To feel the weather is actually now making me a terrible parent

[urex]

Another day pouring with rain and resorting to tv or other long winded draining activities in the house. I’m so fed up. So miserable. It’s May now! I know complaining about it doesn’t make it better but I’ve just had enough. No fresh air again, just like the first 4 months of the year. It’s completely pouring down

You’re not being unreasonable. We’ve just had an absolutely gorgeous weekend where we are, I felt human again and DD was so much happier - we went to the seaside, the park and she also just played in the garden for hours. (Although there’s been that much bloody rain leading up to it that we were still contending with mud!)

Back to heavy rain today. She’s in nursery 4 days so I don’t have to worry as much about filling the time, although the walk there and back is always harder work in the rain - yes even wellies and waterproofs don’t magically turn her into a puddle splashing little cherub, she just moans even more than usual, whines to be carried and her legs are even MORE TIREDER MUMMY!

I don’t know if you’re looking for any suggestions - I do have some that helped a bit but understand if you’re just wanting to moan as totally been there.

I'm afraid I would have taken mine out anyway. Probably why I was so knackered from all the washing and floor cleaning afterwards. I couldn't cope with being in the house all day.

Give them empty yoghurt pots and have a competition for who can catch the most rain. See who can find the biggest puddle. Float leaves in the water and see whose goes the furthest etc etc.

If he's only 16 months, then can you not just have a lovely time playing with him and his toys on the floor?

I know what you mean OP.

Whilst I didn't mind the rain too much, one of mine absolutely hated it and would do anything to avoid being taken outside.

We spent many a day in a homemade indoor camp, with bed sheets hung over the dining chairs and the dog dressed like a pirate!

Has it been raining for days where you are? It has only rained yesterday afternoon and today here. Yesterday I was out with my 2 year old for hours until the rain hit so I don't feel bad that we are sat in front of the TV today. We had a lovely weekend in the sun too.

@Growlybear83 not for 12 hours 😄

Are there any playgroups near you? I took mine 3 times a week until they went to preschool, elevated a lot of mum guilt and had free coffee!

I’m sure OP does do this 🙄 just nice to have the option of mixing the day up a bit isn’t it? I have a two year old but even at 16 months he’d have been bored of ‘playing with his toys on the floor’ for nearly a whole day bar naps. That’s fine for an immobile baby. I live in a flat with no garden. Playing all day inside is not an option.

Waiting for someone to suggest baking 😆

It's been sunny for days hasn't it? Can you not handle a day of rain?

I feel for you, OP. It's all very well having all of the appropriate gear but it's a hassle (although perhaps comparative to sunscreen!) and it just gets so damn repetitive doing the same thing, day in, day out. Yes, you can play in mud but it's nicer to be in a sandpit; yes, you can meet up with friends in a cafe or at each other's houses but it's nice to just sit on a rug in the park and have them toddling around you; yes, you can go to the playground whatever the weather and slides can be really uncomfortable when it's too hot but, again, it's just nicer in the sunshine.
I'm in my late 40s and was going to meet my friend for a walk by the river this evening. It's unlikely to happen as it's heavy rain forecast for then and we just don't want to go out for a walk in the rain. We could - just as OP could - but we'd prefer not to.

Yes the weather is rubbish. It wouldnt have stopped me from going out and about but, i wouldnt have wanted to spend much time in the actual wind and rain and jumping in puddles (would have killed 30 mins for me)

Can you invite a friend and kids round. It makes it so much easier to be around people in the same position as you. Or visit some family if that is do-able.

16 months is the perfect age to take to groups if you dont have friends with kids the same age as yours to meet up with.

Storytime at the library, music groups and various other groups are great.

Whereabouts do you live in the UK?

We've had sun for the last 3 days, but before that we've had months of shit weather, including severe flooding.

It might just be a day of rain, but when you've spent most of the last year trying to find things to do without spending a fortune, and trying to embrace the shit weather it's ok to have a moan.

YANBU OP, it's so much easier to get out and about when the sun is shining.

Paisley you understand the weather is different in different parts of the country? We had half a day of sunshine on Sunday. It has been raining since Monday. Its shit.

Even with clothing for shit weather, it's still harder work (layering up, drying kit, cleaning mud) and there are still fewer options- most play equipment gets too slippery, walks are less interesting, picnics are out.

