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 don't think it's a competition. It's hard for everyone and all kinds of factors make a difference.

I have a 2.5 year old so hard work domt know what activities to do for her she’s getting bored!! She’s got no siblings :-(. When are nurseries gunna open again.

I moved from a busy place where we were always with friends with babies and children, went to a toddlers group or music group or swimming or soft play every day and also met friends in their houses or gardens most days, "popped" to shops, did rides on trains and buses for fun ... to the middle of nowhere with no indoor attractions at all and one local toddler's group once per week, when DC1 was nearly 2 and I was in my third trimester with dc2.

I found the change incredibly hard. I also didn't initially speak the local language. We could go out but there wasn't much to do and I knew nobody to visit.

The thing is it was only hard because I was used to having such an abundance of options.

By the time DC2 was a toddler and I was pregnant with dc3 the identical situation seemed chilled and lovely. DC2 was also a different type of toddler to dc1, perhaps partly as a result of a different environment.

There are so many factors that make lockdown fairly easy or impossibly hard, a lot of its what you're used to, how well you adapt as the adult, and crucially what resources you have (on all levels - indoor and outdoor space, toys, big play equipment in the garden, craft and music stuff, personal resources as the adult such as the ability to tolerate noise and mess and lack of personal space ... also whether you live somewhere you can let the child be noisy without annoying neighbours and go for long walks without coming near anyone.)

Some of the same stuff makes lockdown easier with teens - my rural teens are used to not seeing their friends face to face as much as some urban teens. I often think living in the middle of nowhere is unfortunate and not great for teens and feel guilty about it, but at this very precise point in time in lockdown it's pretty close to the perfect location...

@ItchyScratch you just describe my 4 year old! 😩

Too young to do any kinda "school
Work" ...so it's all games and dreaded pretend play!

Thankfully she does now accept that we just can't go out anymore.

I have a three year old and a three month old baby. Breast feeding every two hours during the night means I start each day exhausted.

I then have to entertain the three year old all day, he’s always been a child unable to play on his own. Even iPad games or TV he wants me sitting next to him joining in. The baby has a few screaming fits a day while I try to rock her as my three year old demands I play. There is no break. He misses his friends and nursery and doesn’t understand all this.

Can’t enjoy the sunshine as three year old doesn’t want to play in the garden and moans constantly if we go for a walk. He used to enjoy going to the park or riding his bike around places but we can’t do that any more. Timing taking both children out is difficult as I now feel like I can’t stop and sit down any where to breast feed. Have been crying today because I’m so tired and this feels endless. I know I’m very lucky though as we have enough to eat and a peaceful place to live.

I have a 8,2 and 9month old. The two youngest are a dream and happy to do anything (also have really early bedtimes) my 8 year old is nearly 9 and being a mardy, miserable, bossy and argumentative little git. He’s bored i her him wail 1000 times a day, epic battles just to get home to get dressed and brushed teeth/washed face in the morning, just wants to eat junk and sit on his tablet in his room.

It’s definitely hard on him and he’s struggling but that’s hard to remember when I’m dealing with his constant door slamming and stomping around the house

@mitsyblue yes!! I have a five year old and 14 month old. Whatever I try to do with the 5 year old (Lego, drawing, board games) the toddler just tries to destroy. And after spending an hour in the garden with them and having to remove stones, snail shells and bits of wood from the babies mouth whilst the 5 year old shouts play with me mummy I'm done!!

Have 9 and 6 year olds. It is not too bad. Often think that I am quite lucky, as they are not toddlers, who would need to be entertained constantly or teenagers, who would want to go out all the time.

Hear even!

Mine have got to be the easiest- 6 (in 2 weeks time) and 9. We have a garden and a trampoline that they can play in and happily entertain each other whilst I’m busy sunbathing. Dh is off as furloughed on full pay and we have a fair bit more money per month, as no petrol costs and nowhere to go!
So easy in fact that I’ve realised how little I’m needed and so we’ve decided to try for another baby

@InfiniteSheldon Snap 😆

12yr old and 15yr old. Both mature enough to understand. Seeing that crushed look on my 15yr old DS’s face when Boris announced that no GCSEs would take place was hard to take. I think I’d have swapped for a toddler in that moment

My 7 & 9 y olds are really good at entertaining themselves but are getting a bit bored now. They're doing most of their school work when asked. Luckily the weather is OK so they can play out and I don't have to supervise them too much. They've been talking over the fences to their friends down the road which is keeping their spirits up too.

