Trapped toddler parents: Inspiration and support needed through the summer hols!!

[PinkDaydreams]

Following on from the previous trapped toddler thread!
Sorry for rubbish title!

[squishymamma]

New thread created just in time for Christmas!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4431205-Trapped-toddler-parents-support-through-winter-and-beyond

Still no news from here, DS still feels a bit warm but didn't have a fever this morning so hoping it's gone so he can be shipped off to nursery tomorrow

[squishymamma]

@Motherofmonsters I'm training to be a breastfeeding supporter, they suggest to handmilk for relief - only the worst of it. If that helps I'm sure your DD won't notice, I'm pretty certain DS has no idea what's going on at the moment, I'd forgotten to wrap one of his presents and left it out on the dining table and he didn't care about it at all

[Motherofmonsters]

Glad something is happening @squishymama!


Sounds a bit like my garden centre trip yesterday @chocolatetrifle. I think all this Christmas run up can be quite overwhelming for them.


I'm back to singing twinkle twinkle star to get DD to sleep, I appear to have swapped breast milk for that but it's working.. The cat had decided to barge in and wake her up which is helpful.
My breasts literally feel like they are going to explode, hopefully they'll settle soon.

DS is having a sleepover so I'm going to tackle the kids wrapping. I've got so much more for DS than DD as she's only 2 I'm hoping I can get away with it. I just can't find anything to buy her

[Chocolatetrifle]

I have managed to do the work I put off from yesterday now and have done a bit of wrapping so I'm feeling a bit better about that.

@squishymamma, glad there are some signs for you, hopefully baby will soon be here.

@Motherofmonsters I can't believe you sang twinkle twinkle for an hour! You deserve a medal.

Yes please to a new thread!

[squishymamma]

Glad to hear you had a decent night @Motherofmonsters though I agree an hour of Twinkle Twinkle is impressive!

So hard that we have to make all these decisions @Lostthetastefordahlias. Would an option be to take a lateral flow before you go to visit PILs, if you decide to go to the panto? That's what my sister did before she visited my parents (though they aren't particularly vulnerable so maybe a different situation).

@Chocolatetrifle the things they get upset over! I know their brains are still underdeveloped and they can't control it but sometimes I'm guilty of saying to DS "why can't you just behave like a normal human being"

Thanks for thinking of me everyone. I'll spare you the details but there are some promising signs that things are at least progressing slightly, a few twinges etc, but still nothing major yet. DS slept badly so DH was up and down all night, he still has a fever today but it's not as high. We'll keep him home tomorrow to be on the safe side. The TV has literally been on all day, I tried to get DS to go outside but he was having none of it and I didn't have the energy to press the matter. Using the excuse that he's sick and I'm too tired

On another note, we're on page 40 now...do we need to start a new thread soon?

[Chocolatetrifle]

Have just been to the garden centre, DS1 misbehaved the whole way around because I wouldn't let him get a £15 large wooden nutcracker figure which would clearly become something dangerous to have in the house as he would probably try to lob it on to DS2's head or something. Both boys came out crying and whinging, how festive!

Glad the night was not too bad @Motherofmonsters.

@squishymamma how are you and DS?

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

Well done @Motherofmonsters an hour of twinkle twinkle at 3am is tough work! Hope you are hanging in there @squishymamma & DS is ok. I am in two minds about taking DD to the panto on thursday as we are seeing our elderly/ vulnerable PILs at the weekend, so difficult to make decisions (though nothing compared to the worry of getting covid before labour obviously!)
We are going swimming this morning, was thinking we should do something christmassy but they love swimming & it tires them out beautifully. Maybe some christmas craft this afternoon though we already have glitter contaminating 90% of the house!

[Motherofmonsters]

Morning,

How's your DS @squishymama, did his temperature come down? Any twitches happening?


DD slept until 2am and went back to sleep after 10mins with no fuss and then woke up at 3am and was not happy at all. We had a lot of tears and shouting but I managed to get her back to sleep by singing twinkle twinkle little star for an hour. She then woke up at 6.50 asking for milk, I just said it's all gone and she was okay with that and went downstairs for breakfast. Not a bad first night

[squishymamma]

@Motherofmonsters sounds like a very up and down day for you. Glad to hear it went better than you'd feared with DD!

Hope you managed to get some work done @Chocolatetrifle.

DS still had a fever when we put him to bed but he's been pretty much his usual self, maybe a bit more tired than usual, so we'll see what happens. Naturally I'm on high alert, so trying to consciously relax and not catastrophise things in my head. Went for another sweep at the hospital and nothing had changed but I'm feeling slightly more tightening in the bump so we'll see

Hope everyone gets some sleep!

[Motherofmonsters]

Shes asleep, actually wasn't as bothered as I thought. I told her it had all run out and she only asked a couple times. She did get upset but that was because she wanted to get out the cot but I said she had to lie down. I've just got to stick with it now.


Hope everyone is okay

[Motherofmonsters]

That was a disaster trip out, DS got over stimulated and would not stop running around. Had to properly hold his hand so he didn't knock over the elderly/display shelves. Then DD took a liking to a footlong box of sweets grabbed one and sprinted to the exit. That tantrum lasted all the way home after wrestling her into her car seat

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters good luck with bedtime. I'm in a similar position with ds2 but not breastfeeding. I still get him asleep with his bottle, he is waking and asking for milk in the night still know I need to change it but no energy... Think he's getting more molars or something because the waking up is off scale, or it could be the 2 year regression as he's talking more, I'm rambling now so will go off and get a cuppa and focus!

