To already be dreading the summer holidays with a toddler and a baby?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

There is just nothing to do in the school holidays for small ones! All the normal baby and toddler groups stop.

Preschool will be closed so I will have toddler and baby all day, every day.

I think it might send me crazy! How can I cope with six weeks of it?

*too

Another thing that gets me through is arranging with DH to take a week or two of annual leave right at the end of the hols. Then I can countdown and it's a goal to get to without murdering them all.

It is really hard if you don't have your regular groups and things. My first summer with two was horrible, the baby was tiny and miserable. It was that summer where it was about 36 degrees and we were all just hot and angry. Last summer was brilliant. Miserable baby was toddling by then and they were happy spending most of the day in the garden. Sand pit, paddling pool and ice lollies - job done. Look out for local events too. Our children's centre did a messy play roadshow which was fantastic.

I have twins, they are older now but when they were little I had a plan for every week (wet weather and dry weather versions)

So each day would have a morning and afternoon activity. One at home, one out of the house.

Dry weather out of the house activities: visiting different parks, walk in the woods to pick up leaves (to make a picture with later), walk by the river, visit to local NT gardens. Playing in the garden with the sandpit etc

Wet weather out of the house activities: visit to museum, visit to art galleries, visit to local castle, visit to the library, a trip into town to go to a cafe. A trip to the local garden centre and look at the fish. A trip to a friend's house or to see a relative.

Stay at home activities: painting, baking, building something, playing with cars or trains sets, messy play with jelly and squirty cream. Reading, singing and making music.

None of it was very expensive (didn't have much money at the time) but we always filled our days and had fun.

6pm swimming is great-straight into pyjamas afterwards and then bed as soon as they get home! Swim ring thing for baby so you can manage both?
Maybe make a list of things near you (museums, farm parks, different play areas, etc) so you're not trying to think of things on the day.

In some ways, it's a lot easier not being tied to times for nursery drop offs and pick ups.

Make sure you've always got plenty of picnic type food in and then you can take that with you and have lunch out and about-can make your day a bit more flexible.

I moved last June to a new area where I didn't know anyone. DP then had to work abroad for 3.5 weeks in the August. During those 3.5 weeks I saw one friend on one afternoon and that was it. It's the loneliest and most boring time of my life. I hadn't any idea where to take my then 12 month old dd other than a couple of local parks as I didn't know the area and don't drive.

It's highly likely that DP will be away again this summer so I've been swotting up. I've discovered one of the nearby towns library runs rhyme time during the holidays. I've joined all the local mum/community Facebook groups and whenever I come across something that sounds interesting I've jotted it down with the view of it being something to do this summer. If DP goes away I'm planning an overnight trip to the seaside for me and dd.

We're also buying garden toys including sandpit/slide.

Ah newmum things change quickly!

swim rings with harness these are the "swim trainer" swim rings I had - harness all non swimmers in before leaving the changing room, the clip is at the back and child proof so they can't take it off. That's the company's own site but you can buy them on Amazon. Or use life jacket! These swim rings hold them in a swimming position rather than bobbing about like corks though.

Getting changed with 2 or 3 small ones is admittedly a feat, but perfectly doable if you can cope with being in your wet things wrapped in a towel and wrapping toddler/s in dressing gown and handing over drink and snack and getting baby dressed and into car seat first, then toddler warm and dressed, then return snack/ hand over your phone these days ;) and get yourself sorted.

The actual pool part is fairly easy with the rings.

Just to keep ranting up the things that I normally do to get us out of the house that aren't toddler groups are of course 10 x busier during the holidays. A normally pleasant trip to a local museum yesterday was a disaster - toddler DS had tantrums in the huge queue, we couldn't get near any of the exhibits and a trip to the cafe was abandoned due to more queues (resulting in more tantrums). Loads of activities were laid on but all for school aged kids, not for toddlers.

Trips to the park mean big queues for the swings and older kids losing patience with a slow toddler trying to climb the slide.

Basically I hate it!

