tips for when your toddler is having one of those days

[yawningmonster]

DS is 20 mths and so far today has whinged, cried and lashed out at me from the time he got up.

I have done some painting with him
We played with some pasta shapes, spoons and containers
We read stories
We played with his "baby"
I tried to get him involved in some active songs in case it was just being stuck inside that was the issue (also have a slide inside for gross motor play)
We cant go anywhere as dh has the car and it is freezing outside (he would be fine bundled into the stroller but I would be a popsicle in minutes)
He cant play outside as our landscaping is only partly finished and we have the equivalent of a mud pit with lots of landscaping equipment outside)
I have tried snacks etc.

I have ended up putting him in his cot for a rest even though he doesnt have sleeps any more.

He often has days like this..just wondering what tips you have (please dont suggest going out as whenever possible this is exactly what we do, I am after stuck at home tips (preferably minus the tv)

my ds doesn't really enjoy activities so much as just general 'wildness' - chases, tickling, being swung about, jumping on beds etc. This all tends to get him good and tired (he is 2 this month and also sleeps for nearly two hours about 11am). For a more quiet activity he just love going through my make up bag, tool box or anything elses that's generally off bounds (under VERY strict supervisions). There was a MN discussion about heuristic (sp?) play recently which i understand is exploring more ordinary items and i think my ds would love this - must out more. Also, if h enjoys his bedtime routine - bath etc, you could always get this started a bit earlier. Is it so cold you can;t get out even for half an hour? i sometimes walk ds round to the shop to buy a pint of milk - he seems to find that quite exciting! Good luck, it's tough going trying to keep them amused in the house all day.

sorry, if he enjoys his bedtime routine (there are other too i know - I'm a bad typer!)

I know you said "No TV", but my DS loves Baby Einstein DVDs. He still watches them ( and he's 3). He can be quite a "lively" boy, but I always find this calms him down and keeps him occupied for a 1/2 hour and they're educational as well (although not everyone's "cup of tea"!) I managed to get a full set from E-bay for around £30. I know they're all different, but 20 months is quite young to have stopped napping. Could you start his nap again, even if it's only to give you a break from each other! Do you let him have independent play, where he just does his own thing. Sometimes my ds just goes away and plays and I think he just wants his own space ( and I'm exactly like that as well!) What about a bit of water play? Sand in the house? (could get messy!!) Play dough/plasticene? Hope you find something that helps!

thanks some good ideas here, would love for him to do some more independent play but that is just not in his radar at the moment. Today is way too cold, we have snow predicted and out where we are it is absolutely freezing outside, will go out in most weather but no way in this I am afraid. Maybe I could try a bath first thing in the morning see if it sets him up for the day as he does usually enjoy bath time, might help tire him out for a nap early on too.

Can sympathise. I have found myself shattered by 9am some days, already having done painting, colouring, jigsaws, games, watched a DVD, had a bath etc etc and literally run out of activities and energy.
I found that moving round the house helped. Sounds silly but can be enough to change it all around - eg I set up a little tent in my DD2’s bedroom, we made a picnic and ate it in the tent for lunch, then we did colouring in the kitchen, jigsaw in the lounge etc etc just to break it up a bit. Sounds silly when I write it down but it really worked, honest!
Can you have any playmates over for him? I think mine just get bored and grumpy if it just me and are easily better if there is just me

what about building a 'den' with lots of sheets and cushions?

will try changing house around, we often tend to culminate in the lounge where the heat pump is but could easily play in other rooms and do something like a picnic in his room or something, he may really like that. Often have people over but don't think anyone local would have wanted to venture out today.