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.

Your bath sounds amazing @monkeypuddle.

We've made cupcakes today, DS wanted rainbow icing but it all got mixed up into a very appetising grey green. Weve also had the excitement of the shopping being delivered which DS gets very excited about.
No walk today, DD is late napping, it's wet and mostly I cant be bothered.

@MonkeyPuddle

Oh helps if I attach the picture

I'm going to have to order one of those!!

@Motherofmonsters are you me? We've made cupcakes too (parma violet flavoured) and I can't even face a walk to the shops in the rain, though might attempt it in an hour if it eases off..

Monkey puddle that is class!

Cornetto in the bath - incredible idea

@Motherofmonsters we did rainbow handprint painting today, DS’s turned sludge grey in about 4 seconds 😂

Pudding in the bath is a big treat in our house, I randomly use it with no warning and it’s always very exciting. Especially when it’s a no pudding night and I take him up a bowl of sponge and custard 😂

I want cupcakes now. But absolutely not ones that I’ve made with the assistance of a small child.

Thanks all for the kind words on preschool. He was a little unsure this morning but bounded out this afternoon, falling over himself to tell me about his great day.

@MonkeyPuddle that bath sounds epic!

Joining as our nursery has just closed with a positive case. Dreading the next ten days.

@Needallthesleep ouch! Is your little one having to isolate? When ours closed my boy wasn’t actually a contact. Hopefully you can get some good ideas from this thread.

@Needallthesleep so frustrating, what sort of things is your DS/DD into?

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere glad your DS had a good day at preschool, sounds like it was the right thing for your family.

DS always comes out of nursery happy, and we here good things about his day, but he still doesn't really tell us about it. Had a chat with his speech and language therapist yesterday and while I know his speech and language is quite delayed, for some reason it was really tough listening to her describing him at nursery - he sounded so much younger than he is (labelling things with one word, asking for things with one word etc). He uses longer phrases at home (sometimes needs reminding), but it's pretty much just saying what he can see, asking for things and quoting stories, and I think because I don't see other children I'm sometimes in denial about how delayed his speech and language actually is. And I asked about him reciting large sections of stories and she admitted it wasn't usual. I don't know why but just feeling really upset about it today, and what it might mean for DS in the future - and whenever I hear people talking about their toddlers/pre-schoolers chatting about things I feel sad that we don't get that, and that there's probably loads going on in his head he can't tell us about. Sorry, just wanted to say that to someone - back to being positive.

Love the idea of a shared pancake day - we often do blueberry pancakes for breakfast which are pretty popular (DS has been known to give me the baking powder as a less than subtle hint). How are all your flipping skills? I need a spatula - DH can do it properly so he generally does pancake day round here.

And tempted with some form of cupcake and icing tomorrow. Famous last words.

@prettygirlincrimsonrose we’re in a similar position with speech. My boy has just turned three, has lots of single words (though anyone other than me would struggle to understand most of them), a few phrases, mostly labelling/instructions. Most of the time I kind of forget about it and just get enthusiastic about new words, or when he puts two together. But then my friends who have the same age kids were sharing a little questionnaire thing to ask the little ones and saying what funny responses they had, and it made me very sad thinking of how behind my boy is and worrying about him catching up. It’s one reason I’m happy to have him back at preschool, lots of exposure to adults and children talking.

@prettygirlincrimson how old is you're little one? My DS was referred as having a speech delay at 2/2.5 but now since he turned three it's come on loads. He got missed as it was right at the first lockdown so we haven't actually seen the therapist yet so I'm not sure how much of a delay he has though.
It is hard to hear what others say and i know the worry for the future. It looks like DS has sensory processing difficulties so will need extra things in place and I worry about how he'll get on with actual school as he struggles at Preschool.

Today we've done lots of play doh and set up a dominoes run. It's miserable outside so doubt I'll be braving it.

My tuff tray still hasn't arrived, they've sent another one and looks like that ones missing to

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere Thanks, it's nice to know it's not just us. And definitely, me and DH get really enthusiastic about how far he's come in the last year, just having one of those days today.

@Motherofmonsters He was 3 in December. It's come on loads in the sense he'll copy pretty much anything we say, so he's definitely willing to try and use language, but we don't really get that thing of putting words together in odd ways to express what he's thinking that you sort of associate with little children. We were going to a talking toddlers group and the last session was cancelled because of COVID, then moved to occasional meetings with a speech therapist and activities to do at home. Current therapist went to nursery yesterday, and she's seen him a few times over video at home. Guess it depends where you are in the country, but might be worth asking what's available.

@MessAllOver Love the assault course idea, especially the sitting with a cup of tea while you time him! I introduced DS to the floor is lava game, but he wanted me to go round all the chairs/cushions too (only so many times you want to do that when 7 months pregnant!)

Evening all.

to those who need it.

