Trapped toddler parents: puddlesuits splashing towards spring

[WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere]

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

With the mindfulness idea, I heard that cbeebies go explore app has a mindfulness section called my mindful garden - might be worth checking out, I keep meaning to look at it but somehow there is never enough hours in the day!
Hope everyone gets some sleep!

[quote MonkeyPuddle]@PinkDaydreams DS was in his cot til 3.6, never once tried climbing out, moved him into bunk beds a few months ago as at some point both kids will be sharing. Since he’s been in the bunk bed he’s only ever got out by himself once! It’s like there’s an invisible force field! Don’t take the sides down![/quote]
He's only got a small bedroom so I'm hoping the next transition will be to one of those mid sleepers, that's if he lasts that long with the sides on his cotbed!!

Now, call me bonkers but how about meditation/mindfulness for 3 year old?

Not bonkers at all, DS1 has done yoga since babyhood either with me/DM or at nursery. Nursery did yoga, and they have done prayer (Catholic school) and mindfulness/meditation in Reception. He gets told to do nice calm "ohmms" with DM when he is getting too excitable. (Yes, yes we are a Brighton cliche )

Soo jealous of the non climbing children. DS1 was in a toddler bed by 18m and DS2 14m is also trying to get out already. MIL tells me that DH (always been long limbed) got out of his cot before he could walk She went to wake him up one morning and found him crawling about the floor.

We've all got horrible colds here, so DS2 is having some toast and honey for the first time. He's very sticky right now!

Morning all and a hearty welcome and hello to JustAddCoffee91.

Sorry to hear some of you are still have a nightmare at bedtime. I'll join you on that bench DS slept through for 4 nights im a row (the longest stretch he's ever managed) and now he's cutting another tooth so everythings gone to shit again.

Mindfulness stuff for preschoolers is amazing I used to use it frequently when teaching nursery children. It's especially effective if done after lunch for those who no longer have afternoon naps.

*Camomila sorry to hear about the snuffles. I hope DS enjoys the honey. I've got a really snuffly nose but am putting it down to my hayfever and hoping it doesn't develop into a cold, especially as I've not been anywhere to catch one.

Morning all, sympathies for the sleep deprived, I'm not going to comment as though ds sleep isn't perfect I don't want to jinx it! I'm working today and yesterday so ds at nursery. Needed to pop out for essentials last night so left dh doing bath and bed and I sneakily extended my time by having a burgerking in the car.

I've been planning post covid this vs this week to keep myself cheery so have booked ds in gymnastics for April (anyone else's ds do it and want to share experiences?) And emailed about rugby and football (will do one not both). I'm also thinking about a picnic in the park for his birthday (june) for his nursery friends as he asked for the first time for a particular friend to come to the house last night... not sure how I feel going from havibg to talk to a very few people i know well to lots of parents (I'm I'm awkward bugger) so park seemed better than house!

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts on mindfulness, I'm really going to really give it a go. I've ordered a book called Mindful Kids so will try out the exercises with DS1.

Some things we have done today so far;

Cutting out shapes from coured card, although DS1 did actually cut a chunk of my hair out with his safety scissors!

Cut out different phases of the moon 🌙 shapes, D1 really likes the solar system and planets, so we are going to make a solar system picture and make and colour our planets from paper plates. Had to stop myself from purchasing an inflatable solar system on Amazon, that's a step too far.

Dug up some mud from the mud mound in the garden.

Played with bouncy balls. Galt do a great make your own bouncy ball kit which I got for DS1 in the first lockdown and he has loved bouncy balls ever since.

OK, so now its not yet 2 o'clock and I'm feeling tired now and it's a long struggle to bedtime.

@Camomila, hope you all feel better soon.
@Same4Walls, ugh, more teeth, hope the tooth pops through soon.
@meow1989, the gymnastics sounds great. My DS1 did a football club called Diddikicks for about 5 months before covid started and it was great, so can recommend that if they are starting up again.

I'm struggling today and DS has been at Preschool this morning.

The big hit today have been taking the tins out the cupboards and stacking them up. We've also completed numerous jigsaws and some shape sorting.

I've hung up 3 loads of washing so that's my success of the day

@Motherofmonsters, I thought myself today that the washing is just never ending.

Did you manage to get anymore sleep last night?

Mondo can definitely work for small kids, DS and I sometime do yoga nidra for kids videos on YouTube. We also have quiet head/back rub times. Might last 2 mins, might last 10 but it’s beneficial. I’m getting better at getting my meditation practice in most days now.

@meow1989 DS had done gymnastics since he was about 18m or so, apart from lockdown obvs. He bloody LOVES it. We go to a local independent gymnastics club, I found the franchise ones to be really expensive and the one he goes to is £4 a session, payable in advance. His coach is a county champion. DS will never, ever be a gymnast, he’s built like a prop forward, but he has fun, it’s great exercise and (in the toddler groups) it’s non competitive which I like. He gets so excited to go and comes out all sweaty and knackered. I take a coffee and sit with the other parents and we chat for an hour. We’ve not been since forever and he still asks to go most weeks.

DS has been at nursery today, so it’s been DP, me and DD at home. We’ve had fish and chips, DP has had some quality time with the baby (essentially I’ve fed her and just passed her straight to him all day) and I’ve drank 100 cups of tea.

