Terrible twos / threenager support thread

[Belleende]

Hello all,

Thought I would start this and see where is goes. I am mum to 2 DDS. One 7 weeks and one 2.5. currently on mat leave.

My DD1 has always been a lively high energy kid, but has lately been incredibly challenging. Last week it took me 1.5 hours to get her into her clothes and out the door. I started a thread here and got great support.

There are lots of separate threads with good advice on, but I thought it might be helpful to have a go to place for help support and advice on dealing with the daily challenges of toddler wrangling.

My current challenges include, how to get dressed without a drama, how to manage transitions without meltdowns, to nap or not to nap, how to maintain sanity when toddler asks for a bath and then refuses to get in it, how to keep it light and playful when you are feeling just short of murderous.

Say howdy if you think this might be useful and we can go from there.

DS is ill/teething. Not a good combo. We've had precious little sleep. DD1 is tired and being hard work and we're tired and not in the right frame of mind to cope with her. DH was planning to take them all out for a big walk this afternoon but it's sleeting heavily. It's gonna be a long day isn't it?!

Aww all these wee sick babies 😢

So thought minifudge had slept through. No turns out it was just mamafudge. The sprocket was awake and demanding stories at half 12 this morning. OH was still awake, hence why I never heard anything.

We are starting potty training this 2mor. It's snowy/icy out so might as well.

She is really good at playing by herself so we never see her "disappearing to do a poo" but she comes up and tells us after it.

I don't think it will be successful. But will power on through today at least

Rubbish weather here too - thankfully we have a local 'dads and kids' group running today and DP has taken the DC - not sure how to entertain them this afternoon though other than the dreaded soft play! I don't mind taking them out in the rain but it's so flipping cold as well.....

We had an ok night last night, think DS1 was worn out after his midnight Gruffalo viewing the night before! Instead I did extra loads of washing and cleaned out the fridge. Once upon a time Fridays meant drinking my body weight in Malibu and dancing till the early hours - now the nearest I get to a disco is listening to the Hey Duggee stick song on repeat

Belleende in ToddlerSSU defenceche really is. Yet another sore throat so he's waking up crying sorely, slight temperature but clearly also feeling crap. Can normally cuddle him out of a tantrum as he is clingy too.

Could your DS have an ice lolly Sleeping? Might help his throat and temperature?

We still have the Calpol out here too. Every time I think they're better one of them will start being hot and sticky and sad again!

He doesn't take much orally but he does at least only like water so hoping that will make it less sore than when he didn't drink anything. At least with a tube fed kid you can guarantee fluids and medication gets in

We've got the poorlies too. DS has a cold which he seems to have mostly shaken off now, but which has left me floored. We also have a problem with the cold water tank in the attic so DH keeps disappearing up there with a head torch, various tools and a disconsolate expression. The previous two sets of owners of our house were both bodgers par excellence, so we have these episodes every so often, where we uncover some new horror.

DS is bored after basically two full days of CBeebies, and is getting angry that his magnetic trains only stick together in a way that follows the laws of physics and magnetic attraction, rather than the whims of DS. He is also rather touchingly reluctant to believe that I can't remedy this.

Ddog is in a snit because he hasn't been for a walk yet, and in-laws various are incoming later...

So, obviously, I have been onto eBay and bought a new buggy. That will solve everything, right?!

Oh god yeah, is it pretty?

And honestly you could overcome the laws of physics if you just try harder

It's a Silver Cross Zest, in black to match the dog . Will help the doghair to show less! It goes up to 25kg and is apparently extra long so even giant ds should fit into it until he no longer needs his wheels 🤞🤞🤞

I will keep working on the laws of physics...

Oooh sounds nice. Dh said we cant have a new one but 2.5 yo is long and barely fits cos he slouches. He can only walk 15 or 20 minutes before he gets too tired

I've just read this thread all the way though while Dd naps. Its a bit late for a nap but I don't care because Dp is on bedtime. I need this thread. Mine is 2 and very spirited. Yesterday while I was in the shower she got the ice cream out of the freezer, took it to her room, shut the door and ate it with her hands. I got put of the shower and she came in crying because her hands hurt. Yes dear that will be because you're shoveling handfuls of ice cream in your mouth and its cold.

