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Original poster

First world problems - with toddlers

2 replies

mammygoose · 20/01/2025 22:19

Okay I'm probably going to get flamed for this but I really need ideas.

DH is going away tomorrow and taking my car from 6am until 6pm and I will be left home all day with 2 toddlers and no way to get out of the house.

We are not on a bus route and very much in the country, my youngest will ONLY nap if he falls asleep in the car, I have tried everything under the sun to get him to nap at home and he just refuses, my eldest is extremely loud and if youngest dc actually fell asleep he would no doubt be woken up by his brother.

My problem is this, how on earth do I stay home all day with 2 toddlers who haven't napped and no way to get them to sleep or get out of the house for a day?? Our drive is really long and gravelled and going over it with the pram is impossible as it leads to a country road which is bumpier than my teenage forehead.

Please give me some advice on how best to entertain overtired toddlers and how to survive.

OP posts:
Cormoran · 20/01/2025 22:39

Throw a big flat sheet over the dining table and the space below becomes an airplane, and you put cushion for seats, and belts for seat belts and you visit the world. Like in a long haul flight, you spent time reading, eating and then you land in France, Italy, Spain and go for excursions.
Or, if you have a delivery box big enough to fit the kids, put a blue bed sheet on the the carpet, pre-cut some fishes in colourful paper and go on a cruise and do some fishing.
Play circus. Take all the soft toys in the house, organise the small chairs or cushions in seats, put a white shirt and tie and be the circus conductor.
Play school. If you have a black board, white board. One of the soft toy behaves terribly and you have to call the mother to school
Take an old magazine or coffee table book nobody looks at , cut long stripes of paper and then make paper chain. Bonus if it is a book about animal.
Take yarn/ string, and play spider. Make a massive web around the living room and everyone has to cross it, even the younger one in your arms, without touching the yarn.
If you see the traffic from your windows, play car-colour. Pre cut some colour shape and every time a car comes by, the kid gets to glue the shape to a board, wall, or again a bed sheet at the other side of the room.
Use chalks in the driveway.
Use placards, and since too young to play a game, they make groups. Hearts with hearts, diamonds with diamonds, and by number , the 3 with 3 and so on.
Do some gardening, baking, and also some quiet time. At some point, if worse comes to worse, the good old screen will save your sanity.

Original poster
mammygoose · 21/01/2025 09:05

Cormoran · 20/01/2025 22:39

Throw a big flat sheet over the dining table and the space below becomes an airplane, and you put cushion for seats, and belts for seat belts and you visit the world. Like in a long haul flight, you spent time reading, eating and then you land in France, Italy, Spain and go for excursions.
Or, if you have a delivery box big enough to fit the kids, put a blue bed sheet on the the carpet, pre-cut some fishes in colourful paper and go on a cruise and do some fishing.
Play circus. Take all the soft toys in the house, organise the small chairs or cushions in seats, put a white shirt and tie and be the circus conductor.
Play school. If you have a black board, white board. One of the soft toy behaves terribly and you have to call the mother to school
Take an old magazine or coffee table book nobody looks at , cut long stripes of paper and then make paper chain. Bonus if it is a book about animal.
Take yarn/ string, and play spider. Make a massive web around the living room and everyone has to cross it, even the younger one in your arms, without touching the yarn.
If you see the traffic from your windows, play car-colour. Pre cut some colour shape and every time a car comes by, the kid gets to glue the shape to a board, wall, or again a bed sheet at the other side of the room.
Use chalks in the driveway.
Use placards, and since too young to play a game, they make groups. Hearts with hearts, diamonds with diamonds, and by number , the 3 with 3 and so on.
Do some gardening, baking, and also some quiet time. At some point, if worse comes to worse, the good old screen will save your sanity.

Great ideas! Thank you so much x

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