What do you do with a 2 year old all day?!

[Rachell1]

My son has just turned 2 and I am at home with him all day. He might (budget dependent) be starting nursery soon but in the meantime it’s just me and him all day every day and I’m starting to feel like a bad mum in all honesty.

I just feel like I hardly do anything with him but I just don’t know what to do!

There are playgroups and a play cafe nearby, but whenever we’ve gone to these things in the past he always ends up catching colds, strep throat, tummy bugs etc and although I know he will catch all these things from nursery/school eventually any way.. I just can’t be bothered at the moment to deal with illnesses!!!

Also being heavily pregnant I struggle to walk far now and with it being cold I can’t think of anything worse than a trip to the park/swings!!

I think it’s just a case of forcing myself to do more and putting him before me.. but seriously.. what do you do ALL day?!

I used to go to playgroup a couple of times a week, go for walks with a flask of hot chocolate, feed the ducks, go to the park, go swimming, play endlessly with toy cars, plat forts, read, do flash cards, messy play. All pretty exhausting stuff! It may actually be more beneficial for you little one to catch bugs when small too.

cdhf.ca/en/the-importance-of-exposing-your-children-to-a-diverse-range-of-bacteria/
“Does exposing baby to germs build immunity?
From infancy through pre-school years:

Additionally, research has shown that children may actually benefit from exposure to germs – offering greater protection from illnesses, allergies and other autoimmune diseases later in life.”

For me the illnesses were a fair trade off for not being stuck in the house all day to be honest. It is easier when the weather is better and you can also throw parks and walks into the mix.

Playgroup in morning

Back home, lunch, play with toys, tidy up & screen time

Out to park/walk to library/splash in puddles/out w friends
Maybe an errand after
Back home, prep dinner, tv again or radio/Spotify

We made a lot of use of the local library and churches playgroups. Just be precious with handwashing and you shouldn't get too much. Wrap up warm and just drive to a good playground and get a coffee, sit down and let the toddler run free! Take some diggers, put them in a puddlesuit etc

Yeah, the more you go hopefully they'll build up some resilience to the germs and get ill less often.
We do a swimming class once a week, we visit the library, we go for walks and see friends and family. When we're at home I do chores and she bumbles about with her toys quite happily. Sometimes I'll set up a little game for her or help her with something she's stuck on but I don't spend hours sitting with her and faffing about.
Don't beat yourself up too much, as long as you're getting some fresh air (which will help you too even though it's not easy going far with a bump) life doesn't need to be a mile a minute.

I would take him to groups. I structure our day around nap times so I get to sit down with a hot brew, but other than that we have a routine of okay groups, doing the food shop together on a Monday, soft play etc. Then the normal stuff just going for walks in our village, parks etc.

It can be so tiring, especially when you're pregnant so definitely try to work around nap time (if he still naps).

My 2 year old really loves getting involved in household tasks, so I get him to help
me do stuff around the house, either with me or alongside me (eg we load washing machine together, or if I’m washing up I’ll give him his own bowl of hot water and some plastic cups to “wash” on the floor), interspersed with usual stuff like playing (small world farm, play shop, looking after baby dolls), drawing (chalks, crayons, paints), play doh, jigsaws, duplo etc), plus going to the shops, park and a few baby groups.

I’d recommend a tuff tray

It was a decade ago now but I do remember going to the garden centre a lot for a drink, cake, walk around ĺooking at the plants. Lots to learn just from talking about what you can see and often full of friendly older people to say hello to.

Pets at home used to kill an hour too. Looking at the fish and the hamsters and squeaking the dogs toys.

Today I’ve had 3yo DD with me, breakfast at 8am, 9am dog walk at the park, then dropped the dog at home and took her out in the buggy to the shops as needed a few bits and pieces. Stopped at a cafe for hot chocolate and a slice of cake. Back for a late ish lunch, then it’s been CBeebies, playing with toys, ‘helping’ me in the kitchen (sitting in the high chair watching me mop and telling me if I ‘miss’ a bit lol), we’re about to have dinner then it’ll be bath stories and bed.

