Mums of Toddlers - How do you spend your days?

[jumpyjan]

DD goes to nursery 3 days a week currently but I am considering stopping work when new baby born in May.

I sometimes find it hard to fill the 2 days we are currently at home and wondering what I would do if it were 5 days.

We do colouring etc but she is only interested in that for about 10 mins, likewise playing with toys. I feel bad that I resort to Cbeebies a bit too often! We go out for walks etc but that only takes an hour. We live in a village and I can't really afford to be driving to places all the time.

I also want to acheive a balance between keeping her entertained without it being too overstimulating for her and exhausting for me (as am currently in first trimester and v tired). Am also not sure if its acceptable for me to do housework when she is around or whether I should save it all up for the weekend.

Feel guilty at the mo that I need to ask this.

Any ideas.

DD not a toddler, she is 9 months (so maybe shouldnt reply) but am on a years maternity leave and our days are very full

Monday - morning swimming
afternoon - food shopping, bribed with biscuits

Tuesday morning baby group meet
afternoon - always meet a friend with same aged baby for drinks (soft of course)

Wednesday - morning baby gym session
afternoon - kept free for random activities like the park, feeding the ducks, going to the library

Thursday - mother and baby fitness class
afternoon - swimming

Friday - creche for an hour in the morning (I do a spin class at the gym)
afternoon - kept aside for visiting friends with babies

there are toddler groups here every day, 2 different ones most mornings.

Also DD sleeps between 1230 and 130/2pm

I sometimes find the 2 - 6pm bit difficult but mornings fly by.

At work.

Gosh, we can easily just potter . I mumsnet tidy up and look after ds while dd throws toilet rolls down the stairs, builds towers and runs away from sharks with Peter Pan .

We do now try to get out once a day, and she often watches a film or Charlie & Lola at 4ish. We see friends and go to library/shops/drop-ins occasionally. We sometimes do cooking/artsy stuff. Tbh I could easily stay in all day - just feel it is good for us to get out.

i work FT, lo attend nursery

I think the transition from WOHM to SAHM needs to be eased into slowly (probably best aided with plenty chocolate digestives, MN and Cbeebies ).

Children don't need to be entertained all the time, they can entertain themselves (its known as Independent Play here ).

Check out your local library, church, swimming pool. You only need a couple of things which you know you can go to if you need to. Also, make the most of your friends. Its really nice to have a social life in the day, make them a nice lunch, and if they have children the same age - DD has her own entertainment.

Just having you there will be lovely for her, and don't underestimate the time rolling on the floor, dancing to crap music and generally mucking around.

Its really important YOU don't over do it. There are days I feel like we don't do anything, but the two youngest are playing together and its all fine. Chores get done in short, sharp bursts. Shopping gets done online.

Don't set yourself up with high expectations of a full timetable of activities. Once you are at home fulltime, you will find your way and discover what suits you both.

Agree 100% with foxsake (and love that name!). Children (and adults) need time to just be.

Oh and (sorry for taking over your thread) it's even more lovely to just be with your new family, watching younger one smiling at older one, reading stories together, cuddling and kissing. Very low key but IMO the most rewarding part.

DO the housework with her. it fills the time. takes longer but hey, you got time to fill.
Boy is now quite capable of laying the table, emptying washing machine. filling washing machine and "making beds" with me. His washing skills are limited but enthusiasticly applied. ditto cooking. He is 2.6.
We do go out a fair bit, maybe one thing a day morning or afternoon. Today had a lovely afternoon in , pottering,jointly making him a dressing up costume,he played with train set on own for a bit, ballon football, watched a little TV, read some books, made some cakes, did and hung a load of washing, picked up windfall appples, emptied bins, he played tents and torches on big bed while I read a book then he fell asleep at 5pm.

We do bugger all, frankly, at least bugger all outside the house. DD aged 2 and a month potters around, I join in with whatever she's playing but mostly she's happy to do it herself unless she needs help fitting a doll into a basket or something. She plays around my feet while I cook or tidy or sort washing and sometimes 'helps' me. We go into the garden and name the plants and pick leaves to bring in and stick onto paper. We go to the park or playground about once or twice a week and to a toddler group about one week in three. CBeebies goes on in the evening at 5ish when I am cooking our tea so I can do it uninterrupted, or she watches a recorded episode of Peppa Pig or something. We read books, make cakes or bread or biscuits, do painting (if I am very tired, I give her a paintbrush and a bowl of water and she paints the garden/shed/path/plants). We cut out bits of paper in different shapes and do sticking with Real Glue. We talk about what we've seen at the shops or on the way to the park. We go to a cheap café for lunch about once a week and she flirts with waiters and customers and talks to old ladies.

There is really loads you can do with a toddler. I have to admit, though, my house is a tip.