so hard to find things to do with 2 kids

[NattyThomasandEllen]

i am having terrible trouble finding things to do with my two very young children (3 months and 16 months) as everywhere is saying i have to have another adult with me, and then if i bring DH they charge me double!!
anyone else in croydon or bromley (or close to) thats has the same trouble?
any ideas welcome, all we have are baby and toddler groups and to be honest 5 days of the a week is driving me insane!

cheers guys xx

Do you have a local Gymboree?
If you pay for the older child to take classes, you can take the younger one along for free until he / she is "mobile" - which buys you a lot of time.
The gym classes are particularly good at knackering out 12-18 month olds who would like a good scramble around.
Good luck!

what kind of things do you want to do?

i woudn't spend 5 days a week "doing things" anyway, and def not at 16 months, let alone 3 months!

the only thing I've found to be a problem is swimming, which insist on 1-1 for all under 8s. Aside from that-its EASIER to have 2 adults but have never been turned away! A good percentage of mothers DO have 2 kids with a small age gap.

what about things like a simple walk to the park / feed the ducks / trip to local farm / country park for walks etc

Do you know many other mums.... just getting together at each otehrs houses for a coffee and chat while the children play is often more than enough, especially when they are so young.

Do most of your friends have travel cots / booster seats as spare highchairs as if so you may be able to find that the children can play, then have lunch and then a nap and then you can have 2 hours of quality adult time.

I know what you mean how being in the house can just be too tiring to contemplate, at 8 in the morning when you have no plans and think WHAT will i do for the next 11 hours!, but just getting out of the house for a short walk can often be more than enough.

Especially right now they are SO young.

Im nowhere near you but all my localy lesiure centres have a coupe, of sessions per week where they fill the sports hall with A bouncy castle, tiny tramplonies / mats / balls / mini ball pool/ little tykes cars etc where you 15month old could tire herself out and baby could easily watch on the side in his car seat and be safe, or is you really wanted be carried around in a sling.

what about music groups, again there is one particular one where i live that is fantastic and much better than the rest... its hust a question of trying them out and word of mouth from other mums!

None of the above suggestions would cost anything for the tiny baby, and would not need more than 1 adult and cost no more than a couple of pounds max!

I would agree swimming would be tricky but all the pools round here allow 1 adult to 2 unnder 8s, and 1 pool allows 1:3 (wouldnt do swimming with a 3month old AND 16 month old though, at least not for a few months yet!)

jojingles
and try netmums for local listings for toddler groups or just go into evry building that looks like a church there will be loads or just try google
www.croydonmums.co.uk/croydonmums/Fun%20Places%20To%20Go%20-%20Toddler%20Groups.htm

www.jojingles.com/whereA.htm

natty, enjoy this time when you dont have to do things with them
stick in a double pushchair and go shopping, walking in thepark, etc etc.
stay at home and let the older one play. the younger one needs nothing but love, food and sleep. and a clean bum{smile] of course.
go to friends houses if you must.
you do not need to do anything at all outside that cosst s money for this age group.

swimming with babies of this age is done thus:

older child in every floatation device known to humanity but esp one of those vests with built in floats

younger child-at 3 months, in car seat surveying scene

Keep it short

BUT thats if your pools let you in. Ours don't. A friend with a newborn and a 4 yo and a great f off carrycot for the newborn was turned away. She is, furthermore, a lifewguard.

oh agree, double buggy

If you have a pool with a toddler pool (ie shallow) you'll be ok.

I used to take DD at 4mnths in floating raft thing and DS at 2 just paddled.

Also took them to soft play, either DD sat in car seat and snoozed while i played with DS or I tucked her under my arm and crawled through tunnels / down slides etc with DS (keep you fit).

Try your local library. Ours, in Essex, has a "toddler time" for half an hour two mornings a week where you could take both children and join in the songs and stories. It's all free by the way and would give you a chance to meet other mums at the same time. The library will also hold lists of other activities for children in your area.