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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Do you take your toddler out every day?

51 replies

Twirl · 19/08/2006 15:09

Advice needed please....my dd (2.4) wants to go out every day and goes up the wall if we have to spend half a day at home. Is this normal? She goes to nursery 2 days a week and we go to a few other activities/classes/have playdates on the other days but she doesn't want to stay in at home at all. I have a new baby at home too so going out all the time isn't an option. What are your toddlers like and what do you do with them at home to stop them being bored?

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NotQuiteCockney · 19/08/2006 15:10

I'm afraid I go mad if I spend too much time at home, so I always take the kids out. So my kids see a half day at home as a special treat!

But we go to the park, the library, the local shops, or a friend's house. It doesn't have to be anything big and formal.

docket · 19/08/2006 15:15

i go out with my ds at least once a day otherwise i would go mad! usually the park but once term time starts i'm going to find some groups to go to. i just seem to run out of ideas to entertain him at home after a couple of hours.

docket · 19/08/2006 15:17

i have a 9 week old dd too so it is a bit trickier to get out but i've found she sleeps well in the buggy so it often kills two birds with one stone!

kate100 · 19/08/2006 15:17

Yes, to keep us both sane!! I need to not look at the same walls and he needs to expend some energy

footprint · 19/08/2006 15:21

Funnily enough, my dd is also 2.4 and has also started demanding to go out at ALL times of the day! She is just bored at home - but she doesn't go to nursery or anything as there's nothing like that where we live, so the poor thing is just bored out of her mind (so I am but that's a separate rant...!)

I have always tried to take her out at least once a day for both our sanities, but now she doesn't EVER want to be at home adn as soon as we come home she wants to go out again.

So, I really sympathise!!! But have no useful suggestions I'm afraid. Don't know about yours but my dd won't even sit to watch TV, look at a book or anything for more than a few minutes. I hope that this is just a phase...

footprint · 19/08/2006 15:22

PS When we do go out I try to exhaust her as much as possible eg make her run up and down the slide and go for long walks etc, so that she gets so tired she wants to go to sleep!!!

madmarchhare · 19/08/2006 15:41

Yes, we go out most days even if its just for a walk.

At home we do reading, drawing, painting, sticking, baking (well, rice crispie buns), make dens, he 'helps' me prepare lunch and has small versions of duster and dustpan and brush etc..

You could make musical insruments (plastic bottle and rice/pasta). Save any large boxes and make a house or a rocket.

We play in the garden if the weather is good, finding pebbles, bugs and leaves.

God forbid, we sometimes just sit and watch telly.

bobblehead · 19/08/2006 18:46

Yes I have to take my 14 month old out at least once a day or we are both bored. She stands at the door pointing from almost the moment she is up. Mostly just trips to local park or shops.

kitbit · 19/08/2006 21:04

Yep, us too. ds goes to nursery 5 mornings a week and by 10am on Sat and Sun he is leaning on the front door holding his shoes and wearing a woeful expression on his face.... very flattering! He is happiest if let out in a big open space to run himself ragged but it's not always possible, so sometimes we just go to the supermarket or for a walk in the buggy. Occasionally I've taken him to the big out of town shopping centre (airconditioned, when it's been so hot outside!) and let him walk with me up and down until he wears himself out! So yes, out of necessity we have to otherwise ds (and therefore I) will go nuts!

USELESSMUM · 19/08/2006 21:51

same as all the other. dd's only 12 months and she (and I) go nuts if we stay at home. also she gets much more tired and it's guaranteed she'll go to bed without a fuss. on the 4 days a week that she's not with the childminder we are out for at least half day. it's either to a playgroup or going for a walk. often we go to the west-end. It can be a pain with the tube and that but makes mummy feel she can still have a life. admittedly it's easy for me as l've got friends who work in a restaurant and I use it as a feeding/changing/chatting/fre coffe stop.
otherwise we go to the supermarket, shopping centers, park, bookshops: anything really.
it's easy at this stage as everything is interesting enough for dd. and also in London it takes a long time to do anything, so even going to tesco next door makes a few hours disappear...

Original poster

Twirl · 19/08/2006 22:07

Thanks so much for all your replies. I feel relieved to know that my toddler isn't the only one to want to be out all the time! I find it hard to think of things to do that I'm not bored with (ie park) so I'm grateful for all your suggestions. When you are at home, do they play on their own at all or only with you?

