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

[PinkDaydreams]

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

Oh my god my DS2 has literally thrown handfuls of tea all over DH and the walls! It seems to be a new thing he is doing. Any tips please how to deal? I took his plate off him but I didn't want him to think I was taking his food. My DS1 never did this!

@Motherofmonsters are you sorted with your heating?

DS1 is still coughing, but so is most of his preschool class apparently. Piriton helped a bit overnight.

@squishymamma how are you today after finishing work?

Could you put less on his plate @chocolatetrifle so he has less to chuck and then keeping adding to it as he goes along?

Boiler is fixed, it just had a low pressure thankfully! I've been to baby ballet this morning with DD and just got back from martial arts with DS. I am looking forward to getting into bed.

@Motherofmonsters, yes, that could be an idea thanks. Glad you got your heating working, you will need it as it's supposed to be freezing this weekend. They are talking of snow aren't they?

Does your DS like the martial arts? My DS1 goes to a football class on Saturday which he loves but I think he would like something like that too.

Hope everyone gets some sleep. We've not done much today really. Preschool this morning and I took DS1 to the garden centre to see the decorations and lights. This afternoon we made a glitter Christmas tree card for DS1's key worker at preschool (basically I made it and DS1 said it was nice)whilst boys emptied the shed contents outside of the shed.

Bedtime now at last. Sleep well hopefully.

I would absolutely love some snow but we very rarely get it down here and its even rarer for it to settle.
He loves martial arts although it's a little bit over stimulating for him so he ends up running around and spinning in circles. His cousin's go as well and they love it.

Evening!

@Chocolatetrifle we haven't had quite the same situation but sometimes DS deliberately drops stuff on the floor for a reaction. We tend to begin by holding his hands to stop him and telling him we can't let him do that and if he continues we'll have to assume he's finished. We do this a few times then if he continues we take his plate away and say we assume he's finished, and get a cloth to wipe his hands and face. Then he usually either is finished, so we let him leave the table, or he signals he's not finished and we return his plate to him. And sometimes repeat the process we intervene really early though, as soon as he starts dropping stuff, and we've always done it so he knows the score. Maybe something to try?

Glad to hear your boiler is fixed @Motherofmonsters!

We spent the day at PIL helping with various things, while DS was at nursery. Then we made Christmas tree cards with finger paints, DS absolutely loved it! I had to steer his hands though and the baubles look...interesting will take a picture once I've drawn on the tree trunks and stars! Will send to all grandparents I think as his present to them.

Then DS promptly had a massive tantrum because it was time for tea but DH didn't announce this and just abruptly turned off the TV (which I'd suggested not to put on as we had literally 10 minutes inbetween fingerpainting and tea, but that's a different story) so I had to sit and calm him down before he was able to eat. It's the first real big tantrum I think he's ever had so the "terrible twos" are signalling their arrival just in time for the new baby life will definitely not be boring the next few months...

Hope everyone sleeps well!

Hope everyone has had a good day.

DD managed to not get sent home from nursery which is great. I had big plans of being productive but they didn't really materialise. Spent far to much time looking at my phone/ watching scrubs for the billionth time.

We have been to the garden centre near us twice already to see the decorations @Chocolatetrifle - I had no idea I would be visiting them so much once I became a parent
Hope DS has been ok today @squishymamma - its hard when you need to get through tea bath etc and they need 10
minutes advance warning of each next step!
We did leaf rubbing earlier in the week which my 3 yr old enjoyed an unexpected amount - spent ages on it. Today we have watched a lot of tv. Its freezing here.

Also I have done that today @Motherofmonsters - I had some time I could have done stuff but I stuck one load of laundry on and then sat and read a book/my phone. Sometimes its just what you need to do though right - also it means DH will be able to help with the leftover housework this weekend

I LOVE the garden centre at Christmas time, I've been twice already this week. dS2 loves this singing display they have so we usually stand there for a while to watch it.

I'm not expecting much sleep tonight. Both boys are coughing, the type that sounds chesty but is from the throat. DH had his booster yesterday and has had a migraine. I had my booster before.

We've been at home for a relaxing afternoon
( which is anything but relaxing).

Not really done much...boys were playing drumming on the pans which was great for a while. I was like, yep, I'll just sit here and relax whilst the lads are being creative all by themselves, next thing I knew, DS1 was weeing in one of the pans!.

Happy days!

Lovely leaf prints @Lostthetastefordahlias.

I have introduced a reward chart this week. Minus star stickers for weeing in a pan obviously but it is working with teeth brushing for them both. The other thing they have to do is eat their tea properly which dS2 is failing at and to be kind to your brother.

See how long I can stick with it for. Does anyone use a reward chart?

I've gone a bit mad making Christmas wreaths....I'm finding it quite calming!

Weeing in the pan that has made me properly laugh @Chocolatetrifle!! Did he have any excuse?!
Love the wreaths, especially the white/ silver one!
I bought a paw patrol sticker reward chart this week thinking to use it for DD if she has no accidents at preschool. She is generally fine at home then has loads there when she is distracted! I have not got it out yet though. My 3yr olds table manners are shocking, good idea to use it for that.

