Activities for toddlers, am stuck in a rut - sahm seeking professional advice please

[Wishiwasanheiress]

Hi, I'm posting here as I'm interested in advice from professionals not just parents. I don't want to be hounded as an idiot or asking silly questions which is why I've avoided some other boards. I hope you might have ideas or access to tools I just don't know.

I have two dds, dd1 is 2 and a half. Dd2 is 4mths. Because of dd2s recent birth the tv has been on much more than normal. It's been a useful baby sitter. It really has helped me, but now I'm getting the hang of two its starting to get on my nerves. Thing is I don't know what else to do. I try to include other things books/ reading, dancing/music, playdoh/ bricks, colouring/sticking somewhere into the day around free playing in the lounge where all her toys are. I'm usually nipping around tidying etc at those points. Now the weather is improving we go in the garden too.

I struggle with two main areas, firstly how to literally not be repeating the exact same things like 'ground hog day' all the time. Can you recommend any good web sites or tools for switching things up a bit? Some simple stuff?

The second area is very much related to the first I suppose. How do you mentally stay (oh god this feels shoddy for putting in writing) interested? We have a couple of groups we attend to break the week up with good friends. Its not that. I'm just finding it hard to focus when we are at home.

For example if dd1 is happily playing and I've not particularly got anything to do, I watch her. I try to interact but plainly get the rules wrong. I drop out sit on the sofa then get bored, my mind wanders. For some reason I feel I can't pick a book up and read that. I might pick my phone up, check stuff on that instead. Why that seems ok but a book not I have no idea. I feel bad that watching her doesn't seem enough? But I can get so bored. How can I improve this? How do professionals cope? A I missing something?

I feel it should be easy with just one so then feel doubly bad if i can't stop my brain disappearing. This is why felt I can't put this in parenting, ill get told its normal (which I guess it is) or flamed (maybe deserving) or told to enjoy it (which doesn't help). I can end up dreading the clock ticking slowly. I love being a sahm, I think I'm just stuck in a big rut and could do with some ideas of what to do.

Thank you very much for your help.

Hi lots of brilliant ideas on here.
My tip is not to have all the toys out available all the time. Children then get bored or maybe don't appreciate the play value. Maybe have some big plastic boxes. Keep one or two in the garage, one or two inside and rotate weekly.
With messy play be prepared, set a time of day and only do for an hour or so, maybe less with younger babies/toddlers.
Don't answer the door or phone. If painting make up a wash your hands bowl with warm water, and towel/kitchen roll at hand. Not another room, so no messy hand prints on the walls :) Buy a big plastic table cloth and cover the floor and or table. These can be rinsed off in the washing machine to clean. And yes get out every day, if only to walk around the block.

Theres a fab website called The Imagination Tree-you can also access them through Facebook-and i love their ideas.A lot of them use stuff that you have in the house.I use it a lot with my mindees.