Parents of older children: if yuu had your Pre schooler back for one day what would you do? (Lighthearted feel good please)

[Thatbloomindog]

Inspired by the other thread about having a whole Pre children day to yourself. I’m asking those who are out of the small child trenches now, what they’d do with their pre schooler if they could have them back for a whole day.
My youngest starts school in September and gosh while I need the time to myself, I’m sure going to miss her and our carefree days pottering around together.

Go for a walk along the beach, get an ice cream, go home and bake then okay Pop up Pirate while it cooks. Watch Dora the Explorer cuddled up on my knee then read a book before bed. Mine is 25 now but we often spent a day like this

I'd like to go to tumbletots I think and then to a local cafe for lunch. Either that or a proper big day out to the zoo or somewhere with a picnic lunch and ice creams. I don't really miss the preschool years much but I do occasionally get wistful for being able to just decide everyone was going on a day trip and they'd all want to come and we'd have a lovely time (mostly- tantrums aside!)

Now they're all teens and organize their days out of course!

I'd also like to wander around to school with my youngest DC to pick her big brothers.

I'd give them my time. No phones, no distractions, just them and me.

I miss them being small so much. I'd kill to have a day of them being two and four again 🥲

Bake an apple pie with them.
They only ever did this with Granny who is sadly no longer with us. Cuddles, maybe read a book.
They are both very grown adults now.
This stage feels so long ago!! (Because it is, eyeroll)

You've just made me cry.😥

I miss those years. They are so innocent.

I would play with Playdough, making silly figures with her. Take her to the swings and then home for tea and watch her favourite tv programme. Tuck her into bed and read her fairy book. She still has it. She's 21 now and just completed her degree. So proud of her.

I would take him to the park for as long as he wants. Read stories as long as he wants, answer all his "why" questions and let him sleep in my bed.
He's 25 now but as the youngest he was my little friend and companion for two blissful years after the older one started school.

I'm pregnant and this is making me emotional!

parents of teenagers/young adults - don't give up on taking your kids out for a little day out now and then, my mum did this (maybe lunch out, shopping, or just a drive about on a sunny day and stop off somewhere we didn't know for a walk) and it was absolutely magical. They might love their friends but it's nice to catch up with your mum or dad sometimes too.

Snuggle 💔💔💔💔
My strapping 21 yr old won't accept more than a brief hug.

The bedtime routine, including snuggling her dry after a bath 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Mum of 3 teenagers here, I'm very menopausal today and this had me in floods! I will do that @WitcheryDivine

Mine are teens now
Swimming then home for lunch then snuggles in front of the TV or with a book until they fall asleep (not that DD ever did). Then a walk an jumping in muddy puddles before home and bath then more snuggles
Tea and Lego/play dough or similar for a bit until bedtime where there would be more reading and snuggles until they fell asleep. Check on them and watch them sleep when I went up to bed - not allowed to do this now as it’s “creepy”. If they woke up a quick snuggle
Can you tell I miss snuggles?

Go to our local farm to feed the animals and have lunch. Snuggle up on the sofa and read then have a little nap together.
Oh I miss those days.

London Zoo. I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life.

Cuddle them all day! And play. Ah. I loved those days.

It's many years since my two were that you, but I have very fond memories of stamping in puddles. It's rainy here (Shrewsbury) and we definitely would have gone out on a day like this.

Mine is 7 and a half and I'm pleased we still do most of these things. Parents of younger kids: you have a while yet!

Cuddles, cuddles and more cuddles.

A walk in the woods and exploring the streams. Stop at cafe for a juice.

Dinner, bath and then watch 101 Dalmatians together in pyjamas.

Carry up to bed.

Dd is 28 this weekend and ds is 24 now.

Currently revisiting those days with my 20month old gs. Walked to the park, fed the fishes had a 2 hrs nap and been in the paddling pool all afternoon practising his 2 new words 'help' and 'ganny'. You do get a semblance of those days back if you commit to childcare duties.

I would try and fit in as much as possible maybe do some hand prints and footprint painting on old wallpaper or lining paper, baking, build a den inside or outside, let them put on a show for me, have a picnic, go on a walk holding hands, swinging arms, laughing and talking nonsense as we went, splash in puddles or paddle in the sea and later cuddle up to watch a film and let them chatter on for ages when putting them to bed.

Mine are 18 and 19 now and I really miss our lovely long days before they started school.

parents of teenagers/young adults - don't give up on taking your kids out for a little day out now and then, my mum did this (maybe lunch out, shopping, or just a drive about on a sunny day and stop off somewhere we didn't know for a walk) and it was absolutely magical. They might love their friends but it's nice to catch up with your mum or dad sometimes too.

That is so true and i needed that reminder.

I found the early years both hard and wonderful. If i had my time over i would forgive myself more and get more support. but don't wanna get too deep.
So.... i would walk slowly (as if there is any other way) home from the park and read books and eat biscuits then later make one of those toddler teas like carrots hummus mash potatoe cheese cucumbers haha the things they like and sort of seem healthy. and watch loads of cbeebies, bath them and then read lots of books and let them sleep in my bed. Simple things.

This.

Teens and adults here. I would SMOOSH THEIR LITTLE FACES and THEIR LITTLE CHUBBY HANDS AND FEET and I would smell their hair and I would let them go to sleep cuddling on my lap.

Although in fairness they still try to get on my lap.

Go splashing in puddles in the park. Bed time stories. See their sweaty curls when they wake up.

it was so hard at the time but I feel very fortunate to have happy memories to look back on.

My oldest goes to school in September and as an August baby who will barely be 4 when he starts school, and with a speech delay, who was only 7 months old when lockdown started, I feel like we've been robbed of a lot of the baby/toddler/preschool days.

If I could do anything with him for the day, I would take him to the library for rhyme time and take him out to a cafe for lunch and let him choose three things on the menu and decide that he didn't like any of them when they arrived, then in the afternoon I'd take him to the beach where we used to live so he can fill up his dumper truck with seashells and brum it back to the sea to give the sea back all its seashells. Then we'd go back to our lovely old house before we were forced to downsize and ride his ride-on car around the cul-de-sac while he pointed out the names of every car in everyone's drives.

Quite honestly, just holding their hands and scooping them up for a kiss and cuddle.

I really miss that now.

BiscuitsandPuffin can you delay a year? loads of people do... x