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

[PinkDaydreams]

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

Thank you guys, there was never much time for creativity in the legal profession when full time so I'm making up for it now I have more time.

@squishymamma, sending you a big hug and encouragement. Hope you feel better. Hope your DS has a more settled night. Toddlers, there's always something. dS2 has decided he doesn't want to eat any food, only pears and milk in a bottle so he's 23 months going on 6 months.

Hope everyone gets a decent amount of sleep tonight.

We've been up since 5. 15, why oh why oh why?

Hope everyone has a good day 🙂.

Oh no I hope you are not too tired @Chocolatetrifle. It is so tiring even when you’re not really tired already!
We have had a tricky time after DS’s injections, he has refused to be put down, really bad nappies & he has also managed to be sick all in my hair. DD has not reacted well to not having any attention & is on 24 hr whinefest. DH was away last night, his contribution this morning - “my job is hard too but I don’t go on about it”

@Lostthetastefordahlias.oh no it's awful after the injections isn't it? I hope your DS is more settled tonight and you get some more rest.. Definitely hard when trying to manage both.

Hmmm, men..not always the most tactful and definitely don't always say the right thing.

Sorry posted too soon.

You've done really well managing both when your DS has been poorly. Hope you get some time to.yourself tonight. Sending you s big hug.

Had a quiet day here, am shattered. Looking forward to bed
Got these number stickers. DS1 had a go at doing a sequence 1 to 10 himself, almost there!

Evening!

@Chocolatetrifle what an early start, not surprised you've had a quiet day. That's a really good effort by your DS!

Sorry to hear you've had a rough day @Lostthetastefordahlias, it's hard especially when you're not supported as well as you could be by DH. You should book a spa day this weekend and leave DH in charge

I'm feeling a bit more myself today which is nice, really hoping we get a break from illness before the new baby comes. DS refused to eat any tea tonight then just had one big whine until we put him to bed. Toddlers are so tiring and hard to figure out! He still has no real words so can't even tell us what's going on.

Hoping he manages to sleep through tonight...hope you all have a good sleep too!

Thank you @Chocolatetrifle and @squishymamma - love it how people on this thread just understand! DH is not usually so annoying thankfully, just didnt need that today
Not long until Mat leave now squishymamma!

Friday already! Hope people got some sleep! I have the afternoon “off” to get my hair done - first time having it properly coloured since 2019! And I definitely have a few more grey hairs since then!
Hope everyone has a lovely day.

Happy Friday! Enjoy the pampering @Lostthetastefordahlias, you deserve it

DS has been really kind to us the past few nights and has only woken up once or twice, plus slept until 7am - mind blown. I'm back at work now and having a very frustrating time with my supervisor, which is a whole other unrelated thread. But basically I'll probably have to work into my maternity leave because of decisions she's made, so not exactly happy. Fortunately we finish 3 weeks before the due date here so I'm assuming I probably won't go into labour before I'm actually finished with what I need to do

We've concluded that we all probably had RSV, so now we're all still full of snot and coughing a little - apparently it can last for weeks? This weekend DH and DS are getting their hair cut and we're going to attempt to take some family photos (not professionally) and make Christmas cards and crafts we can send to DGP. Any good ideas as to what we can do? I was thinking a fingerpainting session where we make a reindeer or something and then I'll just write a little message...

Hope everyone has a good day!

Good morning,

@Lostthetastefordahlias, that sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Hope you really enjoy the sit down and pamper, you deserve it!

@squishymamma sorry to hear about the difficulty at work and the coughs. Hope you feel better over the weekend.
How about handprint snowflakes or handprint tree with fingerprint baubles?

Nothing to report from here at the moment. DS1 is at preschool this morning and dS2 and I have been to Asda and stopped at Greggs for sausage rolls, which I really need to stop eating.

This is what DS1 just said to me I like Bluey's Mum, she's nicer than you, you troll! ' , charming!

Ooo thanks for the ideas @Chocolatetrifle! Might try some of those. These DC come out with some things don't they - I'm sure as soon as DS can talk he'll be similar

Mentioned above DS is sleeping really well but what I didn't say, which I could do with some advice on, is that it only goes smoothly at bedtime if it's DH putting him to bed. He has to go in a few times but DS lies back down in his cot with minimal complaints each time. But when I go in he wants to come out, screams in protest when I try to lie him back down (even if I've taken him up for a long cuddle), and won't let me leave...does anyone else have a similar experience? Why is it so hard for me??

Try not to worry about that @squishymamma. To be honest I think it's a good thing your DH can settle your DS1, this will be vital when the new baby comes.

@squishymama had the same thing with DS and I remember being really frustrated and miserable. We did eventually crack it, and not sure if there was anything that helped or if it was just an age/development thing but all my sympathies. I generally find it really tough when it's different for DH so he can't properly understand and tries to give helpful advice, when DS is just different with him.

Had two reasonable days on my own with DS and DD. Making and decorating gingerbread men was good, and managed to time a trip to the shop to buy decorations for when DD needed a nap, so could do actual icing/sticking with just DS (who was surprisingly sensible about it all).

