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

[PinkDaydreams]

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

@Lostthetastefordahlias that sounds horrendous! I hope you’re ok, and have a better night tonight!
Really recommend that mud kitchen. They can push the tap to get running water out into the sink. It’s fab.

DD spent another afternoon playing with mud kitchen, we had Gluck (cornflour mixed with water. She called it slime) out in the garden.

@Chocolatetrifle that is so sweet 😍 I want one too!! Hope the kids love it.
Haha. Enjoying your rusk? I never tried one. I’m hungry now, craving pancakes and syrup... but trying not to! Lol x

@Lostthetastefordahlias have you got anyone who can come and look after all of you? You poor poor thing.

Re. Eating. I CANNOT STOP EATING tonight. I'm like a maniac in the kitchen whilst watching crap tv. On the positive both kids asleep in bed.

We went on a ten minute bus ride and my toddler was so excited as if I'd taken her to Alton Towers....post lockdown expectations are low for her bless her

I really need to take the DS's on a bus and train ride too @footprintsintheslow. It's the little things that they love isn't it?

Rusk was ok. We keep a few boxes in as they are quite good for if the DS's are ill and can't face much food. I tend to mix them with milk and make a mush and they can always get that down them. I however ate about 3 straight from the box. Not ideal but desperate times and all...

The mud kitchen sounds great @BeHereNowx32. So glad your DD is enjoying it. My DS's would love it. I have the garden mud but no kitchen ha! Might cobble one together out of a toddler table, a washing up bowl and some old pans .

Hope it's a decent night.

Thank you all for being so kind, I feel a lot better today.

Haha laughing about the rusks “treat” @Chocolatetrifle! I do that with random cupboard food all the time. Love the fairy garden. I also agree that it seems like the summer is drifting away a bit! Hardly had the paddling pool out at all!

Blurgh at your rusk treat @chocolatetrifle DS2 quite likes them but I was not keen on the one I tried 0

I'm off to forage for a weird breakfast now, DH merrily skipped off to work announcing he'd used the last of the bread (DC can have rice krispies but I don't fancy cold milk at 7am)

Bless your DD @footprintsintheslow my DS1 is the same every time we get the train one stop into town.

Hope everyone has a good day - Its my day off so DS1 and I might be off to the cinema for the first time ever (he'd not been before lockdown and had completely forgotten what cinemas are/were)

@Lostthetastefordahlias, glad you are feeling better today.

@Camomila, a cinema trip sounds amazing. Hope your DS1 enjoyed the experience?

Here's a crystal update... Hmmmm, they don't look much different after 7 days, what a surprise .

Good evening all!

@Chocolatetrifle great update, shame it didn't look more...crystally?

@Camomila hope you found something to eat and had fun at the cinema.

@Lostthetastefordahlias sorry to hear you had a rough sickness but glad to hear you're feeling better now!

@footprintsintheslow DS loves trains, it's a great low cost activity

I am shattered! Today I went back to the office for the very first time and it was really strange. They're trying to lure everyone back with free waffles at lunchtime we don't have a choice really, but they're trying to be nice about it.

Took DS to a nice park today to meet a friend and they actually have a little animal zoo we didn't know about, it was ready to close when we got there but definitely keeping it in mind for future! DS was giddy with joy because we helped him feed a goat some grass through a fence it was hilarious, he couldn't stop laughing. He's a real animal lover.

Hope everyone has a good night

Oh I love a new local discovery @squishymamma!! Its the smaller things they enjoy sometimes isn’t it! I can’t imagine going back to the office, well done. That level of logistics seems completely out of my league now!
What did you go to see @Camomila and was it good?
Not too sure what to say about the crystals @Chocolatetrifle did the Dc like them?
My friend has borrowed a beach hut tomorrow, it is on a stony rather than sandy beach but I am looking forward to a picnic lunch and a paddle!

It's a good job I'm not on Instagram so I can't be tempted to put on a picture of the 'crystals' ha, I don't think it looks like a 'perfect crystal moment'. The kit comes with a hammer and after you've grown them you are to smash them. Seems appropriate really. DS1 enjoyed smashing them up.

A beach hut and picnic sounds truly wonderful @Lostthetastefordahlias, I hope you all enjoy that tomorrow and hope the weather is nice for you.

Well done going into the office even though you were nervous @squishymamma, one day at a time. Glad your DS enjoyed feeding the goat too, sounds like it was great fun.

DS1 had preschool and he had a nice time...still a bit wobbly going in. We play the 'door game', see who opens the door to try to distract him. It does seem to start to be getting easier, fingers crossed.

