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

[PinkDaydreams]

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

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

Evening all! Good day followed by crappy bedtime.

DTs at preschool again so took DD1 to local climbing wall followed by watching Olympics at my mum's. She did a whole reading book by herself which again feels super grown up! Then made me a "trail" of drawings hidden throughout the house to find. Mostly of me with waist-length purple hair for some reason - I have a crop!

DTs had a nice time after preschool but bedtime awful. DT2 has started getting out of bed repeatedly again. Ended with her being loudly told off and crying I hate it but what the bloody hell else am I meant to do? Cannot let her keep the others awake till 10pm with her nonsense!

[footprintsintheslow]

Hello everyone I'm back.

I was on this thread from the Sunday morning that it started. Then I went away on holiday and never came back to the thread. Anyway I've missed it.

Anyway: quick recap for those that don't know me I have a three year old and a six month old and a big grown up child, a tuff tray and a husband that really really pisses me off.

Both my little ones have tonsillitis and we've been in all week. It's like our own personal lockdowns but without daily updates and no Joe Wicks.

[footprintsintheslow]

@BeHereNowx32 we have toys in the living room mainly and some toys in the bedroom.

@PinkDaydreams Kinect if sand will be coming out at ours tomorrow for sure. I'd forgotten I have that in the cupboard for emergencies.

@Chocolatetrifle my nan used to turn the tv off during a storm. Very glad to hear that it's still going on.

Re: teeth brushing my friend had a fantastic idea of rotating toothbrushes just like some of us do with toys. Buy a few fun brushes and swap them very few days or so. B and M do two flashing ones for £1 and battery electric ones for £3!

[Chocolatetrifle]

Hi everyone,

welcome back @footprintsintheslow. Sorry to hear about the double tonsillitis, that sounds awful. Hope your DC's are feeling better? So hard to be stuck in the house, and even worse when they are ill. Hope you are ok with it? I always think it's mums who struggle on when the kids are ill then we end up run down ourselves then who looks after us really? Nobody!

Not much to report from here. It's been dreadful weather. Pottered about this morning, have a Peppa Pig 🐷 colouring book the size of a door which I've had out and we've done a bit of painting. Both DS have recently got into Peppa Pig! I've saved a dinosaur dig kit so thinking of bringing that out later or tomorrow if it's still raining and one of those torches that you put little disks in and it projects onto the wall.

How is everyone today?

[Chocolatetrifle]

Saw these in The Range earlier, for anyone who wants cookie cutter shapes for kinetic sand or play-doh.

[PinkDaydreams]

@Chocolatetrifle

Saw these in The Range earlier, for anyone who wants cookie cutter shapes for kinetic sand or play-doh.

Fab thank you!

[squishymamma]

Evening all!

Apartment is finally cleaned and keys handed back, hallelujah! MIL came and looked after DS all day, he was super sad when we left but apparently perked up after some raisins. Raisins > dear parents obviously.

@JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff hope bedtime goes better for you today. Really enjoy hearing your adventures with DD1, I'm looking forward to that period!

Welcome back @footprintsintheslow - hope your DC get better soon so you can re-emerge into society. Agree that it's rubbish when everyone's ill, especially when literally everyone's ill but the mums have to struggle through and feed everyone (that's what happens in our house anyway...)

Tomorrow we have nothing planned and it's supposed to rain a ton. Have to do the food shop though. My friend is also having a birthday party in Central so I'll be out for the night, she invited all of us but then said we'd be eating at 7.30pm...which is when DS goes to bed. So I'm the only one joining as she's "my" friend originally. Ah the joys of being childless and not having to worry about such things!

[Lostthetastefordahlias]

Hi everyone hope its ok if I re join? I was on the first couple of threads - have been lurking but not been contributing lately as somehow have been less inspired by lockdown lifting than being in lockdown - it has not been the mood lifter I was hoping for! I have DS (11 months) and Dd (just 3 yrs) - both home from nursery today due to temperatures, & we have watched too much pingu which I hate. Luckily DH now doing bedtime.
Hope you have got through the day ok @footprintsintheslow. Glad you’ve had a productive one @squishymamma!
You are so right about looking after ourselves when DC are ill @Chocolatetrifle. I remember screenshotting your first post on these threads about looking after yourself as a reminder, then promptly not having time to do it ha.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Lostthetastefordahlias, welcome back . Hope you are ok. It's so hard isn't it when they are so young. I find this thread helps me so much. I'm useless at following my own advice, so much so that I am on my second lot of antibiotics and steroids for my asthma after back to back illnesses with my two. We do really need to help ourselves when we can even if it's just something small. Hope your DC's temperatures go down soon and they feel ok .

