To wonder what on Earth I’m going to do with two small DC indoors all day during Storm Ciara?

[Rainallnight]

DC are 1.5 and 3.5. We never stay in all day. I’m dreading it.

The NHS recommends at least 60 minutes (and up to several hours) of moderate to vigorous activity per day for children. Mine would struggle to get that at home, hence going out every day.

Elbeagle, children don't need to have it every single day, just like an odd day without 5 portions of fruit/veg won't kill them. Its a guideline, obviously the NHS doesn't mean to do it even on days with terrible storms which are potentially dangerous to travel in Its ok to have the odd day off and the odd jammy day...... and in my opinion, very beneficial to children I am sure over the full week, most children do more than 7 hours of exercise.....

Yeah I’m sure they don’t need it, but mine are much happier if they have it. As am I. We’re all different 🤷🏻‍♀️.

We did lots of indoor things but also put on puddle suits and wellies and went splashing. The winds around here aren’t as bad as some other places though.

Well done all

Well yes, obviously Elbeagle. I was just replying to what you actually wrote in your post

Yeah I’m sure they don’t need it, but mine are much happier if they have it. As am I. We’re all different 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Quite! I'm amazed people can't see that! I completely agree that it's good for children to have plenty of quiet and relaxed days too, but even that will involve walking across to the park or up to the shops. I'm not running him ragged by doing that, we need the exercise.

I suppose the difference is in where you live too. It must be more tiring to get out if you're having to travel to parks or shops. I know that we're lucky as although we live in a flat we're so close the the park and the ducks that it's no more effort than a garden. Regardless I don't think it's odd to never have a full day in...funny as I would consider myself a fairly lazy person really!

MrMumble, that is totally fine of course! Though if you read that posters first post, it said something completely different as to why they go out everyday

It just surprises me when people post in a panic about having to stay in and can't think for themselves how to put the day in, I do find that really strange personally.

Since when did staying at home and kids doing normal things like playing with their toys and watching TV etc become 'indoor play'

Ahh Mrmumble yes, I agree it depends on where you live, if I lived in an appartment I would need to get out too. I would really struggle with that.

QUESTION I can’t cope with a normal occurrence in life. I have no think outside the box skills.

Is surely what is meant.

Stuff my toddler has done:
Watched the weather a lot, we've named a silly pigeon who's been sitting out Stormzy
Duplo towers and slides
Scooter up and down the hall (with helmet on)
Eaten 3 meals so far (he doesn't snack so has 4 small meals instead)
10 stories and a bunch of other books looked at
20 min cartoon songs
Long nap
Set up slide indoors for car racing
Set up tracks and drive cars round
Doing various puzzles he's done 1000 times before
Musical instruments out making noise
Hide and seek with Daddy
Football up and down the hall with Mummy

It's not much different to any other day except that I won't blow bubbles for him because the floor was just washed yesterday. Some games we get involved with, other things we don't, generally he decides his own activities. I'll get the tunnel and more balls out later if needed, but we're not far from dinner and it's bath night.

There's a thing called "tv".

Ffs there’s nothing ‘astonishing’ about a mum finding it tough entertaining 2 very young kids at home all day on her own and asking for some advice and ideas. Why do people have to be so bloody snippy and try to make a poster who’s struggling feel even worse? It’s so bloody depressing that some women are so quick to tear down another mum for, shock horror, finding the monotony of parenting tough. We’re all different - just because you don’t struggle being stuck in the house all day it doesn’t mean the OP is some kind of freak of nature.

OP - I know exactly how you feel. Stuck in all weekend with a 1 and 2 year old and going a bit stir crazy. I much prefer getting out of the house - even just a quick trip to the shops breaks up the day.

Hope you managed to find some fun stuff to do and for the shitty situation you’re in at the moment.

@Rainallnight If you had posted saying “I love staying in all day in my pyjama’s” “I rarely go outside with my dc” you would have been told you’re lazy and probably smelly 😂
You can’t win when the perfect parents arrive on a thread!

Sorry to hear about your dm 💜

I think it’s more people are very defensive.

@Ania2704 tv for a whole day? which healthy kid would do that??????

Newsflash: children are different. Not all children do "quiet and relaxed ", esp age 2. Not all children like colouring, playing nicely with their toys or watching tv. Some go through life like mini tornadoes and bounce off the walls if they cant burn off some energy.

DS wasn't interested in TV at all, much to my disappointment.

Could you take the bus or the train? Sometimes my grandad takes DS to the next town over on the train - they have cake or chips in one of the cafes attached to the station then come home again. It kills a couple of hours without having to trudge around in the cold.

tv for a whole day? which healthy kid would do that??????

I have never met a single kid who wouldn't love that. I am quite astonished at the six question marks and the bafflement they signal.

@mathanxiety mine watch tv for an hour maximum, then they want to move. the only time they watch tv for longer is if they are seriously ill (i.e. close to hospital admission). It really baffles me that any healthy child would literally watch tv all day

5Zeds

I have 5 and am similarly baffled. Particularly under threes are surely much happier free roaming at home some days than out?? We love being home and probably would be stressed by going out every day. I guess different families just really are VERY different.

I also have five, and I agree with that.

I lived in apartments until I had three children, in the US midwest where both winters and summers are brutal. We stayed in a lot. An hour bouncing on beds is exercise, and we were blessed with wonderful PBS children's tv fare.

Getting the under fives out for the brief spell when nobody needed to go potty, nobody needed their nap, nobody needed lunch and nobody needed picking up from preschool was often more trouble than it was worth. We could be out comfortably from mid April to the end of May, and from September to the end of October. When they got older and we could plan a spell at the local outdoor pool that would justify the bother of getting them all herded together, slathered with sunscreen, and the loading up with water and little snacks, we again had to look at factors such as air quality and the UV index and just how hot it was going to be. Sometimes we got there and settled in only to have the pool close because lightning was spotted five miles away, or because someone pooped in the water. It was often a better idea to turn on the sprinkler at home and let them at it for as long as they wanted to stay out (depending on the heat, that mightn't be too long).

I can't be the only mother who spent more time setting up the kitchen table for painting or crafts and cleaning up the mess afterwards than the children spent at their activity. Or the only one who swore 'never again' after a baking session with toddlers or young children..

'I’m a bit shocked at this, maybe I’m weird? I have 4 and we stay in a lot, can’t say I’ve ever worried about what to do and we sure as hell don’t do most of the things on these lists 🤣'

When you have 4 they can play together. When you have 1 it's intense sometimes spending all day in the house together and there's only so much TV they can watch. I know I get fed up and feel crap when I've spent the day doing nothing and sitting in the house, I wouldn't like to inflict that on my child.