DS2 has become obsessed with keys. He held on to our garage door keyring today and refused to let it go. He had it in his hand for 5 hours, even took it to Dunelm and my Mum's house this afternoon.There were tears at bath time when I said no more key and it had to go back on the key rack. Hope he forgets about it tomorrow!

Sleep well everyone (hopefully).

Oh can I join you all! I have a just turned 3 year old, 1 year old and I’m expecting my 3rd in September. I am going absolutely insane.

@Chocolatetrifle the crystal at the back I thought had a slight crystal shine to it. I'm glad to hear DS1 is getting more confident at preschool.

@squishymamma that's nice they are luring you back with waffles. I've stopped bothering making myself hot drinks at work because of the complicated Covid procedure to using the kitchen

Hope you have a great day at the seaside tomorrow @lostthetastefordahlias.

We've had a really nice day - DS1 and I watched the Paw Patrol movie (which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be), shared a raspberry slushie and popcorn, and he behaved beautifully the whole way through (at home he usually spends films shouting "it's too scary" and fast forwarding through them). DS2 was happy too as nonno and nonna took him on a long pushchair walk to look at boats at the marina while DS1 and I were in the cinema (nonno is his favourite person atm)

@flowerbus, welcome. You are in the right place. How are you getting on?

@Lostthetastefordahlias, how was the beach hut? Hope it was fab.

@Camomila, sounds like you had a great time at the cinema. I bet your DS loved it.

Had a park trip this afternoon, stood in the bandstand to dodge the rain. they have skateboard ramps there, Both DS were climbing them and using them as slides.

How is everyone?

Anyone finding toddler classes are booked up? We don't seem to have many around our way and I want to take DS2 to one whilst DS1 is at preschool. Have had to join a waiting list for September for one class.

Welcome @flowerbus

I'm well thanks, as I took DS1 for a treat yesterday I took DS2 to softplay for the first time today

I've been feeling a bit unmotivated/down lately but I've started following my friend's tip of ignoring the mess and using all work days off for fun outings and it seems to be working.

There's spaces at toddler classes here but you have to book/pay for everything at least a week in advance which puts me off as I'd rather just drop in occasionally/wait to see what the weather's like.

Welcome @flowerbus fair play you have your hands full.

We've had a good thing on the go here. I've attached a picture of a cardboard tree house I saw on fb and we've been making it. Ours isn't as beautiful. But it has given us something to do each day for 10-15 minutes and sometimes longer and some days 3 year old did it themselves whilst I cooked or whatever.
One day she painted, then she glued and glittered, then she put leaves and wool on for vines. I'll send a picture of ours but its precariously gluing upside down at the moment.

Evening and welcome @flowerbus, sounds like you're in the right place!

How was the beach hut @Lostthetastefordahlias?

@Chocolatetrifle I think the smashing is the best part, nobody is bothered about how crystally they look when they get to smash stuff with a hammer how was the key obsession today?

@Camomila that's a really good idea to ignore the mess, glad to hear it's working. Hope you feel better soon. Sounds like you've had a nice few days!

@footprintsintheslow that's so cool! Need to stash that away in my brain for when DS is old enough. Looking forward to seeing your version

We're good but DS has been really tired constantly the past few days, I'm hoping he's not coming down with something yet again...still getting back into the routine of going to the office and the COVID measures mean there's basically no hot drinks and minimal plastic cutlery, which I planned badly for. Ended up with lukewarm black coffee...which I never ever drink. Lesson learned!

@Chocolatetrifle I’m hanging in there! DS2 has started walking and DS3 is very much a threenager so it’s hectic. I’m hopefully going to have a day out with DM on Sunday for my birthday, which will be a nice break. I used to love climbing skateboard ramps when I was little!. There’s barely any toddler classes near me, I’ve been trying to get to some but lots of them still aren’t open because of covid. It’s really frustrating!

@Camomila I’m yet to take DS2 to soft play, he’s a lockdown baby so I’m a bit worried about how he’ll cope with it all. How did your little one get on?

@footprintsintheslow that’s a brilliant idea, I’ll have to try that with my boys

@squishymamma 🤢 at lukewarm black coffee. I hope your DS isn’t coming down with something!

We ended up spending most of the day outside, the weather was awful but they were doing my head in cooped up inside so I got the puddle suits on and we had a walk up to the shops to get a magazine, then met DH on his lunch break and then went on a trip to the park.

Thanks everyone, had a lovely day at the beach, despite DS’s determination to eat stones and DD’s screaming hysteria every time she got her feet slightly dirty… have been sat here in a daze for an hour now doing the sainsburies order like a zombie
I have not even tried with toddler classes @Chocolatetrifle - admire your organisation. Really glad to hear preschool is getting easier for your DS.

