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.

@footprintsintheslow. Loving your snow-themed tuff! Could you add some kitchen roll tubes to it to stuff the snowballs in? Or some cars to get stuck in the snow?

DS has almost destroyed our Christmas train-track now and the fake snow has melted into an unpleasant sticky residue, but one thing he's still enjoying is stuffing all the cotton balls into the train tunnel and then making his trains get stuck in a "snow-block".

I'm a bit crafted out here now. We did play doh yesterday which I always find faintly traumatic - we had some of those little pots which we'd been given as a gift and they started out all pristine unmixed colours and ended up a globby, multicoloured mess. DS loved it though and we had tears when I could stand it no longer and insisted on everything being put away.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere. Is your LO having fun with his paw patrol toys? Can't wait till Friday to give DS his mound of dog-themed plastic junk. He's going to love it.

@MessAllOver he’s still a bit mesmerised by them! Hasn’t 100% got the hang of reenacting rescues etc (he has started imaginative play, but not quite so complex), but running round the house with the various flying ones yelling Fly Fly (pronounced Die Die...) is much fun . Was lovely giving it to him - little chorus of wow, wow as he opened them!

Also agree on the painful mixing of play dough colours. My mum was the first to introduce mixing the colours, I was unimpressed! I tried the imagination tree recipe last week for the first time, it was brilliant! Much easier to cope with destruction now we have a cheap supply.

Some more Christmas crafts today I think, we’ve not had the paints out for a few days. He got several Orchard Games for his birthday so we might try one of them later.

@JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff my boy has just turned 3 but isn’t really talking yet, so we’ve not done the list for Santa. He did do one at preschool (lots of careful scribbles) so I have no idea whether he’s understood the concept!

@Camomila writing a plan together sounds like a really good idea. DS1 is just starting to grasp some concepts of time/date so I think that kind of thing would help us here normally as well as in Christmas week. I’m lucky that we have a study for DH to work from home - but we kept getting arguments until I put my foot down that if he wants to be left alone he needs to be in it with the door shut. If he’s anywhere else in the house he’s fair game either for the toddler to demand games or for me handing him the baby so I can pee alone

DTwins 2y10m currently singing their new hit "Out of My Backside" (tune: Into the Unknown)
They'd get along well with DS1, I'm constantly saying "no one wants to hear about your bottom/willy" sigh

We also made a winter snow scene, it was a bit boring for DS1 (whose train tracks usually span the whole living room) but it was fun decorating it and DS2 enjoyed destroying it.

Board games planned today for DS2s naptime.

@Camomila. Love your train track! Especially the adorable penguins. We're real train fans here...DS's tracks dominate our whole living room and I'm always buying new bits second hand (though DH has asked me to stop, since we've filled our third big box ).

Keeping one contained on the tuff tray was tough, but the novelty of presents to carry in cargo trucks, as well as trees to knock down and relocate, and snowballs on the line to bash into, seems to have kept DS busy.

Just realised we haven't done all that much reading in the past couple of days, so might to a Christmas-themed book tuff tray and collage for tomorrow.

@MessAllOver I have plenty of cardboard types as I've frantically saved them all since March as if they could somehow save us if we got in dire need! Thanks for the ideas.

I also have to very brave with the cross contamination from colours when the playdough comes out.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere we aren't doing a Santa letter or list. What if she asked for something that's not already in my attic as a hand me down from eldest child 🤪

@Camomila lovely tuff tray scene. I love a snowy train scene, more than the toddler actually.

I'll be packing up the tuff tray tomorrow in time for Xmas. I might set up a baby washing one in the garden as it's supposed to me mild here tomorrow.

Cleaning downstairs and a Christmas film this afternoon is our plan. That means toddler has to play independently or follow me and we chat.

@cardboard tubes

Morning all.
Impressive winter scenes!
DP and I had a long chat, he’s feeling the pressure from work etc and needed to switch off apparently, discussed why that wasn’t fair on me. I’m sure it’ll improve and then get work in a month or two. I feel resigned to it.

We’re off to the park in a bit, got sarnies wrapped up and we’ll get a hot choc to warm up from the cafe.

