How to manage with one hand in a cast?

[OneHandedHelp]

I've managed to break a bone in my hand and it looks like I will be in a cast or splint for 8 weeks. I have a 3yo and a 1yo.

Has anyone else done this? Any tips to make things more manageable would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Buy or make some thick soup for lunch? If you buy it, get DP to take lids off, they're a bugger. Baked beans are also your friend

Are they all asleep?

Thank goodness yes. DS screamed for about 30 minutes straight.

Thank you. Soup is now on my shopping list. Lunch needs to be quick and easy.

I could manage the ring pull tins (for baked beans) with one hand, have you got any in the cupboard to try? Other thoughts: pre sliced and or pre grated cheese. So the kids could have something like cheese, oat cakes or mini bagel, cherry tomatoes for lunch - a deconstructed sandwich. Oven chips instead of potatoes - think some are fairly healthy but if not at this point who cares. Fish fingers and fish cakes.

If you're near Waitrose they have the most astonishing range of delicious own brand soups, lots of them more like stews. I get pathetically excited about them

Thought I'd pass on the important tip.

Place wine box on top of microwave, put glass on work top below it and use your one hand to press the tap.

Took us a while to work out how to do it but it was invaluable. It's all about priorities

Daylesford soup is packaged in a pouch, so you can just cut it open with scissors, they also do various stews and casseroles packed in the same way, worth you having a look at them, I know Ocado sell them.

Wine box added to shopping list. And nice soup.

Managing ok so far. There's a lot of thinking time while I work out how to do things. Stood holding a plate for a while, trying to work out how to get the food off it into the bin. Once I've done most things once I'll have a better time I think.

Nappy changes I found easier with my 1.3 year old when I placed he hanging mat up against a wall and rolled him to face the wall with a toy. Then elbow on hips or back to keep him there and other (good) hand furiously wiping like my life depended on it!

I found I could lift legs with my good hand to push clean nappy under with my broken hand.

I lifted him using my elbow under his armpit with the plaster side.

Kept to clothes without poppers as much as possible because he is such a wriggler.

Food-wise I did internet deliveries and bought microwave mash, rice, chopped onions and peppers, sliced bread, sliced carrots, grated cheese, diced chicken etc.

I opened packets with teeth or scissors, and kept all the bottles and beakers for my DH to open at the end of the day.

Washing up had to be one handed and was a real pain. Bathing my 4 year old was fine as they're independent enough at that age to at least get in and out independently.

I bought a plaster cast protector from
Amazon which made it possible for me to do the elbow manoeuvre for my 1.3 yr old in the bath too, but most of the time I tried to get someone else to do that for me as it hurt.

I got out to save us all going crazy. My 4 year old scooted and I found the pushchair with a bar easier as I could place my good hand in the centre and I google-earthed my local streets to find routes with even pavements so the pushchair didn't tip. I found my lighter pushchair with two handles no good as I couldn't steer using one side only.

I mastered hair washing and shaving one handed but wasn't perfect, same with using the hair dryer. Luckily I got a Braun brush dryer last year and it's reasonably ok to use one handed.

Expect to be tired as doing everything one handed is a HUGE effort.

Try to move fingers and thumb as much as you can within reason (not causing pain) so you're not all stiffened up when the plaster comes off.

You have my sympathies, it was a dark 6 weeks for me and I am still not yet fully healed.