Trapped toddler parents: puddlesuits splashing towards spring

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All guardians of toddlers welcome, we offer ideas, activities, and a shoulder to lean on when it all gets too much. We’ve conquered winter, next stop spring!

Continuing from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4105179-trapped-toddler-parents-of-the-fabled-winter-2020-2021-puddle-suits-at-the-ready-hello-christmas?pg=1

Zarinea has she got all her molars? DS1s came through quite late and made him whinge (but not when distracted by nursery)

DS1 is going back to school on Monday! I am having a celebration end of home schooling gu chocolate pot.

It'll be nice having some time with just DS2 on my days off. We can go on lots of walks and have lunch at DMs.

Anyone wake up not knowing how they will get through the day? Had my Covid vaccination yesterday which I am very grateful for, but my god I have never felt so ill since, plus both DS up for the say at 5.30. Both currently being looked after by Blippi.

Today, when it actually gets light I think we will have a potter in the garden. Got some seeds and pots so will have a go at putting some in plus do some eggy cress heads with cress seeds, perhaps paint the egg shells. Today is about survival.

Hope everyone is ok and has a good day and all small people behave.

Ugh I feel you @Chocolatetrifle. DD 5 months is sleeping awfully and all naps are in the sling. She is waking up in the day because DS is loud. I'm absolutely exhausted.

Somehow the moment she turns 6 months I'm going to have to get her at least napping in the cot. I need some time with DS properly and when he is at childcare I could then nap myself.

I'm so tired.

@Chocolatetrifle I was exactly the same after my covid vaccination, lasted a couple of days. I kept dosed up on paracetamol and ibuprofen, plenty of water too and make sure you eat!! Dreading the second dose but apparently it's not as bad 🤞 have you got any help?

@Pinkdaydreams ah thank you yes I have Dh luckily! Glad to have it done but surprised at the side effects.

@OhToBeASeahorse, I hope you get through the day too, really feel for those of you with very young babies and the terrible sleep deprivation.

Chocolatetrifle sorry to hear it's hit you hard. It seems to be a common complaint from everyone I know whose had it. I'm glad you have DH to help and thank goodness for kids TV.

OhToBeASeahorse I feel your pain of a poor napper. I used to joke the person who called them cat naps was being sarcastic as my cats nap for hours and DS hardly ever made it more than 30 minutes. Hopefully the transition to cot naps is successful. I wish I had some advice to make it easier but sadly it was just trial and error at this end.

We've also been awake since before the sun today. Although DS didn't wake up once during the night so that's a nice change. Maybe the lack of daytime naps will finally sort out his sleep at night.

However this does mean the day is incredibly long. So far we've watched Duggee, built a pillow fort, read books, played with puzzles, played with tupperware boxes and lids, done some singing and built some block towers. How the fuck is it not even 9.30 yet...

Not too bad a day here, spent a good amount of time doing some gardening. DD very helpfully pulling all the garden waste back out of the bin...but she was happy so I left her to it! Then she went out for a bike ride with dad so I got a lovely break for feet up (which are well and truly swollen now, thanks baby!)

Tonight want quite so successful, we had our first proper injury to DD when she tripped and fell mouth first into a glass on the floor. So lucky it didn't smash but teeth went through lip and lots of blood. Poor thing had a good dose of Calpol and absolutely crashed out at bedtime so it must have worn her out all the drama! She has a good duck pout now, it's so swollen!

@Chocolatetrifle how did you survive the day? I know you will have got through as somehow we always do.

@drumst1ck bloody hell that's awful. How are you? In total shock I bet. Hope you all gave a quiet Sunday.

@footprintsintheslow it's the first time we've ever seen her blood (sounds weird when I say that), so we freaked out a bit which possibly didn't help her...now both sitting downstairs staring at the baby monitor making 'poor baby' comments every now and again. Never thought it would be so horrible watching your kid get hurt!

How scary @drumst1ck! Hope she (and you!) are ok.

We had lots of amazon deliveries today and thus a big pile of boxes which DD LOVES. She spent ages moving them into different piles and putting them in each other.

They're making the living room look like a recycling center, but if they keep her busy they can stay.

@Zarinea, how is your DD today? Hope her lip is feeling better. It's such a shock to both her and you.

@footprintsintheslow, ah, yes managed to get through the day. Pretty awful it was, no mummy awards for me yesterday. Ds1 (3.4) was playing up all day, he has been off since the preschool booster, DS2 (15 months) had no nap and was very clingy and grouchy and I just wanted to crawl into a dark cave. I shouted (a lot).

However, up today feeling better. So far we have made our eggy heads and have taken DS1 for McDonalds breakfast muffin .

Have discovered that's DS2 loves opening and closing and screwing lids onto tubs, think cream tubs, sudacrem pots etc so I've cleaned some out and it is really passing some time for him plus its helping his fine motor skills.

Hope everyone is well and has a good day. Going to try to think of some more activities for this week.

