Trapped toddler parents:"Where else can you post tuff tray pictures and moan about your husband?"

[PinkDaydreams]

Following on from the previous thread. Thanks @footprintsintheslow for the thread title inspiration 😁

Just catching up on everyone's days. Seems like it's bedding day all round, we also have fresh sheets on and I'm tempted to go to bed now...

We have had a very mixed day, had a lovely time at our friends' but DS got majorly overtired and so bedtime became 6pm and was a total car crash with the usual staples of screaming and that eerie thing they do where they lie still with their eyes wide open. And of course DH went to drop off the car we'd hired for the day and took over an hour despite it only being a 10 minute walk away, so I was at a major disadvantage.

Obviously had an adult tantrum and now he's tiptoeing around me so long as he keeps the ice cream coming that's fine by me!

Let us know how the journey goes, @drumst1ck! At least you'll have your in-laws on the other side to relieve you

@drumst1ck if you get the shopping list game you can just match up the cards with the lists to start off with - and if you get the lotto type games like bus lotto you can do that with those as well. Then test the waters - my Dd didnt get the hang of taking turn games until a good few months after she turned 2 but I know other toddlers who got it earlier.

@drumst1ck, hope you get to your in-laws in good time and DC sleep peacefully. Have a lovely time there.
Galt and Orchard do puzzles for 18 months plus. My DS2 ( 17 months) is starting to get interested in the farmyard one we have. Nice and easy just have to match 2 pieces to make a pig, horse etc and he likes doing the animal noises to go with them.

@squishymamma, hope you've had a good supply of ice-cream heading your way this after sorting bedtime by yourself.

Hope everyone gets a decent sleep tonight.

@OhToBeASeahorse sleep was ok. Since she's had a cold she just snacks and naps all night as we co sleep. Thanks for asking.

@Lostthetastefordahlias that's tough I'd hate hate to wake a sleeping baby as naps are so precious.

Sounds like you have mastered co sleeping footprints! I just never got any sleep when I tried it.
Even though DS is 8 months now, he will still sleep all day and be up all night if I leave him to his own nap devices!
Hope everyone has a good day today. We are forecast storms and rain, so I am planning to get the paints and playmobil out.

DS has been sent home from Preschool with suspected Impetigo, just waiting to hear back from the doctors. Going to be a looong week as we can't meet up with anyone, DH has to work late everyday as well. DD still isn't sleeping so I'm feeling very down about it all.

@Motherofmonsters, oh no, poor DS. How is he? That sounds tough for this week. Hope you are ok. Sending you a hug. One day at a time. Will DS need some antibiotic cream? It might clear quickly once he gets the treatment, fingers crossed 🤞. Can you get some support from someone who can help you this week?

Oh no @Motherofmonsters hope you & DS are ok. You are in line for a bit of good luck by now surely! Do you have anything to look forward to at the weekend to get you through, a trip out or a lie in maybe? (I am already looking forward to my saturday lie in ha). And some wine/ tea & cake this evening. Hope the day is not as long as you fear.

He's absolutely fine, bounding around the house! Yes he'll need some cream to put on, I hope it clears up properly. My mum will probably pop in to see us.

My friends are coming down from Kent to see one of their parents so hoping to catch them on Saturday. That's something to look forward to!

DD is going to start nursery after May half term, DH said to put her in so I can sleep. Not going to argue with that! She'll only be doing term time so a few weeks before summer holidays but it'll be something.

@drumst1ck how was the journey? We are going to north Wales this week and I'm dreading the drive.

@Motherofmonsters oh god another lockdown for you what crap timing. I bet we'll catch a load of bugs now we are returning to normal life.

I meant to say

Re: orchard games Old Macdonald is a nice lotto type game and The three pigs is a fab board game for 3 plus. Cupcake game I good for please and thank yous.

Lastly what do you all do on here for absolute refusal to follow instructions. I have a 3 year old and I feel like I'm losing control some days. What are your strategies?

@Motherofmonsters, glad DS is still managing to play and is not too bothered by it. Hope he gets better soon.

Today has been mostly about dodging showers. We have played in the shed, it's more of a play house really. Have put the sand table in it.

Went for a walk when it stopped raining and a bird did a poo on me. This afternoon there was such a commotion in the garden and a magpie was pecking a baby bird, it didn't survive, I did my best to get it away and the mum bird was trying too. I felt really sad at this poor baby bird and even gave it a little stroke. We have buried it.

Might have to look up some orchard puzzles for DD, see if there's any going on FB marketplace!

Journey wasn't too bad, we arrived at midnight and kids slept pretty much all the way. DD was very unsettled when we arrived as she woke up and didn't have a clue where we were (or who these grandparents were that she's only seen on a screen) but she went off around 1am in bed with us and transferred to her cot absolutely fine. It's already been so lovely watching her start to play with the in laws, they are wonderful with the kids!

@footprintsintheslow lots of snacks on hand and you'll be absolutely fine! Hope it goes well!!

@footprintsintheslow, my 3 and a half year old doesn't listen either. He said the other day, ' I will not follow your rules'. All I try to do is just keep repeating myself and ask if he has understood and try to explain consequences of what might happen if he does something. Some days he listens better than others I've found, it depends on his mood. Hoping it will improve when he starts preschool next month and gets used to having to listen to other adults too.

@Chocolatetrifle I'm sorry about your baby bird. We saw a cat stalking a pigeon with a broken wing the other day, it made me really sad knowing I couldn't do anything!

@footprintsintheslow I have various tactics, make things into a game/silly so he doesn’t realise he’s doing what I want.
Make things into a race.
If he’s being defiant I get down at his level and tell him explicitly what I want him to do and the consequence if he doesn’t do it, so ‘I want you to sit on the step and put your shoes on. If you don’t put your shoes on we will not go to the park’ and if he’s still not playing ball then the consequence is followed through on.

I think I can be quite strict mind you. But I’m massive on positive praise, DS LOVES it, I’ll drop it in while he’s doing something or later on, so we’ve been struggling with getting him to not do huge loud burps with his mouth open (I know, gross) so I told him it wasnt good manners and have made a point of telling him when he is using good manners, he’s clicked now and pointed out to me the other day that he did a closed mouth burp 😂

@drumst1ck, it's just one of those things we can't do anything about isn't it?

Hope you have a wonderful time with your in-laws , how great they will be able to spend so much time with your DC . Hope you get a rest too!

@drumst1ck have a lovely time 😊

We’ve done nothing today. DS is with his dad til tomorrow night and I feel like I’ve had a leg cut off.

@MonkeyPuddle thanks for that. I used to do all those things but now I have a baby I'm too tired to be bothered being fun, clever, tactical mum. Now I'm ratty mum and I hate it.
I'm struggling to find consequences that are relevant or that mean anything to her. She doesn't give a shit basically. Earlier she threw her stuffing ball across the table in temper and started spitting her food out. She's really pushing me.

Also my HV described her as a 'praise refuser'. She mostly hates praise and if I notice something she does nicely she'll immediately stop doing it and do the opposite. Apparently I must praise her even more.

Ah fuck @footprintsintheslow sounds hard work.

Does she understand emotions? I tell DS that he’s making me sad when he’s not behaving, essentially I think I guilt trip him. Not sure how healthy a parenting tactic that is mind you.

She's pretty bright and excellent at communicating. Do you remember the incident at the park when she hurt someone and I said 'stop you are making them sad and they are crying'. She said 'I want them to be sad, I want to make them cry'. She's a real challenge. Quite unlike my first and that's a shock to me

I do the same, I say ' mummy is upset now you have done that' . I never used to say that but it seems to be the only thing that he takes notice of.

My DS1 sounds similar @footprintsintheslow, he doesn't like it when I say things like 'well done' and says 'don't say that'. Again, this depends on his mood when he does that.

We've just had nearly a half hour inquisition of DS1 who said he just swallowed a stone in the garden... He has now admitted he made it up. Honestly, the stress some days

My DS1 has said that too of his little brother, ' I want him to cry' or ' has he not got any cereal left now?' when he poured his little brother's breakfast on the floor.

@footprintsintheslow put her in the under the stairs cupboard til she turns 18?!

Just came across, it seems fitting