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

Anyone got any good recommendations for bath foam/bubbles that are safe for their eyes?

We sometimes use crazy soap which is great fun for making a mess. Ds loves it.

I’ve got an Easter egg hunt planned in my mums tiny back garden on Easter Sunday 😊

Bath bubbles I sometimes buy a tin of the spray foam from b&m/the range when I’m in one, day to day bubbles I use one from Asda which is dark blue, apparently smells like bananas —it does not— and turns the water a bit blue.

I got a Peppa Pig bath foam spray off Amazon but you can also get bath foam in Wilkos and Boots.

Best bubbles I've found is Radox! Ds1 loves a Radox bath. I recently bought some Aveeno baby wash reduced, very disappointing on the bubble front, it was just a murky mess. I tend to use any supermarket sensitive bubble bath and they are fine.

Ds1 got some Spiderman bubble bath once as a present which actually had a bubble wand in which created web shaped bubbles, bubbles in the bubble bath- fantastic idea!

Really hoping I don't hear those ducks/geese at 4.45am tomorrow.

Hope everyone gets some sleep.

I find letting the small ones pour an inordinate amount of bubble bath into the running water is the best thing 😂 DS would happily pour in the full bottle.

I’ve managed to get DD to sleep, praise the lord!!!!!

Just need to put her in the cot. Wish me luck.

@MonkeyPuddle, my DS1 does that too, he just wants to use the whole bottle! His new thing is splashing around and jumping around in the bath, sliding off the sides as if he is in the swimming pool. I can't wait for them to open again. No quiet relaxing baths in this house!

Hope you get DD into the cot and get a good stretch of sleep.

Shampoo makes very bubbly bubble bath - DH is always using it when we run out of actual bubble bath!

But the secret to lots of bubbles is soft water and loads of agitation. Let them at it with a whisk while it's running??

4.45am wake up here!

It's going to be a looooooooong day

@Motherofmonsters

4.45am wake up here!

It's going to be a looooooooong day

Oh yikes, fingers crossed for a lovely long nap later. We've been up since 5.30 and so far small human has refused to eat anything. I feel like I'm running a hotel offering him so many breakfast choices.

We use cheap alberto balsam shampoo for bubbles/potions...DS1 smells all nice and coconuty afterwards, and is getting the hang of washing his own hair. His skin doesn't react to it either. Actual washing is with expensive aveeno which I ration

chocolatetrifle DS1 is the same, he often asks for his swimming goggles for the bath and practises swimming (and then I have to mop the floor).

I am sooo excited for garden visits, I think DM is even more excited than I am, everywhere I've read says under 5s don't count so she is super excited about having us, plus DBro and his girlfriend round for an Easter Egg hunt/Easter Lunch in the garden.

virtual of Italian espresso for you motherofmonsters Hopefully you can have a rest at nap time.

5.45 for both of my captives too.

DS has suffered with eczema al has been deprived of bubbles. Does anyone have any suggestions of skin friendly bubble baths?

@OhToBeASeahorse

5.45 for both of my captives too.

DS has suffered with eczema al has been deprived of bubbles. Does anyone have any suggestions of skin friendly bubble baths?

Have you tried the children's farm bubble bath? My friends little one has sensitive skin and this is what they use.

Motherofmonsters, 4.45, oh no poor you, that's awful. Hope you get a rest at nap time.

OhToBeASeahorse, 5.45 am here too. Can you use Child's Farm? I know you need to be extra careful.

Same4Walls, I know what you mean about feeling like you are a hotel with the variety buffet breakfast!

Camomila, same! Have to dry out bathroom floor every night, water is everywhere! Really looking forward to the swimming pool opening but I'm not sure when that is going to be.

Raining here, have got the national geographic kinetic sand dig kit out, duplo and animal figures out.

Might also try to do Baker Ross Holy Week stickers I found online, we are Catholic and there is just not the option to go to church at the moment. Also have some more Easter crafts to try. Ds1 just wants to watch tele though.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Morning all!

Solidarity with the early risers! DD who’s almost 5 months was up 5 times between 10:30 and 4am, when I handed her over to DP so I could get a blissful 3 hours sleep til DS was up at 7am. He woke up by shouting at the top of his voice ‘someone help me!’ He needed no help 😂

@Same4Walls I’ll take poached eggs please if you’re on breakfast orders this morning!