[footprintsintheslow]

@Lostthetastefordahlias hello again good to see you back. I've been doing not much either whilst being busy since the lifting. This week of being stuck in has been ok (once I got the tuff tray in) I cooked spaghetti today for the baby to play with and the three year old loved it.

Yesterday I dumped a load of yoghurt in the tray and they liked that but I should've got it to room temperature first 🥶❄️

The other hit has been a palette of watercolours which were £3 in wilkinsons. Hardly any mess and loads of painting fun

[squishymamma]

Welcome back @Lostthetastefordahlias - hope your DCs feel better soon. I also agree re lockdown lifting, thought it would give me a mood boost but I actually have anxiety about going back to normal even though DH and I are fully vaccinated and cases here are relatively few.

I've been trying and trying to find a tuff tray but they seem to not exist here in Norway, which for me is mind blowing. Maybe because they like to push the idea that we should all be frolicking in the forests all day? Anyway there's a lot of kinetic sand around so I might have to buy some of that today. Is it okay for 18 month olds??

Tried round 2 of baking with DS this morning, making pancakes. He managed to get dirt in the batter from one of the kitchen plants on the window ledge (right next to our worktop) and submerged half his arm in said batter before wiping it on his clothes. He didn't get to help much after that. We still ate the pancakes it was only a tiny bit of dirt and it's extra nutrition...right?

[Camomila]

Welcome back @footprintsintheslow and @Lostthetastefordahlias

@squishymamma I think the original tuff trays were builders trays for mixing cement etc - so you could look in your local B&Q type place?

I had my second Covid jab today...it was a nice rest lying down on the little bed and they gave me biscuits (I answered yes to if I'd ever fainted).

Mum and dad are coming round later to help build DS1s new mid sleeper bed - I will supervise with my aching arm

[footprintsintheslow]

@Camomila top tip. I would've loved a bed and biscuits.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@squishymamma I think kinetic sand is ok for an 18 month old but he may throw it, my DS2 does and he's nearly 20 months. It's a sensory change from play-doh. Don't be tempted to try play- foam, it's like large balls,made of little balls and it comes apart easily I found.

@Camomila hope you feel ok after your jab.

We've made an apple crumble today but both DS did not like it, thought it was quite nice actually!

My DS2 is at the stage where he just wants to open and shut doors and climb up the washing machine etc. He spent ages sorting the cutlery drawer out before. Just having some park time.

Hope everyone is ok.

[Motherofmonsters]

Welcome back footprintsinthesnow and lostthetastefordahlias.

DD is 21months and likes kinetic sand, she mostly just pokes at it though.


Having an okay day, a local garden centre has lots of fish including massive koi that you can feed so we went there with MIL and then had coffee and cake in the cafe. They sat really nicely until DS reached his limit and began running around like it's a park. I definitely lost my temper with him and had to carry him out. Got lots and lots of looks but not much else I could do. Then popped in to see SIL as they are doing up a house and back to MIL for a little play. Hopefully they are nice and tired out now.

Does anyone listen to audiobooks? I'm about to finish my book and I'm stuck for a new one if anyone has any recommendations

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, don't take any notice of the looks. I often have to wrestle DS1 away from places. He knocked a whole stand of Pringles off a shelf not so long ago, on purpose, and I didn't give two hoots about the looks, just carted him off!

[Motherofmonsters]

We were meant to be going to a birthday party this morning but have just had to cancel as DD has been sick everywhere. Going to be a long day at home as DH is working and DS is literally bouncing off the walls/sofa

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, oh no poor DD, how is she now? Hope she will feel better soon. It's one thing after another isn't it?

