Is it in anyway possible to have a nice day with a toddler?

[AliceAbsolum]

Has anyone managed it?!
Surely from an evolutionary perspective kids should be more enjoyable to spend time with?

DD is 2. I'm starting to dread our days as a family. Today she woke at 6, screamed for me for milk, then refused to breastfeed then wanted only one side only.
Tipped all her toys out, got cross, wet herself, said no about 10000 times, dropped yogurt all down herself despite having a bib on, wanted all her toys upstairs to be downstairs etc etc.
Normal 2 year old behavior I'm sure, but Jesus I was knackered by 8am where I waved her off to nursery. Let alone another 10 odd hours of it.

Does anyone enjoy this? How? Am I just a horrible mother.

Playground ! Or soft play if bad weather. They need to move around and explore..

I really enjoyed my kids when they were toddlers, and I still really do now. Sorry, OP! I think some people just struggle with kids more than others.

Everything you just described is totally normal. It goes really fast so hang in there. My middle DC is 2.5 and then I’ve got another one to look forward to. 😂
My oldest is 6 and I can’t believe how much easier it is with him.

Have the people ordering the OP to the park noticed she took the child to nursery? She’s probably at work!

@AliceAbsolum it is tough going. Like a PP, I found my DS hard hard hard at 2. He woke at 5, which I loathed and I was obsessed at one point with trying to get him to sleep later. I had two days a week off with him and truthfully I dreaded them and felt an awful sense of relief when Monday rolled round.

I think I just hadn’t let go of my old life as you succinctly put it. There was still part of me kind of wanting to maybe have a nice morning at a group and then go to the park but then maybe if I could have handed him over to someone else until 7pm I’d have been happy.

Two years later and honestly I’ve got into my groove a bit. The 5am get ups stopped at about two and a half when he dropped his nap, toilet training wasn’t easy but we got there and he’s … nice.

Problem is I have a 20 month old as well now! And as much as I’m looking forward to a bit more time for me I don’t have that dread feeling about days off any more. It stops being so lonely when they can chat back.

Getting out yes but I have to admit I hated being in the house with my toddler so much I went to the other extreme. At one point when he was two I was literally going to a group in the mornings then a cafe for lunch and soft play or something in the afternoon. It was crazy and we were both tired. We now have a good combination of busy days and chilled times. We always get out of the house but it isn’t all of the time unless it’s a special day trip. And we’re all much happier for enjoying being home a bit more!

My fave thing today was our 1.5h nap.

Have to admit my normally lovely DD has whinged throughout today. Got a blessed relief from it in naptime

This makes me a bit sad. She tips her toys out - so what? Yoghurt down her front - standard. Only a fool gets a toddler dressed before breakfast. Days out with two year olds are great. They love everything. And if they hate it, then five minutes later they love it.

Thanks everyone, I'm glad I've found some solidarity.
Why do we do it to ourselves? 😂 It's a massive ask isn't it.

I just need a free magical part time nanny and cleaner and cook, is that too much to ask?

Nope it's rubbish. I enjoy moments very fleeting moments the cuddles kisses and wonder in their face. But whole days together are hard work. My 7 and 10 year old whilst still can be hard are so much more fun than my toddler !

I die a little over the long 6 weeks summer break that's a really hard slog for me. We are all different. Parenting in different circumstances. I try to focus on making life as easy as possible (within reason still keeping to bedtimes and relatively healthy food etc ) and add in what I can do to make it more enjoyable for me. Pop a podcast on when they are busy playing, and accomplish small tasks that make me happy. Dance to music. Laugh as much as I can through the madness of it, deep breath through the rest of it.

You're not a awful parent to not enjoy it. I don't think we were ever suppose to parent this way in such isolation. I take every day managed a genuine achievement because it's so relentlessly hard.

Oh she has potty trained young! Do you have any tips? I want to start training mine soon but dreading it with 2 of them lol! My older ones I trained at around 3.
Does she still wear nappies at night time?

Hello OP, every child is different and would be different at that age too, so some are more challenging than others. I would say, being outside is much better then staying in, and if you are indoors do get her to do things on her own, rather then you doing it. It will be easier for you, and she will feel better as well. I know this will not help you right now, but my mom used to say, she was happiest when she could hold my hand and I did not understand it until my kids became teenagers. 😔

No matter how hard this phase is, try to cherish and enjoy it as much as you can. You can still dress and feed her, take her to the park and make her happy with simplest things, like a treat or some TV time, and you are still her world and she wants to spend time with you. You can sleep and cuddle with her, you can care for her and protect her. These are the things you should try to enjoy. This will be over before you know it. Hugs.❤️

@AliceAbsolum I wish I had learned more about their development when mine where younger I found out much more about it when they passed that stage.
I think it would have helped me cope more, understanding that what seams like chaos has some method. And how to expand it.
Also I saw an incredible clip on fb once of I think a Chinese granny with young child doing loads of really simple but effective fun things that support development. I wished I'd seen it when mine young

It's hard. Just remind yourself how cute she is and don't take her too seriously. Give her lots of cuddles but not necessarily what she wants when she wants it.

Thanks for this! Sounds just like my 2.5y boy.
Everything starts off well until his cereal is in the wrong bowl, water in the wrong cup, I missed a seed in watermelon, I've dared to put butter on toast before honey, won't let him eat raw potatoes, I could go on!