Winter with little kids is just a bit shit..

[blernam]

..or is it just me?
Following the shitness of lock down and the past summer where we used up every winter activity as all it did was bloody rain I'm finding winter a bit hard tbh.
We do get outside whenever possible but I hate wind and rain and we have done every activity to death (library, trampolines, soft play, museum etc etc). I also have two days off a week and sometimes feel like I'm filling time until DS 4 goes to school.
We do down time in the house (play dough, reading, baking etc), but fuck am I bored of it and I'm sometimes envious of child free friends who can just do a bit of DIY and veg out with a film of a weekend.
Try to avoid too much tv, get the balance between independent play and engaging parenting. Do some local classes but not too many. Fuck me, my head explodes.
I also WFH which doesn't help.

This has never, ever worked for me. My kids won't play independently. They need me to be involved in everything and they flit from one thing to the next, leaving me chasing my tail tidying/setting things up. It's exhausting.

I also hate having the tv on as "background noise". I only have the tv on if there is something I am particularly watching,

As regards the kids though, if the tv is on, they will sit and watch it like zombies. They would watch it all day if I let them. It is so difficult to keep them entertained when they get bored so easily and whinge for the tv.

Yep, totally get this! A very active 2 year old that needs to get out every day to run some energy off!!

OP, you've got my sympathy- winter can be a tough time of year anyway, and the relentless rain this year has made everything more difficult/depressing.

At least next year should be somewhat easier as you'll only have holidays to fill and your DH will be around?

I can imagine that Somerset is the sort of place where there aren't loads of great indoor activities you can easily get to as well?

Is your DH on half term next week? Could he give you a day to yourself and take your DS out somewhere?

@Postapocalypticcowgirl
I'll probably miss it when he goes to school.
Yep DH has been on half term and he's taken DS out all day today.
I love somerset but it can be a bit limited, lots of gorgeous places near by so when the weathers nice it's wonderful. But omg the raaaiiinnnn

Yes I can totally relate. I live in Scotland and it's just grey and rainy about 95% of the year. Or it feels like that. I have a 7 year old and 3 year old and it's tough. I envy child free friends too. I'd love to veg out and watch films. 😭

This, ladies and gents, sums up why my heart sinks when the Autumn lovers start posting - usually around early September. Surely they must know that this is what is coming?!

One thing I do often find is that a very wet winter normally means a better spring!

YANBU OP. I don’t mind it if it’s cold but sunny, or even grey but dry. The rain and cold is a nightmare. My 16 month old isn’t walking either so there is almost zero point going out in the rain as he can’t even get out of the buggy to walk. We do it, because even a bit of fresh air is better than nothing. Also in London so do have lots of fun things to do which helps but it is miserable just seeing rain for weeks. Have older kids too, and all their mates seem to be skiing or in Dubai for half term, neither of which is remotely within our reach. My insta feed is full of people skiing too. (Obviously I know this is a bubble and most people are not actually away!)

Urgh yes!

It's been half term week here this week. We usually do a local neighbourhood trail that's popular with kids but the weather has been so crap this year we've not done one bit of it, even DS2 who has the get up and go of the energiser bunny hasn't been keen to trail around in the rain. We've exhausted all the usual indoor winter offerings nearby and are all bored of them.

We went swimming the other day which we all loved as it was so nice and warm in there, but then coming out with damp hair feeling tired and cold wasn't so fun.

Roll on spring time! I feel comfortable saying this as I'm fully commited to hating winter and never whinge during the other seasons. I just hate cold wet weather.

If anyone has the space and doesn't have one, we bought a pikler triangle and ramp set, and a wooden rainbow rocker during the lockdowns and it's still loved and used now. It's very good for days that it's awful outside and they're full of energy. The triangle and the ramp are fairly flat when not in use. They're worth every penny.

We also have the pikler triangle and slide and have them hanging on the wall when not using them. Fantastic bits of equipment. Wish we had a spare room to completely kit out with climbing apparatus!

