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.

@LassoOfTruth you’re living my dream! (Well, my dream ideally involves central heating). When I’m not hanging out on mumsnet I’m on FB smallholding groups, pretending my six chickens count as livestock

Has anyone done softplay recently? I seriously considered booking it for today, but I can’t shake the idea that it’s too high a risk (they’re a bit germy and gross at the best of times!). I’d be ok with it if not for the fact that my mum is in our bubble and whilst she’s not in the CEV category she is very worried, about long covid in particular. She’s not really going anywhere so her risk is primarily us.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere. We're relatively relaxed but haven't done softplay. This is partly because most of the softplays near us have very sadly closed down for good, but also because I do genuinely think they are germ factories. Pre-Covid, I had no issue with this - I was happy for DS to get that germ exposure and build up his immune system. He's a healthy little bugger so I think it worked . Post-Covid, the situation is different of course. I wouldn't judge you at all for going, but personally it's not a risk I would take just before Christmas.

Thanks @footprintsintheslow! Where we are is a small community and everyone we’ve met so far has been lovely. It’s a beautiful spot, it’s just that the level of work needed to the house itself seems really intimidating at the moment. My next mission is to sort childcare for DD3 and DS, who’ll be 10 months when I go back to work. I’m very fortunate in that I can work from home, driving c.3.5 hours to the office maybe once a month. My job is quite full on but it’ll be a piece of cake after the last 6 months of effectively being a SAHM with virtually no childcare help at all (except for DH, who is fab but very busy at work during the day).

Had an absolutely lovely day yesterday, met up with a friend and her toddler, was bliss.

Stormed all night, don't know if it's disrupted DD's sleep or what, but she has been an absolute horror all morning,levels of horror I've rarely seen in her. Neighbour has left their back door open and it is banging manically to the point I can hear the vibrations. I've a migraine incubating and the weather is atrocious. DD won't even settle and watch TV for half an hour so I can close my eyes and let the tablets kick in, she's just throwing herself around and screaming for stuff she either can't have or doesn't really want. DH working til 8.30. Honestly where do I even start?

ReallySpicyCurry Aargh migraine + toddlers is the worst
My suggestion would be daytime bath with all the toys and bubble baths, while you watch and drink a cup of tea. The warm steam may even help your head a bit.
Then after she's had a bath she might watch some tv calmly while eating lunch and you can rest a bit more.

DS2 and I were out and about all day yesterday so having a calm day today - housework/playing with toys in the morning and a pushchair walk in the afternoon before we pick DS1 up from school.

I have a non pandemic related parenting question - when did your babies drop their second naps? DS2 has recently stopped napping in the afternoon (still naps in the morning) and then falls asleep in his highchair at dinner time. I'm thinking of keeping him awake all morning so he'll nap after lunch (he's 10.5 months)

@camomila DS switched to one long nap at about 1

@ReallySpicyCurry that sounds awful. Hope the tablets are working now and things with your DD are a bit better. I can't really think of anything to suggest, except maybe cuddles and stories so you can at least lie down - sometimes helps when DS is tired. Lots of sympathy

Camomila DD dropped her nap around the 10month mark, she usually has a nap 10.30 to 1 but some days she will nap early so has a quick 30min power nap later on

@ReallySpicyCurry how you coping?

My toddler doesn't nap, gave it all up
At 2y4mths but if I go out ok the car I can get her off. We don't normally go out but today was desperate as she was up singing for two hours in the night at 2am. Neither of us would've survived the day without a car ride. I parked up and had a cuppa whilst she napped and I looked at my phone. It was a blissful 45 minutes. Roll on 6pm!

Well, I kept the migraine at relative bay, DD has screeched on and off all day, we made it outside for some fresh air, we did things that didn't involve screens, and we both fell asleep sitting upright on the sofa from 3.15 until 4. So a mixed bag. Goodness knows what bedtime will look like thanks to the danger napping. But we're surviving.

reallyspicycurry I'm glad you managed to get some fresh air and are relatively okay. You've nearly made it to bedtime! DS also had a danger nap so I'll be doing the battle with you.

DD has been super clingy today, not sure if its age or teeth but I find it very frustrating. I'm not used to clinginess as they're usually happy for me to leave the room. My mum had her while I did the nursery run and she screamed the whole time I was gone which has never happened

Well done on survival @ReallySpicyCurry

@LassoOfTruth the house sounds amazing and terrifying all at once! I think it was Kate Humble who did a series on people doing similar moves which was really interesting.

DD is now 6 weeks and refuses so sleep in the day time without a nipple in her mouth, in my arms or in the sling. But I’ve started doing some gentle cardio (Lesley Sansone in youtube) with her in the sling. Im a fat lass but Im hoping to change that before I go back to work next year.

