Trapped toddler parents: support through winter and beyond

[squishymamma]

Following on from the previous thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4292353-Trapped-toddler-parents-Inspiration-and-support-needed-through-the-summer-hols

Not the most inventive name but apt I think...

Evening all!

@Motherofmonsters I know what you mean, hope you feel better soon. Glad to hear you had a good weekend.

@giraffes2021 oh no hope it's not too unbearable for your DC! I'm not looking forward to chickenpox time but hoping both get it at the same time so it's over with.

@Camomila hope work is going well! Yes definitely sounds like they're in the same phase, the tantrums are extreme at the moment. It's a pain but I keep reminding myself it's just a phase

@Chocolatetrifle hope you managed to get both DC to nap. Glad it's only 5 days - when we got delta last year it was 10 days and we were in a tiny flat...as you can imagine it felt like an eternity

DS1 slept relatively well last night, so I'm assuming he will be sleeping badly tonight. He came home from nursery exhausted and has a very short fuse so lots of whining and crying.

For me the worst thing about these periods of bad sleep is when they wake you up by a scream/cry - such a jump scare followed by a massive adrenaline rush and I dread it every night! Hoping when DS1 learns to communicate with words he'll use those instead of his intense scream

I'm eating an Easter egg I had hidden in my car boot. Just typed a long message that was deleted. How anyone survived the original 10 day isolation I don't know.

We've been up since 5.45. I've been refereeing and took boys for car picnic to McDonald's, that can't do any harm and we are not getting close to anyone. I feel rough but testing negative. Ds1 still off with his covid. dS2 coughing but negative, fell off the couch last night after jumping on it and stubbed his foot. We have however made easter bonnets for ds1 preschool as I had the stuff in, I made them mostly really. Have been watching YouTube.

How is everyone getting on today?

I've just tested positive for covid 😷.

@Chocolatetrifle sounds like you have a really mixed bag at the moment. Sorry to hear you're also positive! Hope your symptoms stay mild.

DS1 had a half hour screaming fit this morning for the same reason as always, he didn't want his bib/apron thing on for breakfast. It's exhausting. MIL is currently doing pickup then I'll be counting down the hours until bedtime.

I wish I'd known toddlers could be both so adorable and so bloody frustrating at the same time! Like I love him to bits but lso daily regret our decision to have children whilst sat trying to do gentle parenting/not having a minute to myself. Poor DS2 doesn't get a look in, as soon as DS1 is home he is relegated to the baby gym for the rest of the night.

Can't believe Easter is so soon, will also have to get on some Easter activities!

Sorry you're now positive @chocolatetrifle, hopefully it won't hang around and you'll be out of isolation soon. McDonalds picnic is a fab idea to break up the day.

I'm totally with you @squishymamma on loving them but also wondering why I thought it was a good idea.

It's been a standard Wednesday here, shopping was delivered this morning and then a playgroup in the afternoon. DD had fun and I had a cup of tea. Picked DS up from school and they turned into tablet zombies for a bit. DS is still awake so there will be no tablets tomorrow, not looking forward to that meltdown.

I feel like crying today. Boys will not leave each other alone. DH has come back from the walk in Centre as dS2 wouldn't weight bear fully on his foot, he's had an X-ray and nothing broken luckily. Ds1 deliberately tried to launch jump himself on DS2's foot this morning.
Am aching and trying to look after these feral two kids who are deliberately throwing the packet of frozen veg I got out to put on the said foot and so frozen veg is all over the living room.

Send help and wine!

dS2 and DH are testing negative.

I'm so sorry you're having a bad day @chocolatetrifle, it sounds very frustrating. It's so hard when they won't leave each other alone. I don't get how they don't realise it's more fun to go and do their own thing.

We've been to baby ballet this morning, not particularly successful as DD just wants to do her own thing. All the other girls are sat with their parents and DD is in the middle of the circle doing a freestyle dance.

I'm currently waiting for a plasterer to come, it's the third time he said he'll come so who knows if he will show

@Motherofmonsters thank you . I've just opened another Easter egg I intended to give someone else so all is not lost.

Hope the plasterer comes.

This afternoon it will be Tele, Tele, Tele, Tele, Tele, and potential homemade pizza making for tea.

7 hours until hopefully both DS's are tucked up...

I hope bedtime is here for you @chocolatetrifle and it goes smoothly.

Plasterer turned up and was here for all of 30seconds.

Does everyone brush their toddlers teeth twice a day? I'm not very good at keeping up with it as it's such a mission.

How are you feeling now @Chocolatetrifle? Hope your DC went down okay for you and that you get a rest now. Your easter egg nibbling is making me laugh though - I would definitely be the same!

@Motherofmonsters we 100% don't brush DS1's teeth twice a day. We manage every night and a morning once in a blue moon, there's just so much to do and so many fights already I just don't have the energy though I know I probably should!

We've had an okay day, DS1 hasn't had so many tantrums but we have had a lot of screen time. DS2 has refused to sleep all day so I'm a bit frazzled - he's not even 3 months yet so surely I get a little more newborn sleep before he turns into a sleepless monster for a while??

Hope everyone has a good night!

I hope your day is going better today @chocolatetrifle.

DS's school is having a superhero day but he didn't want to dress up as so has gone in carrying his spiderman mask. I didn't think he would as he doesn't like too much clothes. DD does not have a dressing up day but has gone in wearing her witch costume from Halloween!