Our other rainy day saviours are kinetic sand, Duplo, and magnetic tiles.

Swimming is another go to as we've a pool in walking distance but getting there between bouts of coughs and colds is proving difficult. Son has started coughing again tonight 🤦🏼‍♀️

We are only just in half term now, ours is a week later than most people 😬

However my DS is 6 now and getting easier to entertain. He's spent 3 hours this afternoon building a new lego set, best 18 quid I've ever spent 😅

Bliss!!

Can't wait for these days

With you here too @blernam. I am beyond fed up of the rain and the mud. Everywhere is boggy and waterlogged round us. We went yo the park and it was squelchy underfoot and slippy, all I did was create more washing for myself as now the waterproofs are absolutely covered in mud, the shoes now need drying out and the mud banging off them (most of it seems to have dropped off into my hallway so now more cleaning), the clothes I was wearing are covered in mud as dd had a tantrum leaving the park so had to be carried and covered me in mud. We both look like we had done tough mudder.

We've been in the garden but everything is so wet and muddy and now the grass is getting churned up.

I am over soft play. We have done crafting, playdough, baking, colouring, jigsaws, building, role-playing (traumatic), dolls House, threading, toy rotation. We've been to the library, the museum, the swimming pool, National Trust, local country park, its half term so trampoline place is out, no playgroup. I'm absolutely knackered and nursery on Tuesday cannot come soon enough.

Roll on March...

@Caffeineislife
The long range weather forecast for us is rain most days in March. I know it's not always accurate but I could cry looking at it.

Same here. I'm gutted. We had one gloriously mild sunny day and it felt like spring was here. So much bloody rain ahead.

@blernam in UK it is. Other countries have snow sports to keep them going.

@blernam Damn!

This is why we ended up with a conservatory in our previous home. Meant we lost a third of the little garden (possibly more) but I could do another winter with just a kitchen and L shaped living room.

We did welly walks a lot!

I have terrible memories of Jan and Feb 2021: freezing cold, everything closed, just bleak playgrounds. It sucked! Kinetic sand was a lifesaver but realistically that's an hour or so max. The reality is that there are very few indoor activities that occupy younger toddlers for more than 20 minutes and if you hit on one, it's mostly by luck. You're not doing anything wrong if you don't happen on one.

Basically you just need to grit your teeth and wait for your kids to get a bit older. More choice of places to go and much easier to get them to do some drawing/ reading/ etc when you need a break.

Oh and screw anyone who says you just need a sodding puddle suit.

I think I'm so traumatised by the lockdown sodding puddlesuit days that I can't face wet parks anymore.

Butlins...thats what you need at feb half term! Everything all day every bloody day inside and out for the kids.You as adults are motivated too as you have to get out n about. Its been a life saver for us over the years with the kids.

We’ve struggled. I do find a lot of the suggestions for things to do inside a bit mad to be honest, and even expensive puddlesuits and wellies are no match for really awful weather.

This. As a teacher I feel very strongly when people suggest making this half term two weeks and taking a week from summer (another thread topic perhaps)

OP- thank you for this thread. I have found this week a LOT. It always seems to be dull, grey and monotonous. And I'm very much a default optimist so it saddens me that I'm being worn down. Doesn't help that the whole house hasn't been well at the same time this year. Thanks for the company with this, needed it today x

Can you add a bit more structure to your days off in the week? I have two days off with my DD4. We do good shopping on one of the days and Avis it a friend and her DS in the afternoon before getting my eldest from school. The other day we go to a dance in the morning with friends and alternate hosting lunch so we can catch up while the kids play. I enjoy both these days and will miss them in sept.

Weekends I don't give it much thought tbh we do a mix of free stuff, trips to coast, biking, cinema (cheap kids mornings), museums, national trust, soft play etc. we do film club at home where kids eat sweets and chose a film to watch with us.

Book a holiday and take him to the Canary Islands for a few day? Such cheap flights this time of year