DS has finished at nursery for Christmas, he came home it’s the above item, which I am informed is a snowman, made me smile that our craft attempts at home are in a similar level to nursery’s!

@MonkeyPuddle at least you know it's authentic work and not done by the staff!

Hope you’re feeling better/getting through bedtime @ReallySpicyCurry, poor you. It’s so hard when kids are too young to sympathise with you/stop banging things etc!
I definitely feel like we’re just surviving in general these days. I’m stressed, and DD senses this, then reflects it back. Mostly we play games and have a lovely time, but haven’t got through a whole day without a tantrum/shouting episode since we moved. I know I have to try to be more calm but I’m definitely grumpy and anxious at the moment. I basically have no down time at all never mind time to do any unpacking etc. DS will only sleep if beside me but although this is very cute I sleep badly. Not good for the hip pain and sciatica, which makes mummy a wee bit shouty too. We always make up but I feel terrible if I lose my rag with her 😢

@LassoOfTruth it's so hard to parent in pain. I used to say 'ooh sciatica is painful isn't it". Now I've got it I know it's murder and some days totally crippling. Loads of sympathy from me to you. Are you taking anything? Co-codomol has saved me.

Does anyone here have any advice about sudden and fast potty accidents.
She's fully potty and toilet trained in the day. Lots of time to get to a toilet.

Then out of the blue this afternoon she starts having very tiny accidents with no warning. Literally "I need a wee" too late. She doesn't seem in pain either. And they are all tiny wees, so I thought cystitis at first but no pain?

Also we made the Christmas fairy cakes today so that went down well this morning.

@footprintsintheslow could be a UTI without pain as young children can display it differently or not at all.
I’d ring your surgery tomorrow for a same days telephone appointment and see if they want her urine testing. It’s what we do at our surgery (am a practice nurse)

@MonkeyPuddle thank you so much for the advice.

No worries @footprintsintheslow if she’s still in nappies the surgery should be able to give you a collection bag which you kinda gently tape to her and pop a nappy over the top. It’s great fun 🙃

@MonkeyPuddle I've got her morning wee caught in the potty so can send that in if they want it.

All seems well now and back to normal. Do you think I should ring anyway? Just conscious that's its Friday and no one wants to spend the weekend with a UTI but also don't want to go in unnecessarily.

I’d still give them a call and just see what they say. They might ask you to run the sample up to them so it can be dipped.

@MonkeyPuddle it is a UTI and blood in urine so thanks again for the advice. Luckily she isn't in pain at all but she's having antibiotics.

In other news I have to isolate for 8 days. Checked the app (no notification) and there it was telling me I need to isolate for 8 days so I'm guessing that message has been there for at least two days?

TV afternoon in our house.

@footprintsintheslow no worries lovely, glad she’s getting sorted and hopefully will save you having to clean up too many accidents!

That’s a ball ache about isolating, will you need to change Christmas plans?

We went to see Santa today, DS is 3.5 and really believes, it’s bloody lovely. We went to a local country house and they’ve got a cracking playground and a woodland walk, we were there for 4 hours! With no tantrums! It’s a Christmas miracle.
We’re all knackered now so we’ve already had tea,DS is in the bath and will be (unknowingly) going to bed an hour early. And then DP and I will crack open a bottle of red as a well done to us treat.

Does anyone have any easy, toddler proof vegetarian meals? Ideally one/two pot meals, DSD is coming for tea tomorrow and has recently gone veggie, we’re very much a meat and two veg family so I’m a bit stuck for ideas.

@MonkeyPuddle. Veg mac n cheese, three bean chilli or veg pizzas? Those tend to be our go to veggie options.

@footprintsintheslow. Glad LO is feeling ok and hope she's property better soon. Sorry to hear you have to isolate... what a ball's ache so close to Christmas.

Have retrieved all our craft stuff from the loft and planning some Christmas crafts for tomorrow. Today, we bumped into a friend at the playground and enjoyed take out coffee and mince pies in the rain under a tree. LOs did the obligatory puddle jumping.

Ooh thank you @MessAllOver I do a nice butternut squash Mac and cheese so I think I’ll do that with some veggie sausages, nice and easy!

@footprintsintheslow sorry to hear about the isolating and the UTI! I hope she’s feeling better now.
That sounds lovely @MessAllOver! We are in tier 3 and I haven’t found anywhere for them to meet santa this year. Santa did come in to nursery yesterday but I can’t say they were that impressed, particularly as they got given a book when DS1 said he’d asked for a toy 😂.
We are off to a NT property tomorrow and then we have decided to let them open one gift a day from Sunday to spread it out a bit. They will get their FC stockings on the 25th anyway but last year they were really over whelmed being asked to open loads of presents at once.