To wonder what you do on weekends with a two year old?

[MyCheeryMouse]

Me and my husband work full time and have weekends off together with 2 year old DC. We both struggle a bit with motivation at the weekends. We have toddler classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings but have no idea what to do with our two year old in the afternoons. I feel like a bit of a failure if we stay home, i try to do activities like painting, playdough etc but often find we quite quickly turn the tv on for DC. Most toddler activities seem to be in the mornings only.

Our DC is not the easiest, sitting in a coffee shop / going out for a meal is not enjoyable. We don’t have loads of friends / many friends with kids so we can’t fill the time meeting up with people. AIBU to wonder what people do with kids at this age on weekends? We’re not looking to do anything big like going into town for museums etc as we’re quite tired from the morning classes.

Just feel a bit “meh” about life I guess. Want to do exciting things for DC and make wonderful memories but i feel so much guilt at weekends that we can spend from 11am at home. We did go out to parks in the summer but feels a bit too cold for that now.

Any suggestions welcome? I appreciate I’m probably coming across quite moany. I feel a little bit low in general so please go easy on me. Really looking for some helpful suggestions and to understand what others do with kids this age.

You go to the park. Even when its cold. Small kids are almost always at their best outside. Jumpers, gloves, hats, puddle suit, wellies. Scooter or a balance bike helps if he's an older 2. Collect leaves. Play tag, hide and seek, have races, kick a football, etc. Library is also a good shout - you can stay as long as you like and its free. Swimming pool? You can also do boring stuff with them like going to the supermarket, the tip, the garden centre, posting letters etc. Ride a bus somewhere?

When I just had DS, we did morning park and afternoon park. He needed that much running around. DD is a bit happier with toys at home, so it tends to be park/activity in the morning, and then play at home in the afternoon: usually playdough, duplo, pretending, magnatiles, baking, reading, dancing. Don't expect any activity to last more than 15 minutes. And yes, some TV.

None of the above is really relaxing or enjoyable for you, and that is really hard. I would also try to alternate some weekend time "off" for you and your DH, so you can recharge yourself while the other one occupies your DC. And try to have a night together if you can.

We are out of the house most weekends. Today we were at a playground as it was dry and sunny and yesterday we were at Winter Wonderland. Other stuff in the past few weeks have included museum visits, Christmas lights bus trip, cinema trip, kids theatre show, concert, soft play, family swim, woodland walk, zoo, gallery visit, NT property, craft workshop, puppet show, boat trip, immersive show. Getting the bus or tube is just a form of transport for us, we are car-free and use it a few times a week to get to places so it isn't exactly a novel activity for us.
Loads of stuff for families over the next few weeks really, just check out local parenting SM.

Have another one.....

My kids are only 20 months apart so I had two children under two.

The older one (girl) was very good at entertaining the younger one (boy).
OK
You have to accept the fact that most of the time they are awake you will spend time entertaining/supervising/educating them. Talk to them, read to them let them help you with jobs round the house. Sit them at the kitchen table with Playdough/ crayons and a colouring book while you do the cooking and teach them to play independently.
Good luck.

Definitely go outside. It's not that cold at the moment (assuming you're in the UK), and children are generally much easier outside. You want them to burn off energy so they'll nap well. We would usually do a morning out then home for nap, then maybe a local afternoon walk/playground or just toys and TV until dinner.

We used to visit a playground most weekends - work your way around local ones, search for good ones a bit of a drive away. Go to National Trust/similar places for a morning out and a nice lunch if you can afford it, or a picnic if you can't. Get little one a snowsuit off Vinted to keep them warm. Get yourself hand warmers and a hat. Local museum, small farm, petting zoo, soft play, garden centre at this time of year. Have a look on Facebook and Instagram for local child-friendly recommendations - we have someone local to us who's reviewed every playground for miles around 😂

My DS was 2 during Covid so nothing was open, everything had to be outdoors.

We went to the supermarket or B&Q and they jumped in muddy puddles in the garden.