Op I feel your pain - mine are further apart than your two but I would have found it so hard. Your right there really is little to do with that age group. However look on places like pin interest for novel ideas....ball pit in living room, locks on wood....bubbles...

It amazes me when people say do a craft etc, I took mine out to town to buy a few bits to make DH a card, then we came home, got paints and glue out - and they made a card.

It took one hour and a half thats nothing. And it was so hard shepherding them in and out of shops, constant vocal commands, getting them back and doing it - I was already emotionally and mentally drained. But the whole rest of the day was ahead of us. We went to the park later but DD hit her face so that was that. and its day two.

We may bake biscuits later this week for all of an hour then what!

Op its hard. Start saving money now for summer as well...at least if you have a few extra pounds it helps.

BTW op - its the indoor half term too - its cold, wet, everyone in the world is indoors this week, I have learned the hard way to avoid soft play etc in this one.

I tend to hunker down - and just do our best to get through it. Its easier in easter and may when more people are out doors - easing pressure on indoor pursuits

Bubbins have you tried doing the going out part of your day very early, before most people on school holidays are up and about? Museums might not be open but playgrounds will be deserted at 9am probably - get the kids out early in the hope they'll be content at home later if they've been out.

I still hate crowds when I have kids with me and still prefer to do things early in the day if I want to go to an "attraction" with the kids even though they are now school age - I have early risers even now one is secondary age, but most people on school holidays take their time in the mornings and places don't get crowded til late morning usually.

I took the kids to centre parks years ago when the older 2 were about 4 and 2 and after hearing everyone rave about the "peace" I was absolutely outraged at how crowded everything was, even the frigging forest! Forgot the centre park fans probably all live in crowded places all year around and have a different point of view about what constitutes "peace" and "nature" - the kids and I got out and enjoyed the playgrounds at 6:30am and had something close to real peace for a couple of hours before the hoards descended!

I'm in the same position, I'll be here with a 3 yr old and 5 month old twins. Not sure how I'm going to manage that for 6 whole weeks, I expect our National Trust membership will get a lot of use for picnics!

Mother and toddler groups sometimes arrange meet ups in the holidays. Even if it's not your 'thing' it is good stimulation for toddlers and helps to tire them out. Also NCT often have mums just on maternity leave, so not in it for the long haul

I know what you mean about everywhere being busy. You have to either go super early, avoid altogether or accept there will be queues. In another 6 months though your eldest will have changed quite a bit and probably be able to wait more patiently, etc.

Picnics in parks without playgrounds can be good, then there's no arguing to go on the swings if there aren't any! Take bat and ball, trike, etc.
Do you drive? Can you keep a bag in your car with small outdoor toys, picnic blanket. Can make it a bit easier to get out.

Have you got a garden? Can you start saving now for some outdoor toys for it. There is LOADS you can do in the garden.

Maybe try and make some friends at the playgroups you go to so you've got people to meet, can make it a lot easier if you've got company.

Are there definitely no groups on in school holidays? I know if varies by area but some areas run things when schools are closed. Maybe have a look around.

I would recommend you spend the next couple of months trying to make some new local mummy friends who are in the same boat as you - at local toddler groups/baby activities/library rhyme times etc. Having friends in the same boat kept me sane through the long holidays when my two were little - we took turns to host at each other's houses or met up at the park.
We're still friends now when most of us are back at work.

I dread the summer holidays. Booked ds in a summer camp for 2 days a week and some climbing lessons. Rest of the time is is just me and ds (10) all day every day. He loses routine, wants to play out a lot, gets hyper and it is plain stressfull

ThefullMrexit - YY to activities that take up next to no time (but take loads of prep/make tonnes of mess). Painting will occupy my DS for maybe 30mins, with close supervision to prevent it ending up everywhere. Baking requires me watching like a hawk as he'll be trying to tip up the flour over himself, grab handfuls of cake mix and eat it, and again it's only 30 mins of the day used up.

On the flip side he can be happy for hours playing with a car track but only if I am there pushing cars along with him whilst I go slowly insane with the monotony of it all.