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...

Pouring down today, so we made it to the garden centre this morning and we might go to the library this afternoon. I had a shocking sleep so have also put on You tube. We did some Easter colouring and I cut out some shapes from counted card and we made pictures of easter chicks

Which took all of about 3 minutes .

Send bedtime now!

Coming to you from the car, where both DC have been surprisingly well behaved. Not that I'd really know otherwise since one of my major anxieties is long car journeys with children so I have had loud music blaring in my headphones the entire way and DH has had to deal with it himself. His holiday, his problem!

We're almost there now and I am less than excited to spend almost a week with PIL so am going to thrust DC on them and do my own thing we're basically going so they can see the DC anyway so I feel like this is a win win situation. Although DS1 is still very much all about mummy so we'll see how well this plan works!

Sorry to hear you had a bad sleep @Chocolatetrifle, hope you get some rest time later. Glad to hear you'll have some time as a family with DH soon though, it's always easier when you're two.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Have you made it to the cabin @squishymamma, hopefully the kids will be enjoying themselves with PIL so your plan to sneak away will work.

Had an awful night's sleep as well @chocolatetrifle. I think it must have been DDs teeth or something as she couldn't stay asleep.

Hope your day is going okay @chocolatetrifle

We went to the farm/garden attraction with friends this morning, they had some Easter activities which they enjoyed. I thought I would be in for a quiet afternoon but they've been wound up. I lost my patience badly with DS again, I just can't get him to understand I need space to calm down.

I think it's time to totally drop DDs nap, she's done loads of walking today, had a car ride and been bounding around at home and hasn't fallen asleep. Last week she was taking hours to fall asleep to. Im about to do DDs bedtime as I'm done parenting the both of them together today

Both kids were asleep by 7.15, I guess they got the memo. (I'm ignoring the fact they'll be up at 4) Now having the first cup of tea of the day!!

@Motherofmonsters, perhaps they won't be up at 4? Fingers crossed for a good night, you deserve it!

@squishymamma, I'm sensing you are not totally in the mood for this cabin in- law trip. Try to get some time to yourself whilst the in-laws look after the DC.

dS2 decided he was not wearing night time nappy pants anymore so he's gone to bed without them on . I'm going to pop him on the potty in a minute to see if he will do a wee whilst asleep. Ds1 was on the naughty step for swearing at me at 4.5 years old, and shamefully he heard the word from me, so it felt a bit double standards etc etc but we have to teach them right from wrong, he just thinks it's funny. Generally though it's been an ok day. Tomorrow we are hoping to go to a museum in Liverpool.
Sleep well.

Morning,

DD woke up at 10pm and I got back in my bed at 3, she then woke up at 6. My eye has puffed up and feels so sore. I'm feeling very sorry for myself.

I wouldn't worry about the swearing @chocolatetrifle he won't be the only one to have picked it up. He'll probably get bored and move on.

I hope you had a better night's sleep and enjoy the museum today.

Not sure what we are doing, shopping is being delivered and DS wants to do some baking. Haven't thought much further than that.

@Chocolatetrifle you're right the problem is that it's a holiday for everyone else but me as I'm still almost constantly looking after DC! Same stuff, different place. This morning DS1 had a fit because I dared to go to the toilet while he was with his DGM. It's snowing like crazy so we'll see if we make it outside.

@Motherofmonsters oh no, sorry to hear that - hope your eye gets better. I always find a cool cotton pad and a little lie down helps, if you have time for that!

@Chocolatetrifle enjoy the museum, hope your night was accident free!

@Motherofmonsters, oh no, hope your eye gets better, perhaps get some drops from the chemist?

@squishymamma, yes I know what you mean. It's along time to be with pil.

Ds2 didn't do a wee all night. I've got some of those bed protection sheets, dry nites I think they are called so I guess i am training ds2 at night now. He uses the potty in the dsy.

Given DS1,s behaviour and demands to watch complete rubbish on YouTube I've decided to ban it. I've told him it's been uninstalled. I'm going to see if it calms him down.

