6 months of shite weather

[SomeoneStolemySocks]

No toddler groups............can't go to the park because the ground is always soaking wet/play equipment waterlogged. Can't afford softplay every week. One of my sons is nearly 2 and I have no idea what I'm going to do with him until the sun shows it's face again next year.

I'm feeling low about the onset of autumn/winter. Trying to entertain a very active little boy at home for 6 months of cold/dark and horrible autumn rain.

Anyone else in the same boat? Ideas?

I realize with hindsight how lucky I was to be able to take my first son to a local toddler group on a Tues morning. It only cost £1 entry, & he loved playing with different toys. Those groups were great, such a shame Covid has finished them off (near me anyway)

The rain here has been constant and heavy and you’re right it’s shit. As others have said though, wellies and rain suit, going for a walk, feeding the ducks, looking for interesting leaves/pinecones/conkers/whatever. It’s a lot easier when they’re small as even the most mundane thing interests them.

Here in Manchester it's been sunny all day. It is a bit cold, but we are in October.

I find wet weather easier to entertain ds in. He's just turned 2. Wellies on, coats on, puddle splashing galore! Ds has been happy all day because we did that first thing. Then home for a nice warm bath and some soup, nap, toys/play time, help me with the housework etc. Make the dinner then pj's, a bit of telly and bed. Literally a piece of piss! All I have to do it walk with my coat on!
I think you need to look more at your attitude. The days are what you make them

I’m with you. DH is extremely vulnerable so we are avoiding in door places. I’ve signed a forest school group. Yesterday was driving rain so we only managed 45 mins in the garden. It was lunch time and then nap time for DD2 then anyway. This morning was sunny but the ground was wet so we went to jump in the mud and feed the ducks by this afternoon is was raining again for our afternoon walk.

I’m thinking it going to be a long winter where we are just going to have dress appropriately and go for it.

Does your child go to nursery? I’m considering adding an extra morning a week on my day off during the winter time!!

Mine love going out in puddle suits and wellies and making the biggest splashes ever! Even just having their own umbrellas kept them amused for a while too.
They love conker hunting, picking leaves, throwing sticks on a bridge and watching them come out the other side, feeding ducks.

I also detest going out in wet weather OP. I got irritated by the rain walking from my car to Tesco this morning. The idea of putting my toddler in a rain suit and wellies and going out for more than about 5 minutes fills me with dread.

When my kids were babies and toddler we lived on a TINY scottish island. No soft play, no groups, no swimming pool and no playground for the first year or so.

We had wet weather gear. If you're warm enough underneath and then have good waterproofs you don't get cold and wet. You just have to get on with it. We had balance bikes and we walked a lot. We collected pine cones and sticks and leaves. We jumped in puddles, climbed rocks, and threw stones in the sea.

Yes it can be shit but this was all pre-covid and we just got on with it.

You don't catch a cold by being cold or going outside in the rain, it's an urban myth.

Wrap him up warm, stick some wellies on him and go outside. Everything is new to him, he won't care if it is raining.

Have you looked at membership to your softplay? Our local one offer unlimited entry (prebooked of course) for 1 child and 1 adult for less than £8 a month. I've just cancelled our membership as I'm in a high risk group and my eldest is at school.

At 2 mine didnt mind the rain but I've always found it a bit miserable.

The 5 minute mum or many of the other similar books are full of ideas of games that are easy to set up inside or out. It's not likely to rain solidly for 6 months, as long as you have waterproofs and warm layers you can still get out and have fun.

An almost 2 yr old will not be phased by rain/wind/crappy weather.

Get some decent waterproofs and get out there no matter what.

Getting home to a nice warm house and a hot chocolate is the best!

This is England, have you just arrived here?

There's no bad weather, only bad clothing.

And we have had a pretty good summer, weather-wise. Even August was lovely.

I’ve got a 20 month old and a 4 year old. Hasn’t stopped raining all weekend. Saturday morning we went for a walk to the park via a particularly good puddle jumping car park. In the afternoon I set up the paddling pool in the garage and filled it with sand and let them play. This morning we played in the garden - took buckets to find treasure and had races of various sorts. This afternoon we went to soft play to meet friends. Agree with others, you just have to make sure you all (you included!) have really warm and waterproof clothing and get out there. Makes coming home for hot drinks and food a lovely treat.

My toddlers loved the rain! Lots of puddle splashing, and a favourite indoor activity was a treasure hunt - draw pictures and hide them so they can find them and look for the next one. They like cryptic clues now but still love the game! And we made lots of indoor dens on rainy days.

