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.

@Motherofmonsters of god, never stand downwind of a wee! Open the wine, you deserve it.
I used to work in an endoscopy department as a staff nurse, doctor was pulling the camera out of the patient and was to pass it to my ready and waiting arms, expect he swing round like a bloody windmill and slapped that fresh out of an arse scope right across my face. Good day at work that.

I've been so behind on this thread but I'm glad I took the time to read it and not skip to now...absolutely hilarious.

We've had ups and downs. Two kids at home is much harder than teaching 30 kids in school. Lots of tears from me on Tuesday but decided I'd forget having any plans to do anything other than parent. The last two days have been much better.

I even did a five minute mum game today... photos from book below.

I'm going to do these games tomorrow:

@Camomila a very big and very happy first birthday to your little one :)

Oh @Motherofmonsters, I Remember My Little One Weeing in DH eye When He was Only A few months old.

Water Pump has gone Down extremely well Here, thank You So much!

Apologies for the random capital letters in last post

I was too tired today so I had a bit of a snooze while letting DS drive toy diggers over me :o

It didn't last very long. I think he's having a growth spurt as well, he is constantly hungry. He was up for 2 hours+ in the night.

@MonkeyPuddle @Motherofmonsters sorry for both of your accidents but I have to admit they really tickled me on a really crap day. So thanks for that 😂

Pregnancy fatigue is getting to me here, just about managing to keep DD fed and watered and then I need a lie down. Haven't even managed our daily walk today so she's going to be crawling the walls tomorrow...

Haha I laughed too, sorry!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. Less good day here today, DH and I both working, DS2 teething, DS1 naughty and bored. No home schooling got done.

Can't wait for Saturday! (although we'll have to catch up on the home schooling, but at least not while doing work too).

[brew ]Yaaawn.

Oh no @monkeypuddle, that sounds grim. Glad I could cheer some up, it certainly made our usual walk more rememberable.

Sorry for those having a tired/rubbish day I've had a crappy couple of days to so something must be in the air. DD just won't sleep. (She never really sleeps but has been much worse)

It sounds horrendous outside at the moment, I hope it doesn't stay so we can go out later.

Sorry for laughing at that you’ve had some unfortunate accidents! I changed a nappy the other day. Afterwards found poo on the back of my hand. How?!

Struggling with routine at the moment. DS2 started weaning, doing some purées at the moment, but struggling to fit that in somehow! Mostly because we tend to be a grazing household for breakfast and lunch, maybe if we start doing more set meal times sitting round the table together that will help. Does anyone keep to a fairly set routine for their day?

Had a chat with some other preschool mums at pick up yesterday, established that their kids also refuse to go for walks now. Which was reassuring! Apparently one demands that she will only walk if there is a destination. Can’t fault that really!

We have a routine but it's not very 'proper', DS eats his breakfast watching TV and DD will sometimes have it in her highchair or picnic style depending on what it is. She doesn't really like breakfast so usually just has some dry hoops and a bit of fruit. DD then sleeps through our lunch which we have 11.30/12ish and has it in her highchair after while I tidy up before we go out. We have dinner all around the table together at 5/6ish.

Rainbow rice is winning again today, DS asked for it and has been merrily amusing himself for ages. It might be going up there with Kinetic sand, although there is rice everywhere but I can sweep

I’ve put rice, food colouring and sandwich bags on my big shop.

I blame you lot 😂

You wont regret it MonkeyPuzzle. We have hours of fun (by which I mean independent play while I have a cuppa and read Simple Things magazine). Does anyone have any good ideas for extending rice play? Apart from just playing with it with cups etc/ mixing it, we do diggers/ trucks, measuring out portions for dolls, mixing in/ picking out sequins. Would love any other ideas. Am going to get some proper measuring cups, inspired by the rainbow rice tuff tray!!

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere we have a fairly strict routine, however it’s mostly because baby DS was 6 wks premature and had 3 wks in NICU. He is formula fed and his weight gains are still closely monitored, he must feed at set times so I know I am offering enough. I wrote down his feed times and built our toddlers routine/ routine for other stuff around it. However I bf DD for 14 months so I know how different that is and not so routine led! Tbf we are shielding so a strict routine doesn't hamper our activities at all either. If I’m having a bad day the routine can help me see a way to the end of it which is sometimes helpful but In other circs I would be more baby/ toddler led. I mean I just basically found it v difficult to do a routine at all with DD when bfeeding!! Hope it is going well for you now or you have otherwise found a good way forward for feeding.

I would say the routine has made some aspects of toddler DD (2.5 yrs) easier to manage. We used to have a hell of a time getting her puddlesuit on and getting her out, but now because she knows we go out every day straight after lunch (if not catastrophic rain) she now complies easily. Same with her dinner/ bed/ bath routine. We had a kind of routine before, since we have had a strict every day routine it goes without a hitch 99% of the time. Thats just her though she loves a routine, not all do I guess? A very boring way to live but what else is there to do atm anyway

That point about getting puddle suit on is a very interesting one, I expect that’s partly why nursery find such things easier! I might try to keep to more of a schedule as lockdown makes it easy. DS2 is bottle fed on demand, and he’s pretty much set himself a schedule (eat, play, sleep, play, eat) so we’ll set it round him. I do think DS1 prefers a routine, and he’s getting the hang of now/after/later.

Which reminds me of another tip! I got some sand timers from Amazon, and I’ve been using them for activities. So I can say “ok, five more minutes and then we need to xyz” and I put the five minute timer where he can see it. Or set the 15 minute one for a TV break. We’ve been struggling with stopping things/transitions, and this seems to help.

I don’t think we have a routine as such, not a strict one anyway. Apart from meal times, they’re at set times 😂
But I’m always mindful to give DS warning about transition and telling him the plans, so I’ll say ‘after lunch we will do XYZ’ and tell him a few times, really seems to help.

(Ah crap, everyone ignore the name change fail please!)

We deffo do the five minute warning, then two and then one.
We always say Bye to things as well, leaving the house/park/shop, wherever, he knows if he’s said bye then it’s time to go.

Sandtimers - brilliant idea. Going to get one immediately for getting dressed in the morning!

Great idea with the saying bye too. So simple but I hadnt thought of it. Love this thread! Sometimes I venture into AIBU and have to come back here immediately for the relative calm

@Lostthetastefordahlias I get too stressed if I spend too much time in AIBU! I’ve bookmarked “threads I’m on” so I can come straight here and to a couple of other long running ones, and attempt to steer clear of getting involved elsewhere...

We say “bye” a lot too. Helps with TV going off!

We do the saying goodbye to, it just seems to click with him.
I've found counting down from 5 works wonders for getting him to do something to.

@Lostthetastefordahlias I found these which I thought looked fun and simple. I haven't done them yet though

And the one that didn't attach