I’ve put my fave bedding in the wash with too much fabric conditioner to pop on the bed later, figure if being asleep is not on the cards I may as well enjoy the bedding.

Also if anyone has Instagram five minute mum has had some good activities on her feed lately

chocolatetrifle ooh I might check out the holy week stickers. DS1 really likes RE at school.
Last year in lockdown we watched the Easter Story made out of lego (local church streamed it). DS1 showed no interest but I quite enjoyed it. Hopefully they'll do similar this year as he has really got into Lego since Christmas.

OhtobeaSeahorse last Christmas as a special treat I bought DS1 a super sensitive baby bath bomb from lush - the whole bath went bright blue and no itchyness afterwards.

Sorry for all the early risers! We're trialling first night with a duvet and pillow tonight so I'm expecting a rubbish night. That combined with the current nap refusals that are happening isn't making me too happy!

This morning we did some oat play, she absolutely loves the stuff and will sit and pour with different spoons and cups for ages. Desperately want to get out on a walk but currently can't walk more than about 5 minutes without being in pain so we have just been playing the garden instead. What sort of things do your toddler's play with in the garden. So far she's been happy enough to run around with a ball but with more garden visits planned I would like to have options to keep her occupied.

@drumst1ck good luck! I wish they made sleeping bags for children up to the age of 18, it would make life easier!!!

In the garden we have little tikes cars, toy lawn mower and wheelbarrow. Bigger things we have are a mud kitchen and a climbing dome. We also play with chalk and bubbles outside. We did have a water table but it had too many pipes you couldn't clean so got binned.

@OhToBeASeahorse anything to keep them contained as long as possible!

@Motherofmonsters ah I'd been looking at water table thingys but feel it would probably get all grotty quite quickly!

Just discovered this thread and am about to read through ALL of it

My DS is 15 months, walking, doesn’t like any equipment at the park (screams if you put him on the swing or slide) but will happily roam around. Puts everything in his mouth so have avoided kinetic sand etc.

Currently going through the worst clingy, whiny, back arching almost tantrum phase where he seems bored of everything indoors and although I can totally understand how he feels, I’m at my wits end.

We have different toys, ball pit, I pull off cushions to make “soft play” with a pop up tunnel. I let him roam around different rooms etc. Our garden is a death trap at the moment, we are getting it done as we speak, so I feel like every day is the park or insanity.

A lot of ideas I see suggested seem a bit old for him what with the trying to eat everything so I’m hoping this thread has some
Ideas to keep us both entertained!

@drumst1ck, good luck for first night with the duvet tonight.

Things we have in the garden:

Sandpit, with trucks and digging forks, trowel, but sandpit only for the nicer months.

Toddler slide and swing, again for when it's dry.
Watering cans.
Hopscotch
Bouncy balls
Wheelbarrow
Space hopper
Little table to put 'interesting ' things on.
Little windmills on sticks.
Bug kit, binoculars, magnifying glass etc

This is probably a silly question but do your younger toddlers try to eat the sand in the sandpits? Mine puts literally everything in his mouth. I tried oat play the other day and he just kept trying to eat the oats and then coughing because they were so dry

I made cornflour goop earlier in the week which was a success but he ate that too. 🙈

@Swoonforpeterbishop, welcome to the thread! 15 month old owner here too, plus 3.5 year old.

Lots of great ideas here and great support too

Just quickly popping in as the owner of a 15 month old (although still not walking so super jealous of that!!)

Google taste safe tuff tray and play ideas. Mine eats everything so these have been invaluable!

Ok popping out again now to cook tea, I'll be back later (post bedtime) to respond to everyone else more thoroughly.

@Swoonforpeterbishop welcome 😊 have you got Instagram? There’s a woman called Mother Could who’s put up a recipe for taste safe slime using chia seeds, looks easy, she made a whole rainbow which I couldn’t be arsed with but I’d probably colour it, shove it in a washing up bowl and wrap us up and take it in the garden with a cup of tea for me!

Garden wise we have a sandpit, mud kitchen, some push along trucks, a water table and a Wendy house, the water table is new, a million pipes but DS loves it. It comes apart so I should be able to give it a clean. In the summer I get the paddling pool out, by far the fave toy is the hose pipe.

Personally I wouldn’t worry about little one eating a bit of sand, it’ll just go straight through anyway.

I would ask everyone’s weekend plans but I imagine they’ll all be garden/walk/stare into the void 😂