@Chocolatetrifle totally understand the Youtube thing, DS1 is a zombie when on it and a terror when it gets taken away...luckily it passes quickly right now but we'll see what happens as he gets older. Hope it works for you!

We've had a good, if long, day here. Took DS1 out even though it was snowing and quite windy, he seems to be whiny but happy if that makes sense. Still has quite a bad cough so not sure if he's getting ill or if he's still getting over his cold, but has been a bit clingy today, though sometimes he's like that when we're with PIL because they're our go to babysitters and he's probably worried we're going to ditch him

Hope everyone has a good sleep!

Evening,

Squishy - glad the day was ok, really hope your DS1's cough gets better as soon as possible.

How is your eye now Motherofmonsters? Did your DD nap today? It's hard when they are transitioning, you don't know what to do for the best some days.

We had a great time at the museum, was lovely to do something different for a change. However DH and I have clashed today over managing DS1's behaviour or not managing it. Ds1 flies off the handle so easily if things don't go his way, even with small things when he's not in the mood and sometimes I just think DH makes the situation worse by just not saying the right things. I'm not perfect by any means but some days it's easier when he's working. As my mum said today, some men are like another child. Sounds awful but I can tell you two and I think you will know what I mean.

Night night, sleep well.

Good morning, I feel like I've been up most of the night! Luckily DH has taken boys too his mum's for a bit this morning, I know I moaned last night but he's not all bad!

I have halted DS2's attempts at night time training, he is clearly far too young. So back on with the nappy pants. He refused to sit on potty and then weed twice all over himself in the night. My Ds1 was happy to do a sleepy potty wee to get him through the night and didn't have nappy pants on overnight from about 2 and a half, I know that's unusual really and I must not compare dS2 to him. See where we are in a couple of months.

This afternoon we might go to a national trust place for an Easter hunt as it's supposed to be nice.

How is everyone?

Morning!

I completely understand what you mean @chocolatetrifle. DH is a man up and get on with it kind of person which doesn't go well with toddler tantrums..
Sounds like a good idea to leave it for now, changing bedding in the night is never fun.

Enjoy your peace this morning, I hope you've got your feet up!

My eye is still uncomfortable, I've got a spot inside the lid ick. It seems to be worse in the evening/morning when I'm tired.

We're off to the beach this afternoon with my sister/there cousins, then going to PIL for dinner and the kids are having a sleep over!

@Motherofmonsters, could it be a blocked hair follicle? Put some warm water on cotton wool and press it on.

Thank you , knew you would know what I mean. Your afternoon sounds lovely. Hope you have a peaceful night too whilst the kids have their sleepover! How fab .

My plan is to get mine to bed earlier tonight and I'm going to lie in the bath then get an early night fingers crossed. Going for a run around and egg hunt this afternoon as the weather is quite nice.

Squishy how is it going in the cabin? Hope you've not got cabin fever?

@Chocolatetrifle totally understand that, in the mornings I definitely feel like I'm getting 3 DC ready because DH is totally useless. He's also a bit of a man up and get on with it person so often tantrums escalate quickly when he's there. He does however have a knack of getting our DC to sleep so I'll give him that! Hope you had a good egg hunt and your night goes as planned.

@Motherofmonsters oh I've had that, I use a warm compress and it takes some of the pain - I think it hurts more when it's dry and the warm damp compress helps that. Hope it is better tomorrow! Enjoy your child free night

It's been a rough day here, DS1's cough has gotten worse and we think he has a sore throat. He's not eating a lot and we had a 2 hour battle trying to get him to have a nap where he just lost the plot completely. Very short fuse. And DS2 has been very clingy. So it's been a long day, I have a headache and we haven't been outside. Hoping desperately that tomorrow is better!

@squishymamma oh no, sorry it's been one of those days, hope ds1 will be ok. Perhaps give him some calpol and hopefully he will settle enough to sleep. Hope it's a smooth bedtime and night. Tomorrow is another day.

