To ask. What age is most difficult to look after during lockdown?

[louise5754]

Those with primary age children I think it's will be hard to remember back to having babies and we haven't had the teen years yet to compare.

But.....

I reckon the most difficult age to keep entertained would be the toddlers 1.5-3 ish?!

Anyone else?

I have a 16 month old and a 3 year old. It's um interesting, both want whatever the other one has. Dh is probably most grumpy though.

I have a very active 18 month old but it's really not that bad at all. She is oblivious to what is going on in the outside world. Making good use of the daily exercise allowance, lots of looking out window for cats, squirrels and doggies, lots of pottering about from room to room playing with everything and anything. 3 mealtimes a day, one nap and bathtime - the day is over before I know it. Admittedly I'm in bed not long after her but still. I'd rather have a toddler than kids of an age where they would worry.

2 yr old, DH works from home full time, I usually work 3 days a week from an office whilst DD goes to nursery.

I miss time alone. Even queuing in traffic on the motorway. We have a garden but DD isn’t amused for long. She enjoys our daily walks though.

Sleep has gone to pot with no nursery/light nights/clock change- still naps but I have to wake her from those early so bedtime isn’t silly o’clock.

I work when I can. DH needs to do core hours of 8-5.30 so I just work round that, doing a few hours everyday.

My friend lives alone and has been furloughed- sometimes I really envy her!

Try entertaining two very bored teens ( ds & dd ) and a 20 year old with ADHD who now feels its his job to annoy the teens He would normally be at work . All they do is sit in the living room, moan, swear, eat , constantly, and fight. They are driving me crazy.......

We have an extremely bored, hyperactive ADD age 17 with special needs (FASD, ASD, ADHD) who Could go to school as has an ehcp but as I’m high risk and have to isolate for 12 weeks she can’t! She’s up from 6.30am until 10pm and never stops talking, can’t amuse herself and has absolutely no inclination to do any work set by school. Anyone wanna swap her for a toddler or even two? Please??

Toddler here. Difficult to keep them entertained. Up with the larks and relentless energy all day long.

21 month old who needs constant entertainment. I’m going crazy!

I have 3 teenagers who spend 90% of their time in their rooms anyway. Although they aren't happy, they are doing their school work and can chat to their mates in "class". My youngest, however, is a completely different story. He is glued to me wants me to play with him all the time. He needs help to operate google classroom (not that I can help much. Year 3 maths is a little beyond me 😳).

19 year old cat age.
She is needy 24/7 and demands cuddles and attention all the time.
Lies on the keyboard so I can get nothing done.
Pees on things when I am not looking.
Wails loudly because she is deaf.
Want to come in and then out constantly but will not use the catflap.
Snores loudly.
But I wouldn't change her for the world.

Every age has its challenges. I have a 4 year old and a 17 month old, both very active. We live in a 2 bed apartment in London with no garden. There is some communal space but it is busy so we have to be careful when we venture out. My husband is a shift worker - a key worker but not a medical key worker so the childcare is on us. He works 13 hour shifts including night shifts.
I have a busy job and work around the shifts.
I love my children dearly but the situation is certainly challenging. The mere mention of total lockdown and closure of parks cause extreme irritation. Time to move out; dreaming of green fields and space. And sleep.

I wouldn't want to be doing this with under 5's. I'd be climbing the walls.

I was only saying the other day how grateful I am that mine are Primary age and still.enjoy playing with toys and will entertain each other.

100% toddlers. My three are 11, 14 and 16 and are very easy other than the quantities of food being consumed!

Im a lone parent with a three-nager and a teenager in an inner city flat with no garden.
I’m almost at breaking point tbh

Having a tough time with a 15 year old, the utterly distraught look on their face when they found out everything they had been working for had stopped with immediate effect. Their newly found independence had also stopped.

A 16 year old, but I'm glad that he wants to go out because I'm disabled, my mum is 81 & we are all three living together due to me becoming very poorly before Christmas, he is being very good at doing shopping, collecting prescriptions etc. We haven't managed to get an online delivery this week so he is doing a week's shopping over 3 days, not many 16 year old boys would be seen dead with their Nan's shopping trolley, he sets off all masked & gloved up to do our shopping, it gets him some fresh air & exercise before he spends the rest of the day gaming.

21 year old, middle son. ADHD sufferer, insomniac and hypochondriac. Love him to bits but christ he's hard bloody work.. Its like having a 6 foot toddler!! And he's never far away from me, or the fridge, drives me nuts! 🤪

For me the worst would’ve been 18 months to two and a half but I found that age difficult in general and needed adult companionship!

Mine are 7 and 10 and for the most part are ok but it’s very hard trying to help them navigate their new online school work while working, The weekdays are stressful and exhausting. Both are really missing their friends now as well and feeling a bit sad about cancellations.

I’ve got a 5 year old and a 2 year old and working from home. I think saying it’s hard would be unfair, it’s exhausting and chaotic but I’m also getting time with them I wouldn’t have had otherwise and I’m certainly not bored!!
I would have though 8 year olds to maybe 13 would have been the hardest. Asking questions, wanting to do things they can’t and being made to do school work? Good luck all - We are all experiencing and feeling different things and I think even those without kids will find days hard x

I’ve got a very energetic nearly 3 year old. She’s never been keen on playing on her own for any legnth of time (despite my best efforts!). She isn’t a particularly ‘difficult’ child - but our week is usually broken up with preschool, seeing friends, going to the park / woods / beach etc. Finding it hard to keep her entertained all day at home (without 12 hours of role play a day). The good weather has been great though, as she’s far happier in the garden, so am thankful for that.

I think it would be really hard if I had a school age child as well, & was trying to do school work with them too, or having to work full time from home as well.

12yo DS is doing well. The weather has helped loads as he plays football in the garden, watches tv, plays on his switch, does art and craft etc. We play board games and he helps cook dinner each evening. He reads a little.

7yo DS has classic autism and is very demanding. He’s been taking a lot, is very proprioceptive and is spending too much time on his iPad.

DH and I are wfh.Trying to keep everyone happy is my priority, not to do schooling or multiple stimulating educational activities.

Toddlers, presumably.
Or any over-active youngster.

My teens are ok atm.

Toddler.

At least you can keep toddlers on lockdown.

I live with an elderly parent who is still travelling on buses to go visit her friends.

My daughter was 3 last week and she is just relentless... how I long for a teenager with an Xbox 😂

My DD 19 and DS 23 who are both missing their partners. I feel for them.