FIL is having a retirement party this afternoon so we are heading there. Going to have a meal to, it's going to be weird having a meal with the inlaws and no children to amuse. They want me to bring DS after school, I'm not really sure what to take to amuse him though as I doubt we'll be sat down

DH has tested positive this morning so it's only dS2 negative. Felt rough yesterday but just keeping up with paracetamol and that's helping, thank you @squishymamma and @Motherofmonsters.

I had trouble getting dS2 to do his teeth but found getting new toothbrushes very very regularly helped plus now I try to turn it into a competition to see who can clean their teeth the best which sometimes works.

Motherofmonsters , hopefully you can find DS1 somewhere to sit and perhaps take some sticker books if he likes those or some drawing stuff? Hard to know isn't it?

Have been able to play outside a bit in the garden this morning and have had McDonald's drive thru breakfast yet again. Did hide the plastic bug tuff tray in the garden earlier now watching tele. Put up Easter mini tree, Easter has started early here but won't have any eggs left if I keep opening and eating them. I bought them early as normally I leave it then there's only Mars left.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Mini Easter tree.

How is everyone's weekend going?

I've been with DS to a birthday party at a big soft play, I've been absolutely dreading it but we had no issues. My head is still ringing though. I'm looking forward to bedtime and some silence

That sounds lovely @Motherofmonsters, glad your DS had a good time.

Not much to report from here, we are still all positive apart from dS2. We've been at home and pottered about in the garden. Feeling quite rough with it really.

Hope everyone has had a good day and have a good sleep tonight.

Thought I'd posted yesterday but remembered I got halfway through before DS1 dragged me off to do puzzles and I forgot about it.

Nice tree @Chocolatetrifle! Sorry you're feeling rubbish, maybe have a nice bubble bath and wine? (if you can on paracetamol, I don't remember...)

@Motherofmonsters glad to hear soft play wasn't too bad!

We had a nice day with BIL and family, have walked loads. Then went to get DS1 and DH's hair cut, DS1 was an absolute angel all day which always makes me nervous

Definitely ready for bed now, hope everyone has a quiet night!

Hope everyone is having a good morning so far.

I have got a bad cold and I'm not loving it. DH is currently emptying the garage to make it into an office as he can't work at home with the kids making noise.

MIL is coming up for roast lunch so I'm trying to get the house a little bit straight but it's not going very well as it's looking like a whiny day (I'm adding myself to the whining)

Is it bedtime yet, I'm not being a nice fun mummy today.

@Motherofmonsters, it's nearly bedtime now. Not long to go.

Nothing to report from here. I'm feeling slightly better but still testing positive on day 5. Eating a rusk I've found on the cupboard. I've 1 Easter egg left out of the batch I bought for other people including the boys.

Looking forward to bedtime too!

@Motherofmonsters hope your afternoon went better and your cold is better tomorrow.

@Chocolatetrifle glad to hear you're feeling a little better and love the food updates! Rusks are a good emergency food.

We had a load of friends over for the first barbecue of the season after church (ate inside obviously). Was great fun and DS1 seemed to enjoy himself, ate tons and went to bed relatively easily. Had a mini tantrum when his screen was removed for bath time but managed to calm him down with lots of bubbles. He's very cute at the moment but I am looking forward to tomorrow, nursery and a bit of peace.

Hope everyone has a good night!

@Motherofmonsters, how are you feeling today? How was your lunch yesterday?

Glad you had a nice day for your BBQ @squishymamma.

We've all tested positive now, dS2 testes positive this morning, DS1 is still off preschool as he's still testing positive. dS2 has a cough and was off his food yesterday.

So we are at home still apart from popping out in the car for a ride around or playing in the garden but it's a bit chilly today.

It's official, I have opened and we have eaten all of the Easter eggs bought for Easter.

I'm feeling much better thank you @chocolatetrifle, I had a good night sleep and it's made all the difference.

Ah sorry that's all of you now, I guess you'll have to do another 10 days unless he's negative. I really feel for you, it's a long time. I would have eaten all the eggs as well!!

Had a good day here, I picked up a massive bundle of imaginex batman stuff for DSs birthday. It's not until July but it was a good price and I'm sure he'll still like it then. Went to my mum's for a cup of tea and to hide the presents at her house so he doesn't find it.

We've had lots of work come in so had to spend a while scheduling visits and calling customers. Usually only have a couple but I had 15 today!

Took DS for a haircut and he did amazingly. He absolutely hates it but sat there nicely. We had McDonalds for tea as a well done treat

@Chocolatetrifle it sounds relentless, hope you all feel better soon. You deserve all those eggs!

@Motherofmonsters glad to hear the haircut went well, we took DS1 to get his done on Saturday and there was a little boy in there who was in hysterics, his mum almost had to restrain him. It was so sad to watch, I wanted to give him a hug. Resorted to trying to distract him with DS2 instead!

Not a lot going on here toddler-wise, DS1 is actually in a pretty good mood at the moment so tantrums are minimal (obviously still happening daily) and he loves playing trains with us and doing puzzles. His speech is slowly coming along but still pretty much unintelligible, I'm looking forward to being able to understand him. Especially at 4am when he wakes up crying...

I think I have PTSD from the pandemic and all the illness associated with reopening everything up, I go to bed every night terrified that we'll wake up sick. Particularly a stomach bug, because of my phobia, but also general illness. Does anyone else have this? It's exhausting! I'm just waiting for it to happen and ruin my plans. And I have no idea how often kids get sick "normally" (plus it obviously varies) so my brain is in overdrive...

Anyway, enough waffling. Hope everyone gets a good night's sleep.