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.

My eldest is 8 and my youngest has just turned 3 so still in the chubby cheek years! I miss my eldest being tiny but I think he's in his best years yet - he's funny, cute and fascinating - loves cats, japan, history....we make intricate marble run mazes together & design computer game levels on pieces of paper (we have a stack!) but we still hold hands, cuddles before bed and can enjoy a museum trip with a coffee & cake without the whining and crying and legging it. Swimming with him isn't a effort anymore. Does anyone else enjoy the middle years? I absolutely love it. I'm really looking forward to seeing him develop but honestly I could have a 8 year old forever and ever.

For me though we'd go back and have one more summers morning together - train tracks scattered on the hallway floor, ice lollies on the back step, eggs bread for lunch followed by an afternoon danger nap together in the late afternoon sun. Absolute bliss.

Mine are 5 and 2 and life always seems so busy, sometimes I wish it away but this thread has made me so thankful for my little ones and all the lovely things we do together 🥺 I know one day they will be all grown up and won't want to do anything with Mummy and Daddy!

I'm blubbing reading this thread!

Love this thread. My little one is nearly two and we really do treasure him. God its hard at times but so, so lovely.

What a gorgeous thread ❤️

mine are 5.5&3.5 & currently expecting a third. And have sobbed my way through these!
it’s really opened my eyes to just make the most of them whilst they’re little,
the days may be rough but it goes by so fast.

thankyou. I’m privileged to have them both home for the summer holidays soon and will absolutely endeavour to get some of these memories in whilst they’re still little.

No housework

I would pick them up and feel the weight of them in my arms and kiss their chubby cheeks and stroke their fluffy little heads. And I would ask them lots of questions so I could hear their little toddler voices. Mine are only just out of this age group to be fair (5 and 7) but I watch videos of them when they were tiny and I want to climb into the video and snuggle them.

I'd take them to the meadow for a teddy bears picnic. That was a wonderful day.

My happiest times with both kids were going to the water play at Bristol zoo (we had membership) and them just pootling so happily for ages. I'm so gutted it's gone.
I'd rock up with a full beach bag, wetsuits, toys etc and get some right looks from the Clifton yummy mummies but I was so smug when I had everything the kids asked for and they had a lush time.

Awww me too - they were the cutest ages and so adorable together 🥺

Crying. Too sad. Blow raspberries on tummies. Row the boat. Wind the bobbin up. Bath time. Swimming. Bake cakes. Play farm animals and brio. Go see Father Christmas. Paddle in streams. Hunt for Easter eggs. Wave at trains. Watch cartoons. Snuggle on sofa. Sobbing.

Sobbing here! My youngest will be starting school in September and this thread has made me want me to keep her off nursery for a few days before the summer holidays so we can spend some time together.

I would take a picnic to a park. Let them
play on the swings, eat our picnic and then have ice cream in the cafe. Sing rhymes together and bake some cupcakes, read picture books and snuggle up and watch CBeebies.

I am lucky she still is like my little best friend but it makes me so emotional to think one day she will be teen with her own social life

And it will be so lovely to see her dressed to go out having found her own style. Giddy with excitement to be spending a night out with her friends. You'll hear how she and her friends look out for one another and you will be pathetically grateful to be allowed to pick them up in town at 3am because they can't get an Uber!

Go to the park. Feed the ducks. Buy ice cream. Snuggle up and read books. Have fights with bubbles from the bubble bath.

Oh this thread is leaving me with a tear in my eye! My DDs are nearly 5 and nearly 2.5, and while it's hard at times, I do love these little moments with them.

Cry. Or maybe run away. Hated the early years, never want to go back there. No way would I volunteer to look after any potential grandchildren until they are at least four, but fourteen would be even better!
I love school age kids and really enjoy working / being with teenagers I think they are awesome, but the preschool years just no, no and no again!

Yes that's true! Every stage has got better and better so far, seeing her grow into her own personality- so you're right 😊

Take them to the park after dinner instead of having a strict bedtime routine, then cuddle them to sleep

I’d take them over to see my brother who lived near a river with punts. He can carry the big one and I’ll carry the little one, and he will punt us down the river while we lazy about on the punt looking at the sky and for fish and gliding under willows. We will have taken a picnic and stop for ice-cream on the way back.
And because it’s only a day, and we don’t have to live with the following 4 years of mad before she turned into a vaguely normal dog, I will get them the cocker spaniel puppy. We will play with her in my brothers garden and have tea on the lawn with the kids next door. On the way home in the car we will stick the tape on and sing along with Robin Hood and Davy Crocket, King of the Wild Front Ear as loud and out of tune as we can (in the light of events since, we might have to give ‘Tie me Kangaroo Down’ a miss). Then I’ll
bath them (with ducks and boats and a squirty whale) and pop them in their onesies and make them a hot choc with all the trimmings. I’ll let them choose whatever books they like, even Fireman Sam, and read to them until they’re asleep.
Then I’ll snuggle down between them and breathe in their lovely soft hair.
The puppy will be asleep at the bottom of the bed.
Oh wait!! I forgot to tickle them! Just let me tickle them one more time before the sun sets and it’s all gone!!

Pub with a playground during the school day. Play and meal.

Gosh I need this. I'm exhausted with my toddler and it's a good reminder to enjoy the time while I can 🥹

Go to Costa for a coffee and cake, go for a walk in the woods or to a farm with a nice play area (and enjoy the fact that even simple pleasures are exciting to them!). Take a picnic. Dinner of sausage, smiley faces and peas - then bath, a bit of cbeebies (how I miss it!) and bed at 7pm!

I did actually have a lovely day out in London with both my DCs before they started reception. We went in the first week in September, the week all the older children start back. We took the Thames Clipper, did the Emirates skyline, played in one of the parks, had a Mcdonalds for lunch, went to the lego shop and made mini figures - so not an expensive day out really but lovely. I'm so glad I did because it you don't really get that time back. And now (at 9 and 11) they are wanting to hang out with their friends more and more!

This, with a visit to the swimming pool.

That would have been our perfect day.

Wish I could have it for just one more day...

I would pick him up & dance with him in my arms.

He's much too big now, but there were certain songs we'd dance too when he was little.
His face would light up when they came on the radio because he knew I'd catch him up & spin round with him in my arms.
By the end of the song, we'd both collapse on the sofa for a rest.
They were just moments of pure happiness.

From time to time we'll hear one of those songs & he has mentioned that he wishes we could still dance like that one more time.