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.

Hello jobbyjg, my DS is almost 3 (in a couple of weeks) so upper end of "toddler", but I think that still counts .

On tuff tray, you can use it without the stand but we find having the stand makes whatever's on it more attractive to DS because it's at his perfect height. They're great, though... this morning, we have been doing some lovely dominoes from his godparent which are a bit too old for DS on the tuff tray since they were going everywhere on the floor. DH and I have been doing domino rallies with all the fancy pieces and DS has just been stacking them and building towers. No pieces lost though .

@MessAllOver
Hi many thanks I'll buy a stand as well . Ds got some amazon vouchers for Christmas so a good buy I think

Welcome @jobbyjg I'd recommend the legs for the tray as sometime my toddler plays under it as a den or like a cuddly book reading place with pillows and blankets.

I also store the outdoor toys under it when it lives outside.

Oh God, this morning it's really hit me that we're in lockdown again for 6 weeks. March style. Nothing open. Schools doing remote learning from mid January. Shops closing at bloody 8pm ffs.

Tomorrow I'll make plans, but today I just feel done. We went for our usual walk up the woods yesterday, it was a welter of mud and crap, the wind was blowing an absolute hooley, and it rained. No toddler in a puddlesuit is a match for that. Bloody, bloody January.

I hate wishing life away, but I am so fed up

Ah ReallySpicyCurry I felt like that yesterday too. We had a lovely Christmas at DMs (Tier 2) and then on Boxing day we went up to Tier 4.

A little bit of me feels excited to be leaving 2020 though, I weirdly want to buy some new clothes and make up (for wfh, the school run, and going to Sainsburies ) and sort myself out a lovely office corner to work from. We just have to try and find happiness in the things we are still allowed to do I guess.

(Apologies if its rubbish advice, I think I'm like a stereotypical man and always want to "give solutions" to a situation )

That's really rubbish reallyspicycurry it's all getting it bit relentless. I'm definitely getting more and more fed up as times go on.

My house looks like a massive toys, dishes and washing bomb has gone off. I literally don't know where to start.

DH and I are going to have a mass toy clear out when they're in bed. We have no room and have kept hold of all the slightly broken and sad toys so they need to go.

@ReallySpicyCurry.

I'm sorry . I feel a bit like that at the moment.

I have several January deadlines and I don't know what I'm going to do if nurseries shut.

Haven't seen parents for months.

Puddlesuited out. Crafted out. Tripping over toys ever two seconds.

I want to book a babysitter and go on a spa day. By myself. Stay overnight in a hotel. Eat in a restaurant.

It is tough. I think Christmas gives a bit of focus and then after that it's just the miserable weather plus restrictions. Sorry you're having a tough time @ReallySpicyCurry and @MessAllOver - definitely get relentlessness and being overwhelmed by stuff everywhere.

Nearly 30 weeks pregnant and while DS can be reasonably sensible in parks, being slower and less able to pick him up combined with steepish slopes, slippy leaves and streams makes me a bit more wary about going on my own. Starting to get to the point where everything feels like more effort so not looking forward to the next couple of months. Today has been lots of making biscuits which is nice, but constantly slightly on edge about what DS might suddenly decide to do when I'm slower to get to him.

@ReallySpicyCurry it’s just shit isn’t it. I feel like I pushed through looking forward to birthday and Christmas, and tonight I’ve had that “oh god there’s nothing to look forward to” moment. Vastly different from the summer (which felt hard enough).

@MessAllOver I hear you, I am so desperate to be alone! For anything more than a trip to bloody Tescos.

I think we’re going to have to go cold turkey on TV. We’ve had it on far too much and Mr 3 is struggling to play with his new toys. This is definitely going to be harder for me than him! I think I might fashion a TV cover out of a blanket, help to signal that it is not an option. But that’ll be a new year thing, DH is off work this week and getting him away from the TV would be even harder!

@prettygirlincrimsonrose that’s a really difficult stage, especially when it’s wet and muddy outside. I actually introduced a few new limitations around that point - put up a new stair gate, locked some cupboards - on the basis that the physical limitations of late pregnancy are not dissimilar to the physical limitations of having a newborn!

Think I've found my people! Got two DC (3 and 5). In Scotland so schools and nurseries shut until Jan 18th and very likely beyond. Dreading the days to come once the Christmas holidays excitement fades and reality sets in. Five year old DD already asking when is she going back to school and wants to see her friends. It would be OK just her bring home...but DS will also be home and to say he is a handful would be a massive understatement We are really struggling right now with his behaviour, sleep and toilet training. He needs a lot of exercise otherwise he gets very grumpy and has a very limited attention span. So, standard 3 year old boy i suppose! First lockdown was doable because we were outside a lot but January is going to be bloody awful. Will be eager to try out any ideas on here, not sure I have much to contribute!