Other things we do: walks to the beach, soft play, craft stuff when I can be bothered tO tidy it all up (paints/colouring/glitter glue), sticker books, reading, jigsaws, pop round to MIL’s who will take her and play with her for a couple of hours, the park, occasionally a cafe lunch. She likes joining me on errands to the shops/pharmacy etc and will sit nicely in the trolley/buggy.

I get out for the morning mostly as I just can’t cope trying to entertain her in the house ! I end up having to sit on the floor playing and I find it super boring tbh 😂 I don’t think she’d mind either way if we stayed home but I find her easier to manage out of the house

We usually go to the park for a run around / playground and swimming once a week at a local pool with a kiddy splash zone, soft play, stay and play cafe, even just going to the shops she enjoys.

if we stay home she helps with the laundry,

she’s in nursery 3 full days though so I only have 2 days off with her so probably easier for me to manage taking her out as it’s not as regular as finding something to do daily

i think with parenting no matter what you do you feel guilty though

I feel like I work too much and feel awful dragging her out to nursery every day and then when I’m home with her I feel like I’m not doing enough with her 🤷‍♀️ You can’t win 😂

On the days she’s home with me in the week (goes to nursery 3 days), we always go out somewhere in the morning such as soft play or other activity, usually with friends. Then lunch, nap, then either play time at home or park depending on the weather.

Park
Cook
Bake
Play with his toys
Draw/paint
Bath
Read
Watch hour or two of toddler TV
Let him help with chores
Garden
Go to the supermarket -toddlers love it you can get a good hour out of buying bread and milk

Definitely worth going to play groups etc at this time of year. It's fun for them and tires them out but also gives you a chance to sit down, talk to other mums, have a cup of tea etc.

At home we do things like crafts, messy play, baking, play doh, Duplo, role play, reading books etc.

Out and about indoors you can go to the library, supermarket (my daughter likes having a picture list to tick off as we go round), swimming, indoor play areas

In the summer is much easier as you can go to parks, on walks, beach etc

We look after youngest GS three days a week, two mornings are taken up with play groups and music fun with naps dotted in between. Snacks and meal times take up some of the day, along side playing with toys, and when the weather is reasonable a walk out in the pram to the local village shop, playground or allotments where there is a variety of animals to see.
He can access all the toys and will often play with one or two or tip the whole lot out!! Other times we'll go out in the car to the shops and he enjoys a ride in the trolley or just watch the Gruffalo or Twirly Woos for a little while. He loves emptying the washing machine or dishwasher as well as terrorising the cat!!
We've not reach the stage of cooking, or art stuff but he does like a crayon with colouring book to scribble with. Their attention span is brief so flit from thing to thing and then come back to favourites like duplo several times in a day. Emptying Grandad's shirt pocket is a favourite too for some reason - he thinks it's magic!!

Mines definitely better out of the house and it’s nicer for me too, it’s good to get adult company.

I do like parks and walks but the weather is pretty awful at the moment and while I’m all for the puddlesuit for a bit of drizzle I do draw the line at freezing, thunderstorms, hail and lashing rain!

Some of the things we do/ have done are:

Various groups - usually these are on in the mornings
Library
soft play
Farms to visit animals
Walks to look at trains / feed ducks / go to park

Things I keep meaning to do and don’t (and probably won’t until DS is older):

Baking
Crafts
Drawing and colouring
painting

Things that amaze me anyone manages to do with a toddler around but always gets suggested on here:

Housework

I've said it before but I think sometimes people forget whether they did baking or finger painting with their kids at age 2 or 3 or 4 and there's a massive difference between those ages. I'd try but it's fine to decide to hold off for a year or two if it's more trouble than it's worth.

I always found it harder staying in than going out. So I did what others have said - Pets at Home to look at the fish/hamsters etc, local pond to feed ducks, local playgroups, supermarket, local playpark. It is hard work, but that old cliche "the days are long but the years are short" is so true.

It would be good for you too, to get outside a bit.

