Stay at home mum

[shrmum]

Hi all, could you please let me know what you do daily to entertain your toddlers? I'm constantly worrying im not doing enough. I'm also very lonely in the day. Don't know anyone in the new area and my husband works long hours. Do you schedule your weeks, do things everyday? How much alone play? My little girl is 2. Thank you x

Hiya, can't help but I'm watching with interest!

Personally I get out every morning - toddler groups, the library, play cafe, the park, anywhere - just out!

Then after lunch (I have a non napping child) we do stuff like play dough, play with flour or rice. Then a bit of running around chasing games / jumping on the bed type stuff. Sometimes songs - heads shoulders knees and toes type stuff. We read books, build towers of blocks etc. I also sort laundry while she un sorts it, clean while she "helps". That sort of thing.
Then back outside for a run around in the garden or a walk before I put some tv on while I sort dinner.
Then bath, books, bed

Hey - my little girl is 2.

Mondays and Fridays - toddler groups in the morning

Wednesday - we try to meet up with friends, or MIL

Tuesday - she's in nursery 9-3, bliss :)

When we're at home she sometime watches peppa pig, but mostly I just let her play while I do house stuff. She often "helps" with housework too.

When it gets warmer we'll go to the park, local farms etc.

There are loads of ideas on Pinterest for messy okay etc. I recommend "Puffy Paints", if you want to google :)

Where are you? Maybe you're near me! Dh works long hours here too...

I was never very good with play groups and didn't know anyone in the area either. I made sure we were out every day, we did;
Parks
Zoos
Farms
Museums
I'd get ds to pick dinner and we'd make a list (draw the ingredients) and go shopping
Cooking dinners (usborne do some great books) as well as the usual cakes, biscuits, pizzas
Drawing
Painting
Play doh
Gardening

Think that was about it

Messy play, not messy okay. Mess is never okay! Haha

Definitely playgroups or toddler groups if you can.

They are as much for you to meet people as for the child to get used to socialising.
chirstmashiccups sounds like what I did with DD1. Now she is 6 and at school, and DD2 doesn't do quite as many groups, but we have made friends already through DD1, and their siblings are DD2's friends.

Thanks everyone, great ideas,a lot we do anyway. I just always seem to feel guilty! She doesn't go to nursery yet. We've not been here long (hereford) so I'm still finding my feet. Iv been to a few groups but not found them that great or friendly. I'm also 26 weeks pregnant with number 2. I just have days of feeling so lonely. I'm so lucky and happy to be a sahm, but didn't realise how tough it would be.

Ah, nowhere near me! I do find toddler groups pretty boring, and skived one today, but I do go for DD. I pay for her to to to nursery...

I definitely did not try to Entertain/occupy kids all day at that age, if they were happy doing pretty much anything by themselves I'd gratefully leave them to it.

What I did do with each dc at that age was team up with another family with a dc similar age and on a nominated day each week. we'd take it in turn for one of us to have both while the other got the DAY OFF!!. I generally found two easier than one anyway. I was quite lucky I think with good matches, but don't need to be identical age i would think. More important to know & trust the other parent.

Realise its harder with you having moved, we had been in the area about 2- 3 yrs when we started this. But it was a true lifesaver.