Weekend plans will involve a trip to the park (ugh) and I’m going to get the kinetic sand out, I’ve hidden it for 2 weeks, going to make some Easter cards, a housewarming card for my BIL and try and do clay foot imprints of the baby. Which I’m sure will be a disaster!

Chocolatetrifle sounds like you had a very exciting day. Bounfy balls are a great idea, were currently loving ball pit balls at this end but he's getting very good at squishing them which then makes him sad. P.s I hope the haircut was even.

Motherofmonsters well done on all the laundry. I said to my friend yesterday I feel like all I ever do is laundry and washing up but somehow I never have an empty washing basket or sink. It's never ending.

MonkeyPuddle 100 cups of tea sounds fabulous. I'm glad you've had a nice day and it's great for Daddy to have some 1-1 time. Good luck with the clay footprints. We were given a set to make clay Christmas decorations when DS was born. Hes now seen 2 Christmas's and it's still in its box! Just the thought of doing it brings me out in a cold sweat.

Weekend plans will involve a trip to the park (ugh)

This sentence made me smile, it's basically the motto of this entire thread. I think we all resonate with the urgh.

Id like to try gymnastics with DS, he loves jumping, climbing (wrestling..), and he’s quite short and skinny, I think it would be good for him! Not sure on logistics though, I kept signing him up (and then being cancelled) when DS2 was tiny and could be in a sling, that’s no longer an option.

Attempted Easter cards today...safe to say it did not go well... he had fun but we certainly were not left with anything giftable!

Has anyone got any game/activity ideas for encouraging listening? Preschool have commented it’s where he struggles (I am not surprised, he’s a little whirlwind), and while I can’t imagine him ever sitting still for story time, I’d like to encourage some progress.

@WeSearchedHereWeSearchedThere I’ve nothing but positive things to say about our gymnastics classes, they’re really good. Especially for the jumping off stuff, DS is good at gauging of jumps are to high, the wrong type of ground, he lands safely (most of the time) and if he looks like he’s about to do an unsafe jump I can shout for him to ‘do a gymnastics jump’ and he’s much safer.
Re the listening games would whispering be any good? DS listens much better if I whisper, I think just because it’s different to me raising my voice! Simon says? We play eye spy but with descriptions rather than letters as DS doesn’t know them yet.

@Same4Walls stupidly I bought this bloody clay thing myself! What is wrong with me!

Ah good stuff about gymnastics. Ds is built like a rugby player but loves jumping about and running round so hopefully he will enjoy it.

I've downloaded moshi after all this mindfulness chat, it's got good reviews.

On the listening I've found myself doing the cliche counting to 5 with a realistic consequence if ds doesn't do/stop doing what I ask, but that's more behaviour management rather than over all listening skills.

I think the whispering idea is good. We also do eye spy with descriptions. Asking ds to find x colour item and bring it to me works well aswell.

Update: sleep within 5 mins with the free moshi bedtime story

[quote Chocolatetrifle]@Motherofmonsters, I thought myself today that the washing is just never ending.

Did you manage to get anymore sleep last night?[/quote]
Not to brag but I got an extra half hour last night!

I might have to try out the mindfulness with DS. He's been super tired today but is now wide awake playing in his room. DD is actually asleep so I'm hoping he doesn't wake her

Why won’t she sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!?!
She’s just hanging out on my boob.

Sleep child.

Oh but those cheeks!

Have you tried informing her it's bedtime?

Or tell her it's closing time at the bar?

She’s plopped off. I dare not move. I appreciate you’re now all seeing my nips but anonymity is liberating 😂

That is the cutest thing I've seen for ages !

Soon you can begin the tortuous process of trying to dislodge yourself without waking her. Brings back memories .

Haha I’ve been telling DP that DS (different dads) was never like this. He was 😂

Every night I do the ‘clutching the sleeping baby up the stairs shuffle and shove my boob in her mouth and pray she sleeps for 3 hours’ dance.

Oh that's utterly adorable! I'm slightly jealous DS has never been a snuggly child, he's far too independent for my liking. I genuinely think he's only fallen asleep on me or in my arms less than 10 times in his whole 15 months.

Ahhh, MonkeyPuddle, she is absolutely beautiful.

Motherofmonsters half an hour is a start, hope tonight is better for you, fingers crossed.

Meow1989, the moshi app sounds amazing, will certainly have a look at that. Glad it worked for your DS tonight.

Sleep well everyone, hope our little ones get the memo that they are not to disturb us, Mummy needs her sleep!

@Chocolatetrifle I used to do mindfulness with my reception class. I used to get them all to pick a leaf from a mint plant (as that's what the class had). They'd all fiddle with their leaf whilst lying on the class floor. I'd play some calm music and get them concentrating on their breathing.

Lavender would work well as it's relaxing.

My thinking behind the leaf is that they'll fiddle and wriggle about anyway so better to give them something to focus on. When I worked in a Steiner school they'd give the children a bit of beeswax to mould and fiddle with during story times. Bluetak would work well.

@meow1989 we are having a park birthday too.

We started gym in the inbetween lockdown bit but toddler wouldn't engage or be told what to do by the woman. I've paid the subscription for the year so will try again when it reopens. It's a shame as she loves climbing and risk taking.

As for screen time: I find behaviour is much much worse after it and life has only been bearable because we've been outdoors everyday.

Weekend: walks, rugby and gulp...trying to do baby painted footprints.