I’m not feeling crafts at the minute, I’m feeling a bit numb as well, as mentioned up thread. I’m just tired of this year, I’m wondering if I’m starting with a touch of PND again so I’m going to keep tabs on myself. Or I might just be knackered.

We are crafted out too. I've decided it's ok. It's cold and crisp here and I'm solo parenting from now until 6pm on Christmas eve, so I've decided to concentrate on getting outside as much as possible. Then in January I'm going to have a proper go through of my books, resources etc and make some plans for the really tricky bit, aka January to March.

Love all the snowy train tracks! DC is getting a train/track set for Christmas and I think DH is looking forward to it more than his own presents .

We've been doing lots of not very festive playdoh and digger games recently, at DC's request. It definitely feels strange this year (lockdown not withstanding) as DC who is 2.5 doesn't really quite "get" Christmas but is also big enough to know it's something different to normal. Going to try to space out his presents over a few days and then will put some away to provide "new" things to do over the next few months, especially if we end up staying in tier 4 for a while.

Hope all the pregnant/newborn mums are doing well, I find things hard going with one so my full respect to you all right now!

I also wanted to ask what people were doing with regards to Christmas Dinner and small people - easier to have as a family or wait and have a grown ups only meal post bedtime?

@modge I’m sure he will love the train set, ours has been a massive hit from the day we got it. I’ve got some expansion pieces from Lidl to add to it for one of DS’s gifts, can’t wait to see his face when he opens them.

We’re having lunch at 3pm, but DS is going to exDPs for his lunch at 2, I kinda think it doesn’t really matter what or when the kids eat at Christmas, DS is usually to excited with toys. We usually have bacon sarnies mid morning to tide us through to lunch.

@modge eat together I think.

We'll eat together but DH and I will tag team DD. After the first 15 minutes or so our Christmas Dinner tends to be a pretty casual, long drawn out affair anyway.

I just hope nothing gets in the way of my Christmas dinner this year. Three years running I've eaten nothing despite cooking half the damn thing (my dad does the bird and some spuds, I do the rest - though this year I'm doing a bird too as we're having goose and a turkey crown) Two years of norovirus and one of hypermesis. Couldn't even enjoy watching the girls open presents, I was so ill.

I've told everyone that if similar happens this Christmas, I'm actually cancelling it in future.

@modge. We're eating together at around 5pm (having a big brunch at 11am) but will release DS after 20 mins and put his favourite cartoons on TV. He can play with his toys and watch TV in the living-room while DH and I keep an eye on him through the door from the kitchen (benefits of a small house !) and finish our meal in peace.

We'll save pudding and champagne for when he's asleep. He'll have an ice cream as not a fan of Christmas pudding.

DS2’s dream feed went very wrong and he is partying 🤨. Normally a bottle around 11-12 pushes him through til past 6am nicely.

We normally eat around two, will keep to that, DS1 can have an early lunch at 12, then either sit with us or play (our conservatory is dining room + playroom) whilst we eat. He’ll probably be ready for his dinner as we finish lunch!

I’ve got a Christmas Day food hamper ordered from the local pub. Due to collect it Christmas Eve afternoon and starting to get slightly twitchy about what happens if anything goes awry!

Crafts here are normally very low maintenance - I have a box with lots of stickers (baker Ross), crayons, and some coloured paper. I draw him a (terrible) picture and he colours it and covers in stickers. It’s a surprisingly engaging activity at the moment.

Some toy dinosaurs arriving here Christmas Day. I’m looking forward to the tuff tray opportunities!

DD had a five hour cluster feeding session.
I mean, she’s cute and I love her, but she’s taking the piss with that
Have been browsing the baker ross reduced section. Going to order some Christmas craft packs and pack them away with the baubles when I take the decorations down so that I can fish them out next year.

Have promised DS we will playdough today, it engages him completely, can last a good hour, can also do it with DD hanging off my boobs.

We spent 3 hours in the park yeaterday, we took sandwiches and shared a hot chocolate from the cafe, he behaved beautifully, it was a really lovely day. I am not holding out much hope for today!