Can I join? Husband due back at work Tuesday, I'm dreading it. I'm SAHM, 30 weeks pregnant and have a two year old. We are in Scotland tier 3 so no indoor meet ups and weather is appalling. Money quite tight so although being in tier 3 means we are luckier than a lot of the UK in terms of cafes etc. being open, i can't just spend money all day. Also we only moved here (island) in August and call my family still live in SE England. Husband works very long hours. Sometimes I'll be honest, the tv is on for a LOT longer than it should be...!

@prettygirlincrimsonrose how old is your toddler? I'm 38 weeks pregnant and I'm nervous about the future. Just think when you give birth the weather will be better. You can pop baby in a sling and go after toddler who will be that bit older and less unpredictable.
I've been creating a stash of new (charity shop) books so that I can sit and feed the baby but read new books to the toddler. I've also got a stash of new colouring books and stickers and clean crafts to keep them occupied during the feeding hours.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere in our normal life we have tv for Saturday and Sunday mornings only and it's great. When toddler asks for it midweek we just say oh sorry it's not the weekend yet. But now the tv is on everyday but afternoons only so we can watch a Christmas film. I think what we'll do is when the Christmas tree goes we'll say that Christmas is over so the tv can be on for weekends only again.

I'm actually laughing at this ridiculous idea myself as the new baby will be here in two weeks and I can only see the tv being my friend for a while after that.

@ColourMeExhausted welcome along. Anyone who has the word exhausted in their username belongs here. Have you considered a tuff tray? Keeps my brain going anyway.

@Drowninginwashing you sound perfect to join too. I have no family around either so I may as well live on an island.

@footprintsintheslow he's just 3. Hope the next couple of weeks are OK and you're not too uncomfortable. I like the idea of building up a stash of stories and things to do, may steal that one. You probably already have them but water colouring books are good for being clean and absorbing.

Also impressed at limited TV. We usually end up with 1-2 hours, split across morning and occasionally after lunch (while I get jobs done), something watched cuddled up together in the afternoon and something at bedtime. Got a tablet for Christmas because I thought realistically it will probably help when the baby's here, but need to work out a straightforward rule for when it's on so he's not asking all the time (or at least if he does we can refer to the aforementioned rule!)

@ColourMeExhausted sympathy with a 3 year old. Current thing that keeps DS's attention a bit longer is playing with dough in the kitchen, and we've just got kinetic sand which I've heard good things about.

Hi, quick question... does anyone have any recommendations for a picnic rug which is actually waterproof, i.e. no seeping through from muddy or wet grass?

Ours supposedly has a waterproof backing but the moisture from the grass still seeped through when we were having a (cold) picnic in the park earlier to break up the day.

@MessAllOver we’ve got a couple of close pop in play mats. They’re really good - waterproof one side, fleece the other. They’re properly waterproof but also soft, so work well as a makeshift blanket on the pushchair, I keep one in the boot as a changing mat, etc. Have also been using one on the sofa during potty training!

@prettygirlincrimsonrose she loves those water colouring books. Especially when you have to find things. Like find ten shells and then she likes to find one then I have the pen and I find one and we take it in turns.

Also my H says kinetic sand is brilliant. Much better than playdough apparently. I haven't used it.

@MessAllOver we have a new waterproof mat which seems very heavy duty and we bought it from a proper outdoor shop like Millets.

Today our tuff spot has been playmobile in shaving foam. A big hit but the shaving foam stinks. Anyone found any that doesn't make you want to wretch?

@footprintsintheslowacking that looked like it would rip.
@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere can I ask for a pic of what you mean please or a link? Also @footprintsintheslow which mat did you order from millets please?

Thank you to posters that recommended kinetic sand, my son loves it!! And I like it too as it's not as messy as normal sand or playdoh

@footprintsintheslow would mouldable soap be any good? I got some from home bargains for about 80p, looks like shaving foam but smells of blueberries!

Here’s the Close mat: www.babipur.co.uk/search/?q=Pop+in+play+mat

I like the look of those babi pur mats, I've never heard of them

DS absolutely loves kinetic sand, he will play it for an hour straight.

I like the smell of the Tesco shaving foam but I dont generally find it to smelly anyway.

DS got a playdoh pasta set for Christmas and it's been a big success. I think he was bored of the standard shapes so the machine bit was great

My son has only recently got into playdoh. A set he's got has syringes in that makes worms he loves them! I'll have to look to see if they do anything else similar.

Oh I feel horrible, DH was out so I had to do both bedtimes tonight. I got DD asleep into her cot while DS watched TV. I then took DS up to go bed put his pyjamas on, got half way through a story and DD woke up.
I told DS I would leave the book open get her back to sleep and come back.

She took awhile and I could hear him playing in his room, he then reached over the baby gate to knock on DDs room and said mummy a couple times. I tried to quietly say two minutes I'm on my way. I finally get out her room and he has shut his bedroom door and is quiet so I think he's put himself to bed. I feel so bad I didn't even finish a story

Thank you @WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere and @footprintsintheslow. I'll have a look at those. I sense we're going to be spending quite a lot of time in the park over the next few weeks and it's going to be bad enough without wet bottoms!