Has anyone mentioned a puddlesuit yet? Are they still a thing or did they die out after Covid?

😂😂😂 What was the name of that thread? 😂

"Even when its cold. Small kids are almost always at their best outside"

Also this all day long, the difference in my ds behaviour is noticeable when he's had some time in nature. It carries on into the rest of his week in nursery when we prioritise nature and outdoors activity at the weekend. It really helps him regulate, never mind building connection and care for the world around him and free skills for self care etc.

We are the other way around, tend to have lazy mornings but always get out somewhere in the afternoons. At this time of year there are loads of Christmas fairs and themed activities going on at the library and museum. Or failing that get wrapped up in coat and wellies and go for a walk to the woods or park.
There’s nothing wrong with staying home by the way, especially at this time of year. You are doing something in the morning with them. But if you do feel like the afternoon is dragging just go for a walk around the block to see Christmas lights. Baking is also a good way to kill an hour, even if you just get them to stir.

Really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to respond. There are some great ideas here. And what stands out the most is me and DH need to suck up the cold and all layer up and just go out even for just a walk. We could also do less stuff together potentially to give the other some down time. Thank you all again. It’s such an amazing / hard / exhausting / rewarding / stressful time and some days it’s hard to be enthusiastic about life!

I can't remember... but you also need a flask according to that thread. Definitely a flask.

There is absolutely no need for cafes, restaurants, soft plays, trampoline parks, libraries or any of the other trappings of civilisation if you have a puddlesuit and a flask.

If you're feeling inspired, you can even make sandwiches.

If you happen to have children with winter birthdays (hands up please, I have two), they can celebrate their birthdays on a tree stump in a local park with just you, two balloons, a cupcake and the sleeting rain. It'll save you a fortune.

There, that's the entire winter sorted for you, OP. You're welcome.

I get that. I really do. I’m a single parent to a 3 year old, I work full time and by the weekends I’m just exhausted. I do take my child out to do something fun on weekends, like the park, soft play, forest walk, and other activities I find locally like the theatre or cinemas. Sometimes if we’ve spent the day at home and guilt kicks in, we will just take a slow walk down to the local shop. Looking at flowers or insects along the way. Playing I spy. Looking for dinosaurs. We just use our imaginations and enjoy a slow stroll together. That is creating memories. Connection is what happy memories become. If you can’t get out, then play together. At that age playing with them is the easiest and most important way to connect. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do big grand activities every weekend. Keep it simple sometimes and focus on connection and being silly together at home when you’re indoors…

This weekend: scooter, jumping in puddles, soft play, cars down a cardboard ramp, cooking (pancakes, hot chocolate, putting dried pasta in a pan), walking (/running) around the Saturday market, feeding the ducks, kicking a ball, park, stickers, colouring, paper aeroplane races, playing shops / cafe, puzzles, day time bath, stories. We watched TV too, got popcorn and did a film afternoon yesterday. DC 2.5yo was outside in just pants and crocs this morning because they refused to get dressed but wanted to help hang the laundry out (passing the pegs). Also recently potty trained so that takes up time too.

I would back up the suggestion to invest in warm clothing and get outside even if it’s just for a couple of hours. Take a flask with a warm drink and a couple of snacks.

When DC were that age we had annual passes to a local farm place. It meant that we could just drop in for an hour and not feel that we needed to ‘make a day of it’. Sometimes we used the play barn, other weeks we’d do a bit more. DC didn’t care that it was the same place, they just enjoyed being able to run around and see the animals.

Garden centres while away some time, especially ones with a Fish or animal section. See also Pets At Home. Especially ones where you can see the dogs getting groomed through the glass.

I found weekends with toddlers very difficult. They are so much easier to entertain when they're a bit older. So, no real pearls of wisdom
from me, but I sympathise! If your public library is open at the weekend that's usually a good shout. As you said, getting outside works well- National Trust a pretty safe bet, ideally with company.