Entertaining children on limited options was doable in spring/summer 2020 because it was usually dry and warm. In the unusually wet autumn/winter that followed, it was so, so difficult to keep going physically and mentally, because of the lack of natural light and every unpaved surface being a sea of mud.

Life is just simpler when it's mild and dry.

Where in the UK are you that it's been none stop torrential rain every day for four months? At 16 months you just layer them up, put them in the buggy with the raincover over and get on with it. Library, art gallery, museum, swimming, soft play, play groups. Most libraries have themed activities for small ones. Cheap playgroups at church. Honestly I'd you're struggling now to entertain in the rain, wait until they're 3-4+

Hilarious that people don’t believe the OP’s weather.

She didn’t say it had been torrential for four months!

I know, it’s so Mumsnet 😆🙄

So funny that people think the weather where they are is the only weather 😂

Huge sympathy, OP. I used to live somewhere exceptionally wet, with very little to do indoors (and most of the limited indoor options were expensive) and it was very challenging and often lonely with a toddler. Staying indoors for a whole day with mine was out of the question. I found the trick was to break things up as much as possible. We did do playgrounds in the rain sometimes, but DC weren't that keen. I personally found it easier to plan a walk through the rain to a "destination" with toddler getting in and out of the buggy on the way as appropriate, even if that destination was just a particular shop, or the train/bus station or wherever. That way we all got some fresh air and exercise but without the loneliness of standing in a deserted playground in the pouring rain trying to persuade sceptical DC it was all jolly fun. If you have more interesting options like church playgroups, visiting local friends, grandparents etc then use them! We didn't have much of that sort of thing available to us, but I clutched at whatever straws there were. And I found that if we got out of the house and had a long walk somewhere (usually in the bloody rain) to tire them out in the morning then an afternoon at home was more manageable. Top quality waterproofs do make a difference also.

I’m a disabled single parent and don’t get to do many activities outside the home because of my chronic pain - regardless what the weather is. This doesn’t make me a ‘bad parent’. I spend loads of time with my son doing various activities, baking, gaming, crafts, Lego, etc. Just because that time isn’t spent outside the home doesn’t make you a bad parent.

I sympathise. I think those few days of sun we had here in my corner of the world were so joyous that going back to rain again feels even harder!

We're on the coast for a few days and it's pouring down all day today. 91% chance of rain all day and heavy rain too! The wind has just blown the garden chairs across the patio and my youngest hates the rain as much as I do.

It's not pleasant taking them out in the rain. Even if I put on my best fake jolly parenting the kids wouldn't be buying it. Being wet and cold and getting blown about isn't fun.

If it's half term for the op I'm guessing most playgroups won't be on this week for them. Sympathies op.

We are going to go swimming this afternoon. At least having wet hair won't be an issue!

Go to your local library. It will be quite while the older kids are at school, they usually have a toy corner, they'll definitely have picture/flap books, there's often colouring in (paper to scribble on). The librarians at mine are lovely and usually bring me tea and biscuits at some point as well. While you're there, find out the time for any session, ours has ryme time (singing nursery ryme) and toddler tales.

Toddler groups are also good for getting out the house. We didn't do any proper classes, but lots of the ones where it's free/£1, and it's a pile of toys in a church hall.

Check out you council leisure centre, ours do toddler swim sesson during school time, there only a few, and they put loads if watering cans and rubber ducks in the smallest pool. One leisure centre near us even has a small soft play. Mine outgrew it by 3/4, but it was only £2 a visit, so we were regulars while it lasted. Even big soft plays often have toddler deals with cheaper entries during school day.

Not only do they not believe that weather might differ in different bits of the country but that the options available to you vary. We don't have any art galleries or museums within at least an hour's drive, more like 90mins to 2hrs. The library is only open for a few days a week and the one in the next town over which is open more does a lot of outreach work which I totally support but it does mean that it is less accessible for others during the times that those groups are running. It also involves a drive, paying for parking etc. That's not to say that there aren't great activities in the surrounding area, they are just more weather dependent.

I guarantee not one of you would actually enjoy being outside for a prolonged period in pouring rain (and it is pouring here) with a 16month old. “I’d go out anyway” - total bollocks. Sorry.