I'm not sure I could manage it if I were pregnant but we have taken our 16 month old to gymnastics and toddler sense and we're going swimming now. He has 1-2 classes/stay and plays every day except for Sundays when we either stay in all day or go to see grandparents/food shopping depending on dps work shifts and what needs doing.

He has gymnastics, stay and play, music bugs, rhythm time, baby Movers (soon to be little movers), baby sensory (last one this week 😥) and toddler sense. We also go swimming, to soft play areas, to parks and farms when there is time/money.

I find it much, much easier to be out and about with him than stuck inside with all the energy he has. He's currently staying awake from around 8/9am-10pm most days with either a tiny nap or no nap at all. That is a lot of time to be stuck in the house with the same toys/shows for him to play with/watch.

For me the illnesses were a fair trade off for not being stuck in the house all day to be honest
oh my god yes. We’re very limited with playgroups round here that are free so can only go on a Tuesday (we go to a paid class on a Thursday but I can’t afford more and won’t be able to afford that one soon). It’s hell the days we don’t have any classes. No close ponds to feed ducks. A rubbish park close by. No easily accessible soft plays (that are decent, the one in walking distance is awful for under 4s).

Ive been trapped in today and it’s been hell, I feel for you op.

Swimming lessons, gymnastics, music groups, sofptlay and playgroups.

If at home then a puzzle or read a book together then some independent play whilst I scroll through my phone do housework.

Honestly, the bugs are hard but they need to get them to build up an immune system. They need socialising and stimulation, you can’t just shield them and keep them indoors forever incase they get sick as that’s not fair and not healthy for either of you.

I'm also heavily pregnant and have a 2.5 year old. We have a big mix in our day, we don't do every activity every day but pick from the following: park, playdoh, painting, drawing, reading, Duplo, train track, TV. He plays on his own when I have my coffees.

Our day could look like this (without going out):
7 - up
7-7:30 - oat milk for toddler, coffee for me. He quietly plays
7:30-8:30 - breakfast, wash, dressed
8:30-9:30 - Bluey / Disney movie (I get some house chores done) + small snack
9:30-10:30 - playtime in the bedroom together (Duplo or dinosaurs usually or throwing around the football)
10:30 - coffee for me, playing on his own with his toys
11:00 - a few books together
11:30-12 - lunch
12-12:30 - I clean up, he plays / potters around
12:30 - 13:30 - playdoh
13:30-14:00 - coffee time, play time alone
14:00-15:00 - messing around / running on sofa / playing with trucks etc
15-16:30 - TV time for him + snack while I tidy and prep dinner
17:00 - dinner
17:30-19:00 - daddy play time and night time routine

Church play groups
jigsaws
reading together
listening to audio books while doing some housework
crafts such as playdo and colouring or making collages etc
singing together
having fun doing simple things such as blowing bubbles in the street
walking in puddles in the park
just having fun or making simple learning opportunities out of everyday things
knowing that this time will pass quickly trying to appreciate it and make the most of it whilst trying to have a relaxed attitude to mess

I will add, before being heavily pregnant, we were out every morning. We have tumble tots, two playgroups and the other mornings we'd do different parks. But the last two weeks, it's been difficult with the pressure so we've been having more days at home, he still goes to the two playgroups and tumble tots though. So he's out 3 mornings a week, plus the weekends mornings with dad.

Play at friends houses.

Go to the park. I know you say you can't think of anything worse, but it's usually a bit of a break, having them run round with other kids rather than under your feet.

Cafe for hot choc etc.

Lots and lots of cooking and baking.

Water paints - not particularly messy so can do it with little supervision.

Just for a walk, my 2 year old loves getting out of the pram and just running round a town square or a fountain or statue.

Soft play.

I had a cupboard full of plastic boxes with activities in them. Things like play doh, kinetic sand, paint, sensory rice. Those were good for the afternoon when you are a bit stuck. But most days included 2 trios outside for either a dogwalk or to the playground to fill time. Then with meal times, nap time, the activity boxes, books, and a bit of screen time, we would make it. We also had a local zoo membership which we would go to often.