Those who dress their children before going downstairs don't they end up covered in breakfast? That would save so much time and effort.

I tell you, eBay is the way forward! This would have been £120 brand new - I got it for £40 including postage. I've never bought a brand new pram yet, I've always found great second-hand ones online. We'll flog the old ones in Spring and I think that should cover our costs.

So sorry, was too busy sipping my mocha in Starbucks whilst the poppet is home with Daddy to read the updates. Mmm did I mention my cake that I didn't share and my body parts which haven't been counted in several hours and my mouth which hasn't been prodded for several hours and my Tablet playing Fun and Bastille and Noah and the Whale so I can drown out the sounds of other people's children....

It's been a long day with 3 tired and grumpy children but I am going out in a minute to a party. A proper one with grown ups and alcohol in someone's house not soft play!

Alcohol you say? Lucky thing!

I'm tucked up in bed with a tea. I'm drained after today. Potty training was abandoned after several attempts to sit on potty whilst peeing. Lots of little amounts, no big accidents.

Anyway, cue going proper rigid/wailing for nappy. Decided that it could wait. Put nappy on, floodgates opened. Pee'd so much had to change nappy straight away. So the girl obviously has bladder control.
And she has now decided pull ups are much better than nappies.

I need something stronger than tea but it's too much effort to get back out of bed tbh.

nanny I like the sound of your one, if I could be toddler for the day that is exactly the type of shit I would pull.

And yes DD does on occasion go out wearing bits of her breakfast (although she has become a wierdly tidy water), but I figure that is better than not going out at all. I also have a few shirts that I put on her back to front when I need her looking decent.

Today was interesting, went to a toddler disco hosted by local NCT group, with my 76 yr old mum in tow. They had foam, which of course my DD rolled around in getting soaking wet, then the dry ice set off the fire alarm, which they couldn't disable, so they turned the music up really loud to drown out the alarm. It was hell on earth. I thought it would be murder getting DD to leave, but she went willingly. I think it was so bad even she knew it. DD2, the Zen baby, slumbered through the lot. I won't be back.

I spent the evening at home with a hot chocolate, oh and a flapjack, just to really push the boat out. It must be over three years since I went to a party that involved alcohol and my flu medicine makes everything taste horrible, so there's no point opening any prosecco at home. Although Sleeping I'm most jealous of your solo coffee shop trip, imagine not having a small person demanding to watch Peppa Pig whilst you enjoy a hot cup of coffee that you don't have to put out of reach!

Belle that party sounds utterly horrific. I'm not good with toddler parties/ soft play noise levels at the best of times but a fire alarm?? I would have been out of there ASAP!

I normally get an option of a few hours out alone of a weekend, it is inevitable it will end up in Starbucks. New game is making mommy stand up then stealing her chair then waiting for her to sit and start again. He thinks its hysterical and does the laugh where he laughs so much he laughs on the in breath too so its cute but relaxing it aint!!

Well party animal that I am I came home early after just one glass of fizz. It was lovely to talk to grown ups though and a miracle happened in our house this morning: nobody woke up until ten past 6!

Kids party today so my good mood won't last.

I've got the hell of soft play and food shopping to endure today. Thankfully Dp is here too. I usually work weekends and took this one off so Dp could help his Mum move house, they got it all done yesterday so we have a free day.

nanny DD wears a bib and we push her right in to the table, roll up sleeves etc so she doesn’t get her breakfast everywhere, she hates mess anyway!

We started potty training yesterday too. Oh dear. She does pee on the potty but requires some persistence from us and cries while she does it!

Cath mine manages to get dirty even with a bib on.

The other night she was running around naked before a bath and said she needed the potty and did a wee. The next day she asked for the potty at toddlers and did a wee. I got excited and bought a toilet seat thing and new pants for her. She thought the toilet seat was a potty and wanted to sit on it on the floor and wee and she put 6 pairs of pants on at once and weed on them all. Then she demanded a nappy on. I've given up for now. Good luck with it.

Todays tantrum was because Daddy didn't let Toddler stand on his dolls house to feed the fish money

But he did load the washer unprompted

Haha love reading all of these Nanny I'm impressed your DD found the ice cream haha.

My DD won't let me wear my dressing gown and had a meltdown this morning as I didn't want to take it off and be cold. She is asleep now thank god might be nap time for me too.