DS2 has caught a gunky eye from DS1 who had it last week. There's yellow gunk but it doesn't seem like conjunctivitis as the eye is not red. I'm just bathing it with warm water hopefully it will go. He's in a bad mood due to canine teething I think. There's a lot of screaming going on and trying to climb up chairs to get to kitchen cupboards and utensils and nothing is right and I'm the bad person.

DS1 has had a go of the dinosaur fossil dig kit, he enjoyed smashing it up with a hammer. Kept him amused for a good while really. DH has taken him swimming.

Hope everyone has a good day.

[Motherofmonsters]

She can't keep anything down so is being sick constantly, I'm covered and on change of clothes number 3. She's asking for water and milk so I'm giving it to her in the hope she absorbs some thing before it comes back up. She's sicking up loads of bile. Not really sure what to do with her..


Hope the eye gunk clears up soon @chocolatetrifle. Dinosaur kit sounds good.

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, that's awful. I wonder if it's norovirus? All you can do is offer her sips of water and is good she is asking for milk. Keep her hydrated. You can get those rehydration sachets from the chemist if you are worried. I think she is old enough to be able to take them now.

Perhaps once she has stopped being sick for a bit offer her some toast or something like that to start with. She might not have much appetite so as long as she is having liquids to get her through the day and see how she gets on. Sending support.

[squishymamma]

@Motherofmonsters I read that people do manage to absorb some stuff before it comes back up, horrible when they get to the bile stage. Hope it gets better for her soon, and that nobody else catches it if it is a tummy bug!

We've just come back from church and have pork in the slow cooker for a roast so I'm really looking forward to that. DS and I went for a long wander around this morning but he's still full of energy, I don't know how he does it...

[BeHereNowx32]

Thanks for everyone’s experiences with toys. Tried rotating some of DD’s toys to see if it helps.
We were at a farm today. You can go in with the animals to pet and feed them. Most of them escaped and knocked down fences. It was good fun lol. DD also stayed dry and used her potty really well.

So sorry to hear about everyone and their kiddies who aren’t feeling well or isolating. Hope everyone is better soon.

@Motherofmonsters what a shame. Throwing up is so horrible. Yeah, sips of water and hopefully this is all over soon x

[Chocolatetrifle]

@Motherofmonsters, how is DD now? Hope she has stopped being sick?

@BeHereNowx32, your DD is doing really well on the potty! I have visions of little farm animals running everywhere now .

@squishymamma, hope you enjoyed your slow cooker pork, sounds lovely.

Hope everyone has a decent night and a good sleep.

[Motherofmonsters]

DD was really sick until 3pm and then asked for an ice-cream. I gave her one and she hasn't been sick since so hopefully we are now over the sickness. Its been horrendous, I think it's the first proper sickness one of them have had.


Farm sounds like it was good fun @heretherenow.

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

@Chocolatetrifle it might be blepharitis, the eyes. It's a gumming up of the eyelashes iirc. DT2 gets it and advice is to sponge with warmish boiled water regularly to take the gunk away, and it will self resolve usually.

@Motherofmonsters so sorry to hear about the sickness.

I had a day off today! DH bro and family are visiting MIL so he took DC over there for today. It was bliss! I went for a brisk walk, did some yoga, went to Waterstones and bought some books, had lunch with The Sunday Times and then came back home and drank coffee and read one of my new books for two actual hours.

I know this is awful, but sometimes I fantasise about being a pensioner and being able to potter about all day, and the DCs taking me out for nice meals and then going back to their own houses.

Is that terrible?

Bedtime was hell on earth. DT2 took off all her clothes and nappy twice, yelled, threw everything out of her bed. We have decided on a new strategy of non-engagement, just putting them back in bed without comment other than "sleepy time" but my God it's hard. They sense weakness like sharks with blood. They kept calling out that they'd had poos etc to see if it would make me come. Finally went to sleep around 845. Fml.

And it is so hard to know what to do. Other than taking away stuff like teddies, what consequences are possible? They have no concept of tomorrow or losing treats - shouting obviously not good - my parents would have smackes my bottom but obviously not going to do that - there is not really much else!

I think I might have a drink 😖