Feeling like a bad mum

[NEAKT5]

This is more of a rant than anything. I just feel so deflated lately like I’m not doing enough with my two boys (3 and almost 2). We can’t afford to go anywhere exciting at the weekends at the minute and partner works shifts meaning sometimes he’s in at weekends. I work every weekday morning, my 3 year old goes to nursery each week day until I finish work and my youngest either with my partner or my parents. I feel like I should be doing so much with them at weekends or even in the afternoons but I’m so tired and find my patience levels are low lately. There is a lot going on at work at the minute with covering extra work etc for low staffing and it’s been like that a lot of the year which isn’t helping home life patience I don’t think.

I do painting, play doh, play with them and their toys. Sometimes the park just depending on weather as it’s been bad lately here. Don’t really know what other activity options I have they can both do and that aren’t exhausting for me! Anyone else feeling the same?

The anxiety is real but I strongly believe children don't need snacks all the time offer them a water/drink instead .

My 2 little ones like making salt dough decorations, stickers, leaf/ conker/ stick collecting, mud kitchen in garden with old pans, making a den with blankets and watching cartoons in there, anything involving glue, sequins, wool ect. Youngest loves to ride the bus so sometimes we pay £2 to sit on top deck of bus and just ride around looking at things.

Favourite games here were; watering the garden (even in the rain) looking for snails, water play (cat tray and a few toys/jugs) endless drawing, sticker books were a huge treat, junk modelling, Duplo (farms were the thing) blanket forts.
We had a mini kitchen, a doctor's kit and a toolset which got played with a lot.
If you need a bit of a sit down, get some bandages and be the 'patient' and let them bandage you up.

You sound like a great mum! Crafts and park are lovely activities. I'm sure the children are really enjoying their lives.
At that age I did find it less exhausting to take the kids out than stay at home sometimes. Do you have any museums nearby? They often have good activities for kids.

If you can afford it and there are places near you, national trust membership might be good if they like outdoor places. A joint membership works out about £12 a month (and under 5s go free). https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/membership#joint-block-dropdown+

@Thisepisodeof I agree and they just aren’t worth it lately! The chalk one I haven’t given a go yet thanks ☺️ I love letting them wash their animals, or their cars they tend to prefer now, but the water somehow ends up everywhere lol

@Beamur Thank you, you know I don’t remember much from when I was young either but like you say am happy and see my parents a few times a week so they must have done something right and didn’t take us out lots either as couldn’t afford it!

Thanks so much all, some really good ideas in there that I can try with them! And I think I feel the same I’m definitely more energetic playing with them when we get out the house, it’s just getting everyone prepared and out that’s the battle lol!

Mine are grown up now but I think I did a lot of activities with them when they were younger. For instance I remember spending hours pushing them both on little tractors around a track at a local farm when they were too young to peddle, petting the animals. My youngest seems to remember none of the activities we did.

@crimsonlake It's funny isn’t it, must just depend on each child as I don’t remember much from being young either but my sisters do!

Day time baths can be good fun with some new bath toys if bath crayons. They can stay in there and play as long as they like and you can just supervise with a cup of tea.

I'd also recommend getting some really good waterproofs for all of you. We used to love going out in the rain for walks and the DSs use to get the sandpit in the park to themselves with nice wet sand for digging and modelling.

NEAKT5, thank goodness I have photographic evidence.

God it’s hard entertaining alllll the time isn’t it! I took my near 3yo to the library this wet morning. We chose some books. Sometimes I bring colour pencils, help chose and print something from the library computer and we colour it in - often they have a colouring corner with print outs anyway. We went to costa next door after and had a drink and read the books. Pretty inexpensive and killed a couple of hours! On a Sat AM there are loads of noisy kids in the library and no one seems to mind!

@TwigTheWonderKid So true I always forget about a day time bath, adding to the list!

We did love wet park days last year I need to get some new waterproofs for the oldest one so we can again, thanks ☺️

That’s a really good idea with the colouring, need to try that next time thanks! But yes very hard to always have to entertain lol

@NEAKT5 one day they will be great big teenagers who will not require entertaining and you will look back on these days with utter fondness (it's fascinating how our brains edit the past!)