What do you imagine generations of families did before us? I didn't have soft play or anything like that and I'm only in my 30s. It is what you make it, ultimately. It can be miserable for adults to be out in the rain but many children love it. Give them a bucket to either tip water with or collect leaves/pine cones/conkers or make mud pies. Make faces out of mud on trees. Paint the leaves or make pictures from the things you've collected. Start a scrap book of all the things you've done. Back home for a hot chocolate and marshmallows and curl up on the sofa for a story or film (or more shitting Peppa Pig). Autumn is my favourite time of year.

I am also dreading it. I was on the shielding list so did not enjoy the most of the summer being stuck inside and so not looking forward to winter.

My DS has just turned 2 and loves being out I do as well normally but I’m just a bit over it already and the fact it is the only option with no playgroups running. Invest in good wellies for both of you and puddle suit or water proof trousers and coat, fleece lined and you will both stay warm and dry.

Someone else mentioned above a tuff tray I highly recommend one we got one a few months back and we both love it, keeps me entertained as well. We got sand on it and he spent literally hours doing castles and driving his car through it (longest ever he has played with something) had an hour of painting on it the other day. Play doh on it. It’s great cause you can leave it and they can come and go.

Get lots of new books if you afford it and puzzles and bubbles are our go to.

It’s shit, it really is.
I spent so much of my time with toddlers at stay and play groups.
I would do what others have suggested though and get some waterproofs and just go to the parks anyway.
It’s either that or stay inside and toddlers need time outside to burn off steam

Colds are caused by a virus and are nothing to do with being wet/ cold.
With the right gear on (a nice warm jacket under a puddlesuit and wellies) your child won’t even be cold and wet.

Kids don’t care when it’s raining.

We‘ve been out for 3 hours today (non stop rain). good waterproofs are your friend, we had tons of fun

I just want some groups that are affordable (not £12 an hour) that I can go to so I can actually see some other people and have a conversation IRL

I can handle suiting the toddler up in wet weather gear even though I hate being cold and wet but I'm still lonely

Some kids do actually hate being wet and cold... my niece scream blue murder the whole time she’s in a playground and it’s raining, regardless of how well wrapped up she is.

YANBU. I have a just turned 2 year old. It's going to be tricky. I foresaw this in summer and invested in the best quality second hand waterproofs and thermals I could find via ebay, also got our bikes fixed and a child seat put on mine.
We have National Trust membership for less than £10 a month, and I have subscribed to a Mud and Bloom box for £10 a month.

I figured I'd usually spend more than that on groups/coffee/petrol over the course of a month anyway. I have invested in a decent Thermos for outdoor cups of tea.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to have a toy cull (they play better with less) and I've downloaded a few "preschool curriculum" things that my homeschooling friends use, and I'm going to mine them for songs, stories, and ideas.

I'm also streamlining our garden toys so putting away the water table but leaving out the mud kitchen etc. Less chance of getting soaked and freezing in cold weather

Our bloody library is closed again for refurbishment about three seconds after opening again, which I'm so annoyed about.

It's still going to be tough I think. I worry about my toddler's socialisation. My other DC is a teen and toddler doesn't go to nursery or anything. We do have some friends who are happy to meet up, but since March toddler has played with similar aged children maybe 5 times. That can't be good.

Before lockdown, we had a lovely round of groups and classes we went to. I waited years for my second child and being able to participate in groups and activities was something I was looking forward to. In the wider scheme of things I know it's not the end of the world, but it's a shame really. I know how fast these years pass

As someone who hated toddler groups, softplay and playgrounds (too many bloody kids), I don't miss them come rain or shine. And I love autumn/winter.

(Also all children are 'active', not just little boys or special active kids. Does my head in a bit when people claim an 'active boy' is some sort of unique trait.)

Also you don't catch a cold from being cold. Colds are viral. Please just... learn some stuff. Some nursery-level science lessons, perhaps.

And it doesn't rain every single day for 6 months.

Dramatics over?

First, don't be afraid of weather. You have coats.

Look for places near you to walk - go for more wilder routes with rockier paths which children enjoy. Take sandwiches. They will see a wider variety of flora and scenery too.

Outdoor wildlife parks and wetlands are low cost days out with beautiful scenery and animals. We've had wonderful times at owl, boar, otter and falconry centres.

If it rains, well OK fine, but you can still enjoy things indoors. Puzzle/logic games were popular here at that age - check out Castle Logix and similar - as were jigsaws. Get a larger one you can do together. Colouring. Building toys - blocks, wooden marble runs, ones with lots of possibility.

A long shot but any chance you could be entitled to free nursery hours when your little one turns two?

www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds