpicyCurry yes I’ve just in the last day or two started to feel like we’ve turned a corner in the year. I’ve ordered a calendar (after a strop/sulk about it being pointless because it’ll be as blank as 2020’s was), I think I’ll put some of those themes on it for ideas as I go! Totally up for synchronised pancake flipping - but if anyone gets one stuck on the ceiling then photographs will be required!

Morning all!
Hope we’re all holding up ok. Weather is shite here, wet and windy, will be for the next 3/4 days. Joy!
Having a home day today, been making an assault course for DS, involves jumping over the change mat, tip toes on some tape I’ve taped on the floor, spin around and then run back to the start, he has to do it 20 times in one go, so far he’s done 5 sets 😂 also means I can sit with a cuppa whilst counting him!

@ReallySpicyCurry I’m very much up for Team Muddy Puddle pancakes! I’m starting to feel more positive now, still have crappy down days, but I’m with you on the changing seasons, once I start seeing snowdrops and crocuses I’ll be happy.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere I’ve kept DS at nursery (he’s 3.5) today’s a week since September, they’ve not had a bubble burst yet and frankly he has more fun there than he does a at home and I get a break from tag teaming him and the baby.
Do what you need to do, we are in an emergency parenting situation and we do what we need to keep going. Chin up beautiful

Oh I bought this bath light for DS. He LOVED it. We got in the bath together, turned the big light out, turned on our disco light and ate cornettos. Beat bath I’ve had in a long time!

Oh helps if I attach the picture