Evening all,

I think sometimes we need to be unproductive @Motherofmonsters - plus it's been pretty intense for you lately so must have been nice to have a quiet rest?

Like the idea of leaf rubbing @Lostthetastefordahlias, nice colours too! And nice wreathes @Chocolatetrifle. Everyone is getting so crafty!

The peeing in the pan made me laugh too, sounds very typical toddler...I don't think DS would understand/appreciate a reward chart yet, but I remember my parents using it with us so I'm sure we'll have one at some point!

Crazy that we were only yesterday talking about tea throwing - tonight for the first time ever DS started throwing food at the table. Must have been reading this thread anyway we got him a 'no thank you bowl' he could put food he didn't want in and he kept throwing so we assumed he was finished and cleaned him up. He's been very clingy and whiny the past few days so maybe something is underlying all this behaviour - going to try to pay attention to him properly this weekend and see what I figure out.

Anyone have any plans for the weekend? We have a packed weekend and I'm exhausted just thinking about it. The main thing for me is my police appointment to confirm my identity, all UK citizens have to do it after Brexit to get a new residence card I have to take DS with me and I'm worried I'll forget something or be late...

Have a good evening!

My initial thought is that the reward chart will soon become tedious so I'm using it a bit flexibly and just keep saying 'wow, you've got lots of stars!'. Good thing is that the stars themselves seem to be the incentive, rather than asking what the reward is for the stars if you know what I mean, but that might come tomorrow.

DS1 is 4 and old enough not know he should not wee in a pan but he thought he was hilarious, like he just couldn't resist it!

Sleep well everyone hopefully x

Old enough to know ' not ' to that should say.

@squishymamma, oh sorry that the vibes of my DS2's food throwing have been passed to you. It must be a stage thing, a power battle thing.

Lovely leaf rubbing @Lostthetastefordahlias and Christmas wreaths @Chocolatetrifle. I have saved last years Christmas cards to hopefully make a big wreath with DS1 at some point

In an exciting change from one of DC being ill I am ill instead - annoying cough and painful sinuses, and I got rained on walking to the testing centre.

DS2 doesn't throw food but he likes to spit milk out of his mouth when he has his sippy cup He gets one warning of "no spitting, drink nicely" and then the sippy cup goes away.

Hope everyone gets a good nights sleep.

Morning everyone,

The leaf rubbings look great @thelostthetastefordahlias a lovely idea and I love your wreaths @chocolatetrifle.

I've finally caught the kids colds, I forgot what it's like having one. I just want to curl in a ball but DH is working this morning.

DD had an epic tantrum when she woke up which took me a while to work out, she was wearing fairy pyjamas but wanted to be wearing unicorn ones...

Mark having milk, Luke is saying his ear 👂 s whistling so I've got his hand t water bottle to put on his ear. I'm having some lunch

Sorry posted too soon, hot water bottle that should say! dS2 has croup again, we've had to get the steroid, this morning. Just sitting to have lunch as we were up all night! My DS1 is saying his ear is hurting so I'm hoping some hot water bottle pressure might work.

@Camomila, sorry to hear you are feeling poorly today and you too @Motherofmonsters, how are you feeling now? Get well soon both x

Sorry to hear your DC are ill again @Chocolatetrifle hope the hot water bottle helps a bit.

I'm ok thanks, Covid test came back really quickly negative so no worries about school runs/going to work etc. Am drinking drinking many cups of lemon tea with honey to help with the coughing and DM has taken DS1 and some laundry to hers to give me a break

I'm feeling absolutely awful however in good news the PIL have taken both kids out for the afternoon and they are having a sleepover. I'm going to get my first uninterrupted sleep/morning in over 2 years!
Lemon and honey is a miracle worker @camomila

I've got an awful headache after the booster jab. husband has had to take DS1 to the walk in now because he's been crying all afternoon with earache, luckily we got an appointment for 8, honestly, it doesn't rain but it pours. dS2 is asleep after his second steroid and hoping it does the trick now.

@Motherofmonsters I think I'd pay a lot of money for that kind of morning and lie in at the moment. Hope you enjoy it, you deserve it. The sleep will do you so much good.

@Camomila, glad your result was negative. Hope you get some rest and feel better too.

Evening all,

Gosh, sounds like all of us are getting sick now! I still have an annoying cough from my cold the other week and my head has been fuzzy today but nothing like you all are dealing with. Hoping you all feel better soon

@Chocolatetrifle hope your DS both feel better soon too - croup is terrible to deal with so I hope the steroid works.

I had my police appointment then we spent the day at PIL - I've been really moody today so I feel sorry for DH and DS just so knackered all the time and we always seem to have 100 things to do, so I get very snappy...

MIL was trying unsuccessfully to get DS to play with her today - like every time we visit. He point blank refuses to be anywhere near them and clings to us. On the one hand I wonder if it's because he's a covid baby and didn't get lots of exposure to people from early on, but on the other hand he's totally fine with them if we're not there. It's annoying for me because I just want a quiet sit down but I guess it's not a crisis. He's gotten well into tantrums now though and the minute we tell him he can't do something off he goes. Buckling up for a bumpy few years...

Going to get some sleep and hope this headache disappears - fingers crossed for a good sleep for all ill DC and parents!!