We’ve got 40mph winds and sleet forecast tomorrow so we’re going to be in all day. Going to play some 5 minute mum games, I’ve attached the pages from the book in the pictures. Quick and easy to set up, so if he doesn’t want to play I’m not annoyed/let down by it!

The number thief game I’ll be swapping for the letters of his name as he’s starting to show a little interest in letters.

Other plans include reading the new Thomas the tank engine books I got today off Facebook, attempting to get DD to nap and getting through the day until 5pm when I can hand the kids over to DP and escape to the kitchen to cook tea 😂

And this one

Hope everyone is having an OK week. Thanks @MonkeyPuddle, some good ideas there!

We've turned our tuff tray into a potting station and going to start potting some seeds tomorrow. It's a bit early to start them outside but we're going to get a head start by putting some on the windowsills and using empty bottles as mini greenhouses. In the meantime, DS is enjoying filling the little pots with soil using a plastic spoon and planting some fake 'seeds' (old cardamom pods).

What are you sowing @MessAllOver? I'm trying to hold back, it's really too early, but I'm absolutely itching to get stuck in, and I keep thinking some sweet peas may be OK...

I actually got a delivery of bagged compost, left it in the living room for a bit and DD had great fun climbing/sliding down the bags.

I have, gasp, toddler free time tomorrow

Can I join? I’ve just found you!

3yo is in a testing phase right now. Cute as a button, but strong willed and speech delayed.

Before Xmas we cut the dummy at night time, and getting her to sleep is a task unto itself. It’s my own fault for being quietly smug she used to cuddle in to bed, after a kiss and go straight to sleep. Thankfully once she’s asleep that’s usually her for the night

for all those who need it

Ooh, I’m liking the tuff tray as potting table idea. I’m doing a short online course on growing cut flowers soon, I wonder if they’ll have a toddler module! I start getting itchy to get out in the garden at this time of year.

I’ve ordered one of these amazon.co.uk/dp/B08GHKZ1KN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_oJicGbPYW1CS2]] and am hoping to be able to copy a FB post I saw today by using it as a tap over a tuff tray, recycling the water. DS1 is obsessed with running water, and my water bill cannot take it!

Ah my people, hello.

Joining the ranks here. My two tiny overlords are 3yr3mo DS1 and 14mo DS2. DS1's preschool he was due to start in Jan is still shut and no childcare bubble for either of them, just old muggins here. We live in a little flat as well so we are tripping over each other a bit. DP is out at work 4 days a week and I wfh, usually getting most of it done after bedtime.

Today consisted of me being Elsa for about 3 hours this morning. DS1 watching 45 mins of pingu whilst I got ds2 off for his first nap (he woke at 5.45am). Then lunch followrd by a rainy trip to the deserted playground near where we live.

I'm very much used to the 24/7 mumming now and actuslly enjoying spending time with them both. But jeeeeeez I will be happy when ds1 can start his preschool!!

Does anyone have a tuff tray and live in a flat? Am also off to have a gander at kinetic sand!

This sounds like an incredible idea @WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere but the link is not working for me - if possible could you post a screenshot? Or the name of the product? Thank you

Welcome @MaizeBlouse!

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere I am also fascinated as to the mystery link 😁

Hi and welcome @MaizeBlouse! Highly recommend the kinetic sand, I got some because of this thread and its given me literally hours while my 2yr old peacefully messes around with it!

So I'm doing a mix of vegetables/salad/ herbs and flowers. So far I've sown a few cherry tomato plants, spinach, basil, salad leaves and rocket. I love growing spinach because there's lots of pasta recipes which only call for a little bit and you have to buy a whole bag so the rest always goes to waste...so frustrating! Same for mint in Pimms .

Flowers, I'm going to do a few black-eyed Susans, coreopsis, borage, shasta daisies, cornflowers, salvias and penstemons... and a few of those little star flowers that fill gaps. Not all at once though . Just a couple of each... our garden is tiny but we have some big wooden planters and a corner flower bed to fill since not much survived the winter.

Last year we left it too late and it was August by the time most of our plants flowered and we got tomatoes for our salads so hoping to get ahead this year by starting things inside.

Meanwhile, DS is excited about his "seeds" growing. I have a few gayflowers I started a couple of weeks ago which have already sprouted so I might pretend those are his plants in a day or two. He'd be so pleased!

Empty juice bottles make great mini greenhouses, btw... When the weather is warmer, you can hang them on the fence outside.

The link cuts off every time I preview. Weird. I’ve attached a screenshot. I just searched for “water bottle pump” and there were loads. They are designed to sit on one of those huge water bottles - the post I saw the mum had made a stand from duplo (genius woman!) so the pipe rests on the tuff tray and draws the water up.

@MaizeBlouse welcome! I was working during lockdown 1, with one child, you sound like superwoman to be managing it with 2!

@Badgerling I’m scared of removing the dummy for this reason! He only has it at night, so the speech therapist has told us not to worry about it, but it’s got to go some time.