But he still ends up frustrated I can't focus on him all the time, partly because I'm going between DS and DD and partly because I'm also trying to sort food, keep floor clean for DD etc. And its all really repetitive. I want to try other things but lots of things I think DS would like involve things DD really shouldn't put in her mouth, and it just feels easier to walk to the park. Any go to activities that work well for 8 month baby and a 3 year old?

I agree with Chocolatetrifle that it sounds really good that DS is preferring DH to put him to bed @squishymamma - its so much easier if they are used to both of you doing things like that before baby arrives.
For Christmas/ winter crafts, if you have some white paint and some black or darkish blue paper it can be really effective to cut out say a snowman to stick on and then have them add snow with a cotton bud/ sponge dabber/ cotton ball/ fingertip. My DD loved this last year we did it loads!

@prettygirlincrimsonrose I totally understand the frustration with trying to do activities with two once baby is mobile - I really miss being able to do kinetic sand/ playdoh/ painting with Dd which I can only do now when DS is sleeping (he is 15 months but puts everything in his mouth still). It sounds great that you have managed to do cooking with both of them. Other things I have found I can do with both:

• trays of warm water on tuff tray to “wash” things - baby needs to be very closely supervised obviously but both enjoy it;
• being in a dark room with music & a star projector and torches - or lying on a mat listening to music with bubbles;
• getting all the musical toys out & making a noise
• getting all the cushions and blankets off the sofa and making a boat/ den etc
• daytime bath with old plastic containers to pour etc (a lockdown classic that has stayed with us)
• getting the bigger cars out and rolling them down a slope made of a cardboard box side

Not exactly groundbreaking. Mostly we end up just going out a lot too

@prettygirlincrimsonrose, that sounds like you've had a good few days. Know what you mean about the mess though .
It's very hard I think finding suitable things to amuse both at home at different ages. When my dS2 was 8 months, my DS1 was 2.10. I used to sit youngest in high chair and do playdoh for example with both and just make sure dS2 wasn't trying to eat it.
Or do music time, let both bash around on some play instruments we had and watch nursery rhymes or listen to them on a cd.
Duplo, I used to give dS2 the biggest pieces to look at, fiddle with.
Play tunnel indoor was used loads by both during lockdown for me.
I can't think of anything else! I struggled so much most days to amuse them both at home especially during lockdown. It is easier to get them both out, especially when the younger one is not mobile! It goes without saying that above activities were only possible for a short amount of time before one or both started to moan or whinge or throw something.

@squishymamma I'm the only one here who can settled both to sleep of thru wake in the night, it's always been like that but not ideal, that's why I said it's good your DH can settle DS1. It's only now DS1 will go asleep for my husband but he still calls for me on the night. I've had both crying for me at the same time in the night, it's very stressful,.

Sorry to sound negative, having 2 young kids is great really!

Christmas tree handprints are more Hulk like than tree like here! We've had a go this morning. Going to try again with paint sticks, might make it neater and a better colour then can add finger print baubles or pom poms perhaps.

Hope everyone has a nice day. There is a local Christmas fayre this morning we are going to have a look at.

Morning!

It was DHs birthday yesterday so we had a quiet day at home as all the children were out the house and then went out for tea at an amazing steak place. Literally the best steak I've ever had.

DH is working today so we are off to a local garden/farm attraction with my side of the family.

DS has shut himself in the downstairs toilet with loads of rolls of toilet roll. He's just rearranging and stacking then so I've left him to it. DD is trying to drink a cup of milk with a spoon and I'm drinking coffee. I'm very sad as my milk frother has stopped frothing

I think they look good @chocolatetrifle, I'm impressed they're clear handprints. I usually just get a smudge.

@Motherofmonsters, my DS1 loves to stack toilet rolls too.

Hope you enjoy the farm this afternoon.
We went to the Christmas fayre, so lovely to.go to something like that after there not being any last year.
I might turn the green handprints into sprouts, they are the right colour!

dS2 obliged with his handprint and added some fingerprint baubles but DS1 was not in the mood for fingerprints today! . Paint sticks are definitely easier and not as messy

Evening

Thanks for the responses - I'm obviously really happy that DH can get DS to sleep so easily. What I'm worried about is the times when DH can't do it eg if he's out or whatever. I need DS to at least accept that sometimes I'll put him to bed

Really enjoying all of your crafts - great ideas!

@Chocolatetrifle what kinds of things did they have at the fayre? I really miss them - it's not really a thing here. I like the tree!

@Motherofmonsters how nice to have a date day! Hope DH had a good time. I completely feel you on the milk frother - I need frothed milk or it's a cup of tea...spoilt I know.

@prettygirlincrimsonrose how was your day today? It's hard to split attention I think, one of the things I'm least looking forward to. Sounds like you've gotten some good ideas though.

We had a very productive day and DS and DH got their hair cut. Were out basically all day! My legs are killing me now now we're sat watching the Norwegian version of Lego Masters and listening to DS complain through the baby monitor...he's started refusing to go to sleep despite being clearly tired, so we are letting him complain a little before DH goes in and lies him back down (which he does happily). So hard to figure out what to do in these situations!! He has been sleeping better later at night though and only waking up at 7am so we can't complain too much.

Hope everyone has a good night!