Welcome @flowerbus!!
@Camomila thats a good idea about just getting out, also that way at least the house doesn't get any untidier - whenever I stay in with DD & DS to get things sorted it is overall often a net loss in that the house ends up worse than before!!
Hope DS is ok @squishymamma.
Love the idea of the cardboard tree house @footprintsintheslow. I love crafting with DD but have not made the effort lately - might start with a swing for her dolls, saw one made out of a shoebox on pinterest somewhere!!

@flowerbus DS2 loved it (born Jan 2020 so almost a lockdown baby too) but he's been at nursery since Easter, plus he has a 5 year old brother who he follows anywhere.

@lostthetastefordahlias exactly! It's usually a net loss on the tidyness front here too if I'm home with both DC. I'm glad you had a nice time at the beach - I giggled at your DDs hysterics when her feet got dirty, reminded me of DS1 last year "no mummy, not the crabs!" (the teeniest crabs ever and I was carrying him)

Hope DS is feeling ok @squishymamma, hopefully he is just tired from summer holidays fun.

@Camomila, ah, hope you are ok? Is there anything in particular you are feeling down about? Can we help?

@flowerbus, all phases have their moments but I think the threenager one is particularly hard. I have a threenager but I think I'm coming towards the other side. My DS1 will be 4 in October and can see improvements lately in him, he listens to me more and seems to understand things more and is starting to be a bit more reasonable (sometimes). Hope you have a good day out with your Mum for your birthday on Sunday and happy birthday! My DS2 is 20 months and he didn't like soft play when we took him in May, it was too busy (despite restricted numbers) and he didn't know what to do and just clung on to me.

@squishymamma, hope your DS feels a bit brighter soon. How is he sleeping at the moment?

@footprintsintheslow, that looks fantastic. It's great to have a project and even better when they get into it too. Looking forward to seeing yours when it's finished. How is your water wall? I remember you posting about that? It looked so good. Have your DC enjoyed playing with it over the summer?

@Lostthetastefordahlias, glad you had a good day at the beach, bet it was lovely. Hope it stayed dry. I found some of those old fashioned wooden pegs and just got some crayons and pens and drew faces and clothes on with DS1 and made peg doll members of our family, he loves them. Your DD might like something like that?

Tomorrow we are going to an indoor trampoline park which is having a toddler 'underwater theme bounce' session. DH is off so we are all going. DS1 will be in his element, will see how DS2 reacts, interested how they will do the theme. Will report back.

Hope everyone gets a decent sleep.

@Chocolatetrifle hahaha the water wall is NEVER used. She just doesn't go to it. Well twice she's played with it and that's been when she's had a friend over so I think that's the key.

I'm awake. I've been awake for three hours. H is snoring next to me. Baby has woken up about 8 time so far. Toddler woken once. Sleep is so bad here that I've now got shingles which I get multiple times so don't feel too sorry for me as I'm not that ill but I'm exhausted and the rash is agony.
I just can't get back to sleep after these 2am feeds. It's torture! Everyone asleep except me. 😡

@footprintsintheslow, oh no, that's terrible, sorry to hear about the shingles. It's so awful when you get so run down you get ill. Night time's are so difficult aren't they? I'm with you.

DS2 was up about 4 times last night kept waking and I sweat at one point he said 'key' or it sounded similar, (he is still obsessed with the garage key), then I put DS1 on the toilet for a wee at 3. Went downstairs for some milk at 4.30 for dS2 then DS1 up at 6 saying can we go to the trampolines now? DH asleep throughout . How on earth do men so this? It's like they just switch off to night time parenting.

Hope you feel better. Is there anything you can take for the rash? I assume just normal painkillers? Sending you some support. Today is a new day etc but sometimes you don't want the new day when you've been up all night!!

Oh no @footprintsintheslow I hope you are ok. It is so so frustrating when they go back to sleep and you can’t, I have been there myself a million times, but without the joy of shingles as well, it sounds very tough! I hope some strong coffee gets you through the morning - do you have a lot on today?
I had DS just randomly awake until 1 but then he has slept til now so can’t complain, but have been there so many times - hope you hit a better phase with baby soon

Anyone else feel like all DH does is get himself ready yet we have to get ourselves ready and the DC ready for going out then DH appears and says 'why is no one ready yet?' Plus put the wash on plus think ahead as to what is going to be for lunch and tea etc etc.

Sorry, moan over!
Hope everyone is ok.

Oh god 100% know what you mean @Chocolatetrifle. See also holiday packing. Packs a few T shirts for himself & can’t understand how its taking so long to get the other oh about 800 things inc cots/ pushchairs/ food/ that toy DD can’t sleep without into the car