OP posts:

malteser1 · 19/08/2006 22:08

Hi - new to mumsnet. Myself and DD 20 months always go out on our free days together but I resent paying for activity centres etc when she is more entertained by the great outdoors. Our local libraries do storytelling and singalongs during term time for toddlers - have you checked these out in your area? We also go walking anywhere where there are animals and to echo others this tires them out to ensure a good night's sleep or decent nap

USELESSMUM · 19/08/2006 23:07

it depends in which mood she is. the last week has been spent totally clinged to mummy's body. (which left mummy so desperate that she would sell her body for 1/2 in peace reading.) she's teething though so she's excused.
normally she would play for sometimes by herself, more so if there are other kids about i.e. at playgroups or parks etc

HyacinthB · 19/08/2006 23:18

We go out every day but it is usually for only 3-4 hours, and frequently it is the morning. Generally we are in during the afternoons.

Actually the impetus for going out is me - I go nuts and stir crazy if 'imprisoned' all day

cat64 · 19/08/2006 23:31

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sleepysooz · 20/08/2006 00:22

Hia! yes my twin 2.10 want to know 'whats next' after everything we do.

I'm knackered, don't they know the term 'pace yourself', god I'm 45 and jiggerdipokered.

'WHATS NEXT'

olivia35 · 20/08/2006 00:32

Yep, ds (2) needs to go out or he's appallingly ratty. Half an hour admiring next door's guinea pigs & booting a ball about our garden will do at a pinch, but he's much, much happier if he's actually been to the park or town or whatever.

Slightly problematic atm, as his 4month sister likes a rather quieter life & I'm frankly chickensh*t about sling AND pushchair without dh there too.

OzJo · 20/08/2006 03:40

Twirl, sympathies...it's hard to work out what to do once a new one arrives, and your Dd might be kicking up more of a fuss than usual just to make sure she is really the center of your universe, ( as they do ). I found with 2 it was generally easier to get the newest arrival to fit in with the already established routine as much as possible, and we often end up doing something each morning & each arvo, and like most of the other posts, often more to keep me sane.
A trip out could be ...food shopping, the park, wander round town ( harder now Ds is 14 months and not such an easy stroller passenger as he was), round to a mates..or them over..the local museum has a good kids room..play centers ( if not school holidays or the weekend)..a trip to the video shop...anything to break up the day a bit. Hope you manage to work something out, good luck

cat64 · 21/08/2006 00:19

This reply has been deleted

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madmarchhare · 21/08/2006 15:45

lol @feeding the ducks on a weds, thurs or fri.

Dottydot · 21/08/2006 15:58

yes definitely - our two ds's are like puppies and need regular walking... I can cope with 1 'activity' a day, but it's when you've got to face taking them out to a couple of places that my energy levels start to disappear - good job dp (a) does most of the child care and (b) is a lot fitter than me - she'll take them to a park in the afternoon while I snooze..!

lazycow · 21/08/2006 16:03

on the days I am home I consider myself lucky if I get to spend a whole morning or an afternoon at home with ds without him moaning to go out. We often go out all morning, back for lunch and nap then out for a quick afternoon trip again - even if only to the shops etc. This makes the days bearable. Even with that I spend time playing with him doing all sorts of things. He gets up between 5.30 am and 6am. 6 hrs until 1 o'clock when he has a nap is a LONG time to stay in a small flat with a toddler.

nzshar · 21/08/2006 16:07

Ds 2.2 is usually gagging to go out by 9 30am and so am I ! Usually its just to the park or library or to a friends occasionally we make our way to a country park near us that has a farm etc. Not looking forward to winter with a toddler will have to have a big list of things to do

lazycow · 21/08/2006 16:21

ha ha 9.30am

On sunday ds was pointing at the door and moaning to go out at 7.30am !!

Most mornings we are out of the house by 8am as he had been up for 21/2 hours by then.

Original poster

Twirl · 21/08/2006 18:41

8 am. Wow ! It took me until 11 am to get all 3 of us washed, dressed and breakfasted this morning... 7 week old DS has now started feeding every 1 1/2 hours as opposed to the 2 hourly feeds we have been used to. DD was not amused. We did manage a very short walk to the local shop before lunchtime though to buy biscuits for afternoon tea when her friend came to play (and mummy had some much needed adult company ), so I am feeling quite pleased with myself!!!

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