Morning all.

drumst1ck I hope your DD is feeling OK this morning.

Zarinea glad to hear your DD is having a lovely time with all those boxes. Ds loves them too but after a short while he starts chewing them and then gets cross that the cardboard is all soggy.

Chocolatetrifle The lids activity and Mcdonalds muffin sounds a great start to a Sunday. Try not to worry about wanting to crawl into a cave, I think 99% of us feel that way recently. The days can be long but if you managed to make it to bedtime without chucking the kids into the bin you can absolutely consider it a win no matter how grumpy you were or how much you shouted.

Alls calm in these 4 walls so far this morning. The sun has made an appearance and DS is enjoying playing with an empty plastic bottle so I'm content to leave him to it while I drink coffee and try to secretly scoff some biscuits.

She's fine thank you Chocolate! Daddy is currently on cardboard box duty so I can drink tea in the bath.

Been a while since I posted!

@drumst1ck how awful, its so horrible seeing your child's blood isn't it? And mouths bleeding so much!

Been looking through pictures from last summer with ds and we have made plans to go to soft play, splash parks and Stabwick Lakes in Northampton (a fair journey but its got such a good outdoor play bit). Plus we've booked an air bnb on a farm for 3 nights in August so feeling like we've got a good summer ahead (just got to get there!).

This morning ds spent a good hour in the tough tray playing with kinetic sand and water beads with some containers and dinosaurs and playmobile people.

We're now snuggled on sofa watching little baby bum. I've had a cold sore this week so haven't been able to kiss ds (we are normally incredibly tactile as a family) and I think he's really noticed as he just wants to lean against me and stroke my hand. Of to the park later.

I can't believe a year ago dh and I were tag teaming childcare whilst working, no way would be have the resilience now! Dh back to work on Monday (teaxher) and ill still be here working from home a year on which I hate. God I hope the restriction easing goes smoothly!

Bit of a rubbish day here has my Gran passed away this morning, I've been down to see my mum. Came back to cereal all over the front room as DS had asked DH to make him a farm on a tuff tray. Looks they had lots fun.

We're off to the park in a minute to get some energy out of DS as he's back to Preschool tomorrow. It's going to be strange it just being me and DD, o can actually focus on her.

So sorry to hear of your loss @motherofmonsters

@Motherofmonsters, sorry to hear that about your Gran, hope you can get through the day after such sad news

@Motherofmonsters so sorry for your loss

Thanks all for the concern for DD. She had a full night's sleep and seems to be happy enough despite a big fat lip!

Thank you everyone, its another thing on this rubbish beginning of a year. At least the sun is shining

@drumst1ck how is she today?

@Chocolatetrifle love the kids activity and glad you are feeling better.

@Motherofmonsters sorry about your gran. What was she like?

Good day here thanks, DD doesn't seem to be affected at all by her fat lip, she's been eating and sleeping as normal which is great. Amazing how quickly kids heal up and get over things! (Faster than the parents I think...)

I got her helping me out making dinner and she had great fun organising my spice box for me and shouting at me because she wanted to eat some raw chicken...

Has anyone ever used those crinkle cut knives that are meant to be good for toddlers to help cutting soft things up? Thinking about getting one for DD but not sure if she's quite old enough yet (17 months)

@Motherofmonsters sorry for your loss

We had a good day here with a sunny park trip and a roast but this evening DH and I tried to be good citizens and gave our selves lateral glow Covid19 tests (DS1 goes back to school tomorrow) and I gave myself a nose bleed. My nose is really stingy.

Motherofmonsters I'm ao sorry for your loss. A friend lost her mum today and all I want to do is go and hug her. Tell us all about her.

drumst1ck I'm glad to hear she is feeling ok. How unreasonable of you not feed her raw chicken. I've heard great things about the knifes but have not used one myself with a small person.

Camomila we did a park day too it was lovely to have a bit of sunshine. I'm sorry to hear about your nose.

@drumst1ck, glad your DD's lip is getting better, poor little one.

I have the Jatidne set of toddler chopping knives that come with a chopping board (Amazon) they have a serrated edge. My 3 year old can use the knife but we don't really use them much because to me the edge is still a little sharp (even though they say they aren't). It has to be sharp to a certain extent to be able to chop. I'm not sure it would be suitable for anyone younger than 3 but someone else may be able to advise of success with a younger one. I'd probably just use a normal toddler cutlery knife to let a younger one cut soft things like a banana rather than spend money on the chopping knives.

@Motherofmonsters. I'm so sorry for your loss. Covid has taken so much time with older relatives away from us all... Hope your mum is doing OK .

@drumst1ck. Glad to hear LO ok and on the mend.

We have the ikea plastic plates and cutlery so DS uses the knives to chop soft food like bananas and broccoli. One thing he's getting quite good at doing is peeling things...potatoes, carrots etc. I then chop them with the big knife and the vegetable peeler feels safer than a sharp knife . He also likes mixing things with a whisk or spoon and sprinkling things like herbs or salt over food.