To resort to TV to get through the afternoons with my toddler?

[Hgfds]

I am most definitely being UR but even so I find myself a bit stuck for stuff to do.

Just looking for inspiration.

I was the same. Days are longgggggg with a toddler.

If we couldn't get out then absolutely CBeebies went on for a bit!!

Run a bath and let them play in it with some toys
Baking/making a mess in the kitchen
Rotate some toys around - I used to build huge toot toot or train sets up or make a big dinosaur world, that kind of thing
Pour out the Duplo tub and play with that
Read to them or look at some books or magazines with them, even cook books
Painting/drawing

I used to hate being stuck indoors with mine all afternoon when it was raining etc.

God the days are endless. I have 13 hours with my son before DH has him before bed. It's so tiring

We have the TV on. My three year old is currently building a fort with cushions and we've just had a very energetic game of football in the kitchen. Every now and then, he comes to check what's on but most of the time, he ignores it. I work on the basis that, like food, if they don't feel like something is out of bounds then it doesn't become something special that they pester you for all the time.

When my friend K got pregnant I remember telling her that you find yourself talking a load of old rubbish to children just to pass the time.
She said what do you mean?
I said well you'll be out in the garden & say- Look at all these leaves lying about here, aren't there lots !
I don't think she believed me but later her sister told me K had told her that when she'd got pregnant.

I swear sometimes the kids look at me like what ?????

Take them out! We find that behaviour gets worse the more the TV is on so if we're stuck for things to do we go out, and I just let the toddler decide where to go. No destination, no hurrying, just going at the pace of your kid. Want to stop and look at every single pebble? Sure! Wastes hours, burns energy, gives the toddler tonnes of things to think about. Bonus points to you if you make yourself a travel cup of coffee for the stroll.

I got mine to paint the leaves on a hedge once. Kept them happy for ages. I got my book out in the end!

Pinterest is your friend. Also "bored toddler" on Instagram - she has hundreds of (often free or nearly free) ways to entertain toddlers. I hear you though, the days are bloody long with toddlers. And YWNBU at all to sometimes pop on the tv to help you through the afternoon - there are plenty or slightly more educational shows they can watch that sort of counts as learning too

Activity wise though, favorites of ours (in case it helps) we're:

• indoor obstacle courses (make up a course with chairs to climb over, tables to climb over, cushions to hop between) and pop the mission impossible track on Alexa,
• a big box of rice/orzo with diggers and pouring things
• easy puzzles, Lego or magnetic tiles (the magnets were an absolute life saver for me - they entertained mine for hours!
• long bubble baths with dissolving color tablets and lots of toys, and sometimes lego/Pom poms/ice pops if you're feeling fancy.
• scooter walks around town/local footpaths picking up leaves and making art out of them
• prepping dinner together
• sticker art - take a sheet of stickers and peel off the backing so they can easily peel the individual stickers themself and then let them go wild with a piece of paper or making "cards" for loved ones
• easy baking like chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate covered pretzels
• "fancy" breakfasts/lunches/dinners where we'd light a candle and they'd pop on a bow tie and drink chocolate milk out of plastic champagne flutes and have a sort of special meal like chocolate crepes for breakfast or something.

It does get easier as they get bigger, I promise

The West Wing and The Good Wife are free on Ch4 player thingy...

That's literally what CBeebies is for, OP! Take them out in the morning, lunch, TV, bath, dinner, bed. That's what I used to do. Don't beat yourself up about putting on the telly!! They can also learn a lot from CBeebies too!

@BryceQuinlanTheFirst Same here. 13hrs is a long time when there's no naps, just tantrums.
Yesterday and today I've ended up giving my 2yo DD my phone to watch kids youtube as the baby is constantly screaming and I can't cope with both of them.
3 more hours to go. I'm counting down 😄.

I think a mixture between going out and doing things, encouraging them to play at home and some TV is fine.

Inremember reading when mine were small that TV gives you more of a break if it’s not on all the time, and it’s completely true. If it’s always on as background, they won’t be interested in it in the same way when you do put it on, so you don’t get as much of a break.

Thanks. I’m lucky as she does nap for around 2 hours - usually 12-2 approx. We always go out in the morning, to a group and then to a park or the other way around. But the afternoons can be tough. We live on a country road with loads of trucks and lorries going down it and no pavement!

We have had a little walk picking blackberries but my heart was in my mouth al the time.

It’s fine. We had it on all day, even when we were doing stuff.

She’s 6 now and chooses not to watch it most of the time. She prefers playing. Watching TV will not ruin your child!

The kid can play, and you do what you want. Read? Needlework? I don't know. I watched online lectures and documentaries with headphones on, and did some studying. Live your life.

YABU.

Get Disney+ and watch something you both can enjoy!

Our habit was TV on Cbeebies, which I found very calming and nice, and filled the house with a nice atmosphere, but toys out in the lounge and just playing all day.

I did nothing but baby groups for 1.5 years but when we moved house it was just that, leisurely life of TV on, toys out, garden in the summer, paddling pool, role playing with dolls, crafts, quite a mess but then it all got tidied easily at the end of the day.

She never seemed to just be transfixed by the TV though which is good, and she still isn't.

jigsaws
small world play
cutting and sticking
making dough
bathing the dolls
making dens
teddy bear picnic

This has really tickled me. I talk absolute bollocks all day long like you’re saying.

Disagree vehemently with the PP who has the tv on all day. If it’s not special it’s not effective when you actually need it eg when you’re cooking or unwell. An hour in the afternoon is perfectly reasonable for everyone’s sanity/to get shit done.

TV absolutely fine. Sit down yourself. Have a cuddle. Enjoy your time with her. Believe me the years go quick and time with Mummy is important.

Any time except for when it was hot enough to sit outside & watch ds play in the garden we had Cbeebies on from when we got up to when it went off at 7.00pm, we did things like reading & jigsaws but the TV was always on in the background, he had a nap at lunchtime & I got to watch Loose Women for my sanity.