[Motherofmonsters]

Sorry you've had a crappy night @chocolatetrifle, I'm not surprised your not feeling motivated.
DD was up at 5 as well but I managed to fit in a little nap at 6am as she was amusing herself.

I'm stopping breastfeeding today so going to be a horrendous bedtime as I've never got her to sleep without doing it but I've thoroughly had enough.

We're meeting MIL for a mooch around a garden centre in a minute. DH is working again, but it's a 4 day week next week and then he's off until the 5th.


Fingers crossed baby comes soon and Covid stays away @squishymama

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma, no baby yet! See what tomorrow brings!

Hope your DS will be ok, you definitely don't need covid before labour.

I'm having an unproductive and slow day, have Christmas tasks to do like wrapping and s bit of work but can't face doing anything!

[squishymamma]

Sorry to hear that @Chocolatetrifle, hope they're giving you some time to rest.

Still no baby beginning to wonder if he's waiting for Christmas! DS woke up with a fever today but no other symptoms as of yet so we're holding off on testing him. DH and I tested ourselves to double check and we are negative so taking that as a good sign. Last thing we need is to get COVID just before I go into labour!

Needless to say the TV has been on all morning and I'm beginning to get restless...we need to run some errands so planning to wrap DS up in the pram and take him for a walk while one of us pops in and out of the shop.

Hope everyone else has a good day!

[Chocolatetrifle]

dS2 has had me up about 5 times in the night and then both decide that 5.40 is a good time for getting up....

@squishymamma. How are you feeling today?

[squishymamma]

Hi!

Thanks for asking @Chocolatetrifle. Still no baby but DH's interview went well, fingers crossed he gets the job - we'll find out next week.

Fortunately most of DS' tantrums take place at home right now but I am certain he will also have many out in public. He does cry a little when he doesn't get his way but we acknowledge his upset then move on to do something else and usually it stops quite quickly - very very aware that this has just been luck though

Impressed at your creativity and activities @PinkDaydreams! I don't even know what we'll do this weekend let alone the 2 weeks DS is off...is it bad that I'm secretly hoping to go into labour this weekend so I get a rest? Here you get 48 hours in hospital after giving birth, in your own private room, and it's bliss

We have a friend coming for dinner so busy all night!

[Chocolatetrifle]

They all sound like brilliant activities@PinkDaydreams.

Ah, it's exciting the run up to Christmas now. Have to admit to feeling slightly panicked that DS1 will be home all morning and afternoon now there's no preschool for two weeks and I'm worried I'll just end up stopping fights and squabbles from the two boys. Sure it will be fine, I mean I've done it before right?.

My plan is to get them outside as much as possible weather permitting!

[PinkDaydreams]

Morning all!
Last day of nursery for Xmas today. Putting the tree up this weekend then next week I've got plenty of baking box set things to do, some new biscuit cutters to use with playdoh and kinetic sand. Also debating making some clay Xmas decorations, DS doesn't like painting though so this may not happen.
I think I'm going to make paper chains too. I've also been putting away the supermarket food catalogues to attempt some cutting and sticking.
The chistmas books will be coming out too so lots of reading planned.

I remember reading a thread last year and someone said they take their children swimming on Xmas Eve to tire them out....I'm so tempted by this!! Does anyone else have a busy Xmas Eve to ensure children go to sleep ok?

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, snap, my dS2 had a tantrum in a shop yesterday, full on crying because he wanted to take off his reins and coat. I felt like mean mum.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma how are you today? Thinking of you. Good luck to your DH for his interview!

DS1's last day in preschool today. DS2 and I have just been to the farm shop.

Any plans for today?

[Motherofmonsters]

Well if there's something important happening tomorrow your asking for the baby to make it's move @squishymama.


Today was my last school run having to take DD with me and I'm so glad. I had to do the carrying screaming toddler performance this morning, She kept taking her Welly off in the queue at pick up and then her and DS had a screaming fall out complete with hitting in front of all the parents. DDs baby ballet was cancelled but we went to the park and had coffee and cake with a friend so that made up for it.


Hope everyone is having a good day

[squishymamma]

We're actually doing well and in total reverse to yesterday, hoping baby stays in one day more, because DH got an interview for a job he really wants tomorrow morning at 10am thanks for the wishes/encouragement though @PinkDaydreams and @Chocolatetrifle.

Not much else to report as of now, DS at nursery all day where they've had a Christmas party so it'll be fun to hear if he enjoyed it. I think he's really working on learning to speak now, he points at things then looks really closely at my mouth as I tell him what it is. It'll be interesting to see how his language abilities develop since he's learning 2 at once, and I'm pretty much the only one who ever speaks English to him...

Hope everyone is having a good day!

[PinkDaydreams]

Hope you're ok @squishymamma sending you positivity!!

[Chocolatetrifle]

Try not to be deflated @squishymamma, a lot can happen quickly if you know what I mean. Baby will soon be here now. This is the hardest part. I only got to 1 cm dilated after my failed induction so I sort of understand the despair. You will get there. Keep as relaxed as you can. Don't worry about DS he is too young to remember really what is going on at the moment. I think I've mentioned that my DS1 was completely uninterested in dS2 when he arrived.

That's frustrating@Motherofmonsters. What will you do about the hampers? Some days it feels as though everything just goes wrong.

I basically had to say to DS1 to stop talking as it was one question after another at bedtime and my head was exploding. I just wanted silence!!

Sleep well hopefully everyone.