We eat all together at 1 (there will be canapes before hand to tide the DC over). Luckily both DC have inhereted my Italian genes and will sit at the table for ages chatting/listening to us. DS1 is hilarious and sounds like a politician/local dignitary making small talk.
(neither are great sleepers though, I'm convinced DC are either good eaters or good sleepers)

DH is doing the big Christmas shop right now, as DS2 was awake I gave him breakfast, put him in his bear suit and sent him too. Am now in bed with coffee...I reckon I've got till 7.30-8 before DS1 wakes up

We spent 3 hours in the park yeaterday, we took sandwiches and shared a hot chocolate from the cafe, he behaved beautifully, it was a really lovely day. I am not holding out much hope for today!
That does sound nice, our best days are also local park for ages then cafe on the way back.

Am hoping for a break in the rain today to take DS1 out for fresh air. As the park is now a no-go zone will walk to the green/field and bring a football.

AAARRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!! That's how I feel today!

We are not seeing family as we had hoped for Christmas so I’ve started to let them open their presents. They’ve had one each day for the last three days. Today they had their main present for the year which was a load of magformers. It’s been a massive hit with DS1 (3.5).
We are meant to be doing a NT light trail later today but it’s forecast heavy rain all day so I’m not going to bother. Currently watching Thomas.

We've had a bit of a washout day here. Dishwasher not working but luckily managed to get someone in to fix it. We're about to head to the playground and to grab a coffee shortly. DH is on holiday from today so nice to have another adult around to help with house cleaning and present wrapping (his work's been insanely busy this past month so we've hardly seen him).

We're going to do our Christmas tree footprints and reindeer handprints tomorrow. I've got some metallic paint and black card so going to see if that works. We'll date them "Christmas Eve 2020" and send to grandparents as DS's Christmas gifts to them. Never too soon to start cluttering their houses with kids' artwork!

Outdoor play rained off here, cannot bring myself to take all three of us out in the December drizzle, especially as DD feeds every two hours during the day.
We’ve playdoughed, decorated shop bough biscuits, watched a film and ive just set this up to tide us through to tea time. Random shot from round the house on a tray.
Asda sell £1 tubes of ‘instant snow’ which you mix with water, it’s some sort of water beads type material by the feel of it. Thought we’d give it a go.

I’ve also made myself a coffee and replaced the milk with Asda’s knock off baileys.

@MonkeyPuddle

Outdoor play rained off here, cannot bring myself to take all three of us out in the December drizzle, especially as DD feeds every two hours during the day. We’ve playdoughed, decorated shop bough biscuits, watched a film and ive just set this up to tide us through to tea time. Random shot from round the house on a tray. Asda sell £1 tubes of ‘instant snow’ which you mix with water, it’s some sort of water beads type material by the feel of it. Thought we’d give it a go.

I’ve also made myself a coffee and replaced the milk with Asda’s knock off baileys.

Can I ask you about the Asda snow pleaae? Would it be suitable for a nearly three year old? He loves water beads and has just got into playdoh (after months of hating it).

@MonkeyPuddle

Outdoor play rained off here, cannot bring myself to take all three of us out in the December drizzle, especially as DD feeds every two hours during the day. We’ve playdoughed, decorated shop bough biscuits, watched a film and ive just set this up to tide us through to tea time. Random shot from round the house on a tray. Asda sell £1 tubes of ‘instant snow’ which you mix with water, it’s some sort of water beads type material by the feel of it. Thought we’d give it a go.

I’ve also made myself a coffee and replaced the milk with Asda’s knock off baileys.

Oh hang on I missed the most important part of your post.......what's the Asda baileys like??!!!😋

We actually managed a cafe today. I forgot they existed. DD was as good as gold, and so interested in everything and everyone. Which I'm thankful for, as a) lockdown is looming and b) she has been feral for the rest of the day.

I genuinely can't wait for Christmas Day, every wrapped parcel under that tree represents a future cup of tea and a few pages of whatever book I'll be reading in the second week of January.

Tomorrow I have a lot of food to prep, most veg, so DD's little Kinder kitchen chopping knife will be getting a workout, unless I can persuade big DD to entertain her sister for a bit without throwing a hormonal hissy