Rainy days with two children

[Summermeadowflowers]

We generally go to groups in the mornings but struggling in the afternoon as I can’t do things like soft play, swimming, with two (DS 3 in December and DD 9 weeks.)

I know it isn’t a ‘forever’ problem but the autumn and winter could be tough. Does anyone have any suggestions? (No puddlesuits - indoor only!)

I completely sympathise about the soft play thing because I have a 3 year old (who can't do the big stuff on his own but hates the toddler sections now as too babyish for him) and a baby and I would not be crawling round after my toddler with baby in tow. It's hard enough on your own let alone lugging a baby too.

I made a list of places that were toddler/baby friendly as it's easy to forget places. Does your local library or community place do any stay and plays? We do that a few times a week. As does the local church.

I also found a small soft play that my toddler could do by himself so go there regularly. I signed him up for toddler art class, that went down really well.

Toddler gymnastics
Role play centres/cafes (little city good depending on where you are in the country)
Library rhyme time

See if your local leisure centre does anything? Ours has a 2 hour toddler session each week which bouncy castle/games etc.

Thanks @bettynutkins

DS has been going to swimming lessons since he was 4 months but he’s not able to swim independently yet, however backwards that may make him by MN standards. It would be really good if this could just be a helpful thread.

one related thing I find useful is using Google maps to 'save' places into lists, so that if I'm stuck for ideas, I just look on Google maps for my saved places. (even better if you're already going in a specific direction and you can pick something nearby)

also if you're near a trampoline Park, they sometimes do toddler sessions. AirHop near us do toddler sessions in the mornings I think.

Can you think of solutions to get your DH out of the house at least for a few afternoons a week? I've looked into a hot desk place before, or one of the cafes in our town offers one with unlimited coffee per day for a small fee.

It's a lot of time to fill otherwise, I sympathise!

I'd definitely do preschool a couple of afternoons a week.

There's a website called happity and it shows all sorts of classes in your area.

Even when DH is in the office it’s a very long day!

I know @trampoline123 thanks but like I say they are all on in the morning. I have my choice of five or six different toddler classes every morning but then come 11 o clock there’s nothing.

one to do occasionally: go for a mooch around a garden centre or pets at home, have a look at the fish!

I know some cinemas do baby friendly viewings (not sure if they’d be suitable for your older child though).

Why wouldn't you want the kids outside? It's the best place for them.

With mine I just went out anyway. Kids aren't fussed by the rain, and getting them inside, in the bath and changed wasted another hour of a looooooooong day.

I'm sure the OP is familiar with the concept of umbrellas and wellies and walking.

I think she's maybe looking for other options so she's doesn't have to spend 5 hours every afternoon traipsing round in the cold/dark/rain with her kids.

It's great to be outside. Some of the time. Also ok to like being warm and dry occasionally.

Would it not be easier to get your dh to work somewhere else a bit more often - especially on wet rainy days? Locally to us there are several places where a person/business can rent a desk or office on a temporary (couple of hours, one day, one week) basis.

If DH is in the office, which he is two days a week, he isn’t home until 8, so it’s still a very long afternoon.

This Tuesday for instance, we have a group on 10-1045. I would be home by 11, 1115 at the latest. I then have eight hours to fill before bedtime. That’s a long time at home with two very young children and DD is very needy (obviously, she’s not even quite nine weeks) so DS gets bored and starts doing silly things to get attention.

why wouldn’t you want your kids outside

Anyone would think I was the mother from Flowers in the Attic. We’ve been outside most of the day today but I draw the line at lashing rain. So do most people it would appear: it is only on MN that parks are filled with apple cheeked children jumping in puddles. In RL the streets are deserted.

That’s a really long afternoon with two little ones, OP.

When mine were that age, it used to help me to divide my day into kind of timetabled slots so it didn’t feel like I had a whole long afternoon stretched out in front of me -

So, I’d think of my day as 5 blocks of time (morning from 9-11ish, lunch from
11-1ish, early afternoon 1-3ish, late afternoon 3-5ish, then we’d be into tea/ bedtime routine time etc). I’d say to myself that we’d be in the house for 2-3 slots, but it might vary when - so sometimes we’d have lunch out in a cafe but then come home for a longer stretch before bedtime or we’d come home for lunch (& a chill in front of CBeebies) but then go out for a longer afternoon.

Are there people you can meet for play dates? And then reciprocate on the days DH is out at the office? Can you try to make things like going to the shops to choose lunch/ tea into a longer activity - going on those rides you put a pound in etc? We’d sometimes do a magical mystery tour riding public transport just for the fun experience of riding public transport.