@Motherofmonsters, very jealous of your child free night, enjoy!

I am so excited for bed, I'm going as soon as the boys go to sleep! Hopefully therefore by 8.30!!!

DS1 now has a fever and is not himself at all, and obviously we have no Calpol, miles away from an open shop, and when I suggested going to get some earlier (it's a 2 hour trip to the shop) everyone laughed at me and DH said he'd be just fine now they're all suggesting we cut a paracetamol tablet into quarters and grind a quarter to powder and give that. FIL is a doctor so everyone follows his word like it's the Bible despite the fact he worked in orthopedics for most of his career and is now a psychiatrist

Just want to go home!! DS1 is soldiering through like a champ but obviously doesn't want to be alone so DH is stuck in his room. Serves him right really.

Hope everyone else has a good night.

@squishymamma oh no, how is DS1 now?did you get through the night ok?

@Chocolatetrifle he's a bit better thanks for asking! Still not himself but fever is much better and he's still playing and being pretty happy. I seem to be starting with whatever it is he has of course!

Think it will be a quiet one here, though MIL and DH really want to go on a ski trip...I'm less keen can't use DC as an excuse either because we have a sled they sit in!

Hope you all have a good day.

@squishymamma, glad ds1 is a bit better, hopefully he will have a decent night tonight too. Did you go out on the ski trip?

It's been a quiet but nice day here! I've had my haircut and we've played outside as it's been quite nice weather. The sandpit is proving s success, definitely worth getting. Hope everyone gets a decent sleep. My dS2 keeps waking up in the night so we must be on another phase or something. I didn't last with you tube by the way, but I'm restricting it.

@Chocolatetrifle glad to hear you have had a good day! Haircut sounds lovely, I need one - my fringe is very unkempt at the moment.

We didn't go on a ski trip mainly because I refused... we took DS1 outside a little but he wasn't really in the mood, so today has been a lot of Youtube Kids and some playing with Duplo. He's still got a fever but is in better shape than yesterday so we'll see how the night goes.

DS2 has slept pretty much all day so I think he's probably coming down with whatever cold DS1 has, and my throat is scratchy and my nose is constantly running so I obviously have it too. Just waiting for DH to come down with it now and then obviously the world will end

Hope everyone gets a good night's sleep!

Glad DS1 is feeling better @squishymamma, I'm sorry it's getting passed around though.

Sounds like you've had a nice day @chocolatetrifle.

Just had a battle with DS at bedtime, usually he has his tablet for a bit before he goes to sleep. (He falls asleeps late and it stops him coming up and down the stairs continuously.) However he was really hyped up, not listening and being rough. I gave him two warnings that he needed to stop or he wouldn't have it and well he didn't. He was crying for ages and I eventually got him to listen to a story and he fell asleep while I was reading it.

Morning,

How is everyone?

I'm having an uninspired day. DH is off to watch rugby with FIL this afternoon so not sure what to do with the kids.
I feel like I want to stay home but it'll be chaos later and I'll wish I went out. Everyone I usually see is busy this afternoon so I can't pop around for a cup of tea and it's raining so standing in a damp park is not calling out to me

Hope everyone has a better day planned

@squishymamma how is everyone feeling now? How was today?

@Motherofmonsters hope DS settled for you a bit easier tonight. How was your afternoon in the end? Sometimes it's easier to stay in rather than managing both outside but generally I can't stay inside too long with both because it becomes very stressful. It's hard when the weather is poor.

We've had a decent day, boys have been ok and this morning we went to a garden centre with my sister and this afternoon to a little outdoor market with my friend. Even managed a sneaky glass of wine in a pub and boys sat down and behaved while they had their drinks. I don't know what has come over them.

Sleep well hopefully.

Afternoon wasn't to bad for staying in but probably would have been better to go out. We made some very ugly cakes. First time making cake pops was not easy.

It sounds like a lovely day @Chocolatetrifle. It's always nice when they sit quietly when your expecting chaos.