My mum has been looking after my 11 month old niece whilst bro & sis-in-law work (it's fine, they all live together) and is finding the baby/toddler stage hard work 'cos she's on the go all day long!

Too many variables to say.
I have 2 teens. They understand why we can't go out and visit family etc. They can help out with housework/basic DIY etc.
They don't need constant help with school work, but when they do need help its often with stuff I never learnt/have forgotten. They are also quite resistant to doing any work. When they are bored they don't want to junk model/make playdough/paint. They just want screens and I like to limit then

My brother and his wife have 3 DC, 6,4 and 2. The younger 2 don't understand why they cant visit family or lick each other. They need constant amusing. But they are happy with the garden, paint, beads and string etc. Theres a much wider range of things to amuse them. And 'school' is still a novelty so they are happy to sit and do lessons. Plus mum and dad can teach reception level maths and English. But it's full on. They cant sit and watch a movie quietly because the smaller ones have the attention span of fleas. They don't all want to watch the same thing. They don't want to do the same activity so argue. They argue a lot because they aren't usually all at home all the time.

My sister has 1 4 year old. Shes loving it. But its 1-1 attention. Their house backs onto woods so they have long leisurely walks. If they get the paint out she only has to watch 1 child to make sure the paint stays on the paper/mat. Theres no arguing about what to watch on TV. But the longer it goes on the more they will want other peoples company I think.

I'm going to say 2-3. I have a 2.5 year old and am really struggling. It's relentless. He needs constant attention, doesn't nap, and is having horrendous tantrums since he's stopped going to nursery full time. Nothing holds his attention, everything activity is met with 'no', screaming and feet stomping. I also feel the need to be 'fun' all the time in and it's mentally exhausting trying to engage him in anything.

The only area to walk in near us is next to nursery, so every walk is met with screaming and wailing because he can't go in (apart from once a week when I'm having to go into work). I've got bruises all up my legs from where I've had to restrain him and stop him running up to people trying to say hello to them

7 week old (BF) and 2.5yr old. Possibly the most stressed I've ever been.

My DS is 3 this month and has been extremely testing at times. Prior to lockdown we were just about to have a behaviour assessment as we and the HV suspect autism, so I think this is playing a part in how tricky I am finding his behaviour and how much he seems to have regressed without his usual routine.

My dd is 2 on Monday and she's a feckin pain in the proverbial. Not that interested in TV, language not great so lots of screaming tantrums. Dd1 is 5 not in school yet so no homeschooling and except for a couple of occasions has been a pleasure..

Just to add to other PP. My tlfflet has also massive regressed. We've had to go back to nappies from being (almost) dry. Behaviour has been terrible and she's not eating very well either atm.

When will this end!!!

A lonely 13 year old

*toddler

I have an almost 13 year old and just turned 9 year old. My eldest hated school so I think he is not bothered. He doesn't like being restricted to our area for walks as we cannot go to the beach at the moment but only live about a 10 minute drive away. It is very frustrating when the sun is out!

My newly turned 9 year old had to have her birthday in lockdown, she didn't mind that as much as I thought she would. I find the premature access to Facetime, Zoom and the constant request for my phone to connect to her friends frustrating as I am quite private but feel that our house is under surveillance from other families now. There seems no cut off point as you have no excuses, everyone knows you are at home! My DD sometimes feels the same and doesn't want to facetime but doesn't want to lose friendships by saying no during these times. I think with younger children they are satisfied with fairly basic activities and don't need that connection to friends on the phone etc. Saying that all these things are helped by having a garden.

I shall probably take the award for the easiest dc to look after currently as I have a teen with social anxiety and agorophobia.
It'll all go to shit again though once this is over and we try and get her out of the door (just in case anyone thinks I'm being smug)

Makes me feel a bit better reading this knowing how hard I'm finding it with DS3. Trying to do work with him around is generally impossible, wants constant attention, and has recently learned the concept of "boring" which he is now using about everything. Tiny attention span to, so no matter how many things I come up with to do, it isn't enough. When you've done baking, craft, watched a film, played football in the garden, made a train track, built a fort...and then you realise it's only 10am...

Only kids in flats have it hardest imo.
Followed by outdoorsy kids with no private outdoor space.
Followed by kids who are super social.

I think it's "easiest" on kids who are more introverted and would rather read than kick a football or get a lot of social contact online. My youngest often socialises out of school on gaming headsets regardless of lockdown so is finding it easier than his sister who's usually out and about with friends. Luckily for them they have their own bedrooms and I remind them how much worse it would be if they were sharing.