Please help - ideas of what to do with a clingy 18-month old with the shortest attention span EVER!

[ceebee74]

DH is going to be away 2 or 3 nights each week for next few weeks which means on the 2 days I am at home with DS, I will have to keep him entertained for 11 hours a day with no respite.

Firstly he has to be in the same room as us - but if I try to go to the kitchen or the office to do something even if I take him with me, he has a tantrum - so basically he expects me to play with him constantly. However, he will only play with a toy for at the most 10 minutes before wanting to play with something else - which means that by mid-morning, there is nothing else to play with.

What activities can I do to keep him busy, tire him out and keep me sane? There are no toddler groups that I can find on the days I am at home, don't know any other mums with young children who aren't at work - please help

Could you take hin to an soft play or park or park on your own - and have your lunch out somewhere cheap? I find getting out for a few hours is essential. Dd was a lot like your ds. Physical play is good - and generates good naps!

Short dvd/cbeebies breaks for your sanity.

It was only a year ago and already I can't remember...

an indoor, I mean,

Tomorrow we are going to check out a new soft play area which has opened near us - which would do for a couple of hours. I also intend to take him swimming aswell.

I already use Cbeebies - but I am conscious that I probably use it far too much - and even then, he will not sit in front of it and watch it like other children seem to, so I can do other things.

He wants to be read books CONSTANTLY and hates it if I pick up a paper or a magazine - grrrr!

When DS1 was like this at a simular age i got him involved in what i was doing. We read magazines together he got an old one to tear or do what he liked (we do magazine collages but probably from a bit older) He would help me with the laundry - he loves putting the clothes in the machine and helping me hang them out. I found this was the only way to get anything done although it did take a lot longer! I'm also a firm beiever of getting out of the house - even if it's just to the supermarket! Not to do a big shop but to explore! When the weather is bad it's a good free indoor venue as is the library!

Hi Ceebee Does he not nap at all

DH has started travelling more again for work, just the odd night away every fortnight, but do understand where you're coming from about no respite.

I'm with DS 3 days during the week. We tend to go out/do activities in the morning, then either lunch out and sleep on the buggy ride home, or home for lunch and up to 2 hr sleep in the cot (I love those days ).

Some things that we do at home:

DS stands on a chair next to me whilst I'm washing up, cooking, cleaning etc. He loves to see what's going on, and join in if he can. E.g. washing up he has a brush, plastic cup etc and dabbles in the water (lots of water on the floor tho!), cooking I'll give him some bits of veg on a small chopping board and a plastic knife so he can 'help'. He also has his 'kitchen' related toys in the kitchen e.g. his cooker, teaset etc so that he can play with them whilst I do stuff.

I've just start on simple craft activities - yesterday we did ripping pictures out of old catalogues and sticking them in a scrapbook. Had to supervise that one tho

Out of the house I have just started getting him out of the buggy to walk short distances (good for tiring out, I sometimes use reins). Going at toddler pace is something to get used to for a strider like me, and not so good when the weather's uk.

And I still can't get my laptop out in the living room or read without a determined DS bopping me on the knee with one of his books - so can't help you there.

weather's yuk

weather uk and weather yuk are the same arent they???

Dd is still like that at 2.5. She will sometimes join in chores on a good day - but she will not tolerate me reading, unfortunately.

We also go to wildlife parks and zoos - money and weather permitting. Or even just round the shops and then to a cafe ( all my outings involve a cafe at some point).

mine doesnt nap

I have just discovered that if you put her on a chair in the kitchen with a sinkful of warm soapy water and some stuff to wash up she will stand there for ages while I potter

also she loves to help putting clothes away

also she loves walking - she walked to the school and back on thursday, only 10 mins each way but over some rough terrain (muddy fields)

other than this I read A LOT OF BOOKS to her

thank god she goes down like a sack of potatoes at 6.45 sharp and sleeps all night (she is also very clingy although at 20 months seems to be improving slightly)

My dd is just like this. Wants constant attention especially books, and gets very of my laptop when I am on here, to the point of closing it if I dare to get it out in her presence , or hitting it.

She does like splashing in the sink, but I am with you...she is just the same as your ds. If I leave the room for a second, she starts squeaking like a bat trying to find me, then immediately pitter patter after me.

There is NO escape

I usually take her out as well, it breaks up the day a bit....

DD1 (18 months) has had to learn to entertain herself a bit since DD2 was born, She likes drawing, emptying cupboards, reading books, watching cartoons, "folding" clothes, following me around...

I've started taking her for long (45 minutes) walks in the morning, then she has a really long nap in the afternoon. It is a toddler walk tho, plenty of pointing out interesting things ("Oh look DD1! A dog! Wow, a dog!") picking up stones and leaves and stuff

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Mae - where did you get the toddler reins from as I can't seem to find any anywhere?

Fizz - sorry your DD is like my DS - but I am glad it is not just me

Enid - I really wish DS would go to sleep at 6.45pm - it used to be 7pm on the dot but he is just not that tired anymore so it is pushing towards 7.30pm, so by the time he is settled, I have tidied up the lounge which always resembles a bombsite by the end of every day, and made my tea, I don't have much time to myself in the evenings either!

DS does have a nap between 1 and 2.30pm, which is my only respite all day - but I suspect I need to shorten it to make him more tired at night but I LOVE those 90 minutes to myself that I can't bring myself to wake him up earlier.

Chattyhan - sorry to sound stupid, but how does a library work with a toddler ? I can just imagine him pulling all the books off the shelves and making loads of noise which I am sure is not acceptable!

Libraries usually have a childrens area and even a few toys - dh takes dd at teh weekend and there are always a few toddlers milling about. As long as they're not really screaming and you put the books back!

We got our reigns in the US (the kind with a monkey backpack and a furry tail as a reign - don't know if you can get that kind here) but Boots have some.

ceebee - think our reins came from John Lewis. They are basic ones, just a harness with a 'lead'. DS wasn't keen when we first tried them, but now holds his arms out to have them put on as he knows he's off for a walk. I've seen some that are like a backpack with reins attached.

Library is good, luckily ours is only 5-10 mins walk away (for me). There's a children's area. Librarys aren't necessarily hushed places y'know , ours is pretty busy. There's also a storytime with crafts every week which we sometimes go to.

As others have suggested our library runs a toddler storytime once a week!