x2 toddlers is it just my children?!

[Aintitfunlivingintherealworld]

I have a 2 and 3 year old who I’m at home with 85% of the time. They both seem to be so grumpy and miserable compared to all the other children we regularly see. I’m at my wits end it feels nothing I do is right or good enough and we have multiple melt downs a day! Please someone reassure me it’s not just my children who are like this? What can I do to reduce the tantrums!?

The best thing for kids that age is just to be outdoors with them as much as possible. Not just playgroups and things like that- better to get them out into nature. They’re always happier outdoors.

Our best activities are going to the woods with a fishing net and a jar so he can fish in the stream, taking the bike to the park, or spending the day on the beach. If you’re in a more urban area it’s worth getting them on a bus or a train for the day out into the country. Taking a trip on the transport is always more exciting for kids than going in the car. We spend most days outdoors all day and take a picnic lunch with us.

Yeah as above. Outdoors (or at least out of home) is so much easier. Failing that, afternoon tea parties in the bath.

Yes, out of the house every day without fail. At that age I LOVED the routine of out in the morning, home for naptime (even if they don’t nap anymore, lunch and enforced quiet (TV) time), then out again in the afternoon, or have a friend round, or use my energy from quite time to facilitate an activity at home.

I used to do theme days once every couple of months, mainly for my benefit to make me feel like a better parent 😆 so for EG I did:

Farm Day - visit tiny little local farm in the morning, home and watch Tractor Ted on the telly or whatever, play with toy farm in the afternoon.

Dinosaur day - this one kicked my theme day idea off initially as we went somewhere in the am which happened to have a dino trail on. Home, dino book, bake dino shaped biscuits

Train day - out to mini railway, home
play with brio etc

Stuff like that!

Activities that kept my kids engaged at that age:

Kinetic sand / moonsand (look up a recipe for that, flour and baby oil) - HOURS

Drawing/painting on the windows with window paint - put tape on the windows to make stained glass pattern

Mud kitchen

Magnetiles - HOURS!

I have children the same age. I just encourage free, independent play as much as humanly possible. It needs the right kind of toys.

Open ended toys -
Inside: vehicles, duplo, playmobil, play kitchen, role play/dress up

Outside: mud kitchen, bikes/ride ons, tuff tray with sand and diggers, balls, lots of buckets and spades etc.

We get out the house daily, we tend to go places where I know they can run wild and it's no hassle.
Pack the car with essentials so that you don't have to think through every detail before leaving the house. That reduces the obstacles between tensions rising and bundling them in the car to get out. The non-driving equivalent is a double buggy and with a 'go-bag' always packed.

Last but not least, hold on to your non-negotiable boundaries, but keep them simple. You can not spend your whole day saying don't do this, don't do that. You will go mad and you just become white noise to your kids.

A deaf ear and a blind eye are your best friends.

OP just to provide some balance here from the get outdoors brigade...

My DD1 (nearly 4) is like yours and its NOT as easy as saying 'just get outdoors'. Getting outdoors means moaning about the coat, making a fuss about getting in the car, asking for snacks as soon as we arrive, complaining she's too cold/hot/its windy/the suns in her eyes, wanting to be carried, saying her legs are tired, crying if she gets her hands muddy.....you get the jist. Its not always a case of put them out there and they will run wild and free like an Enid Blyton story.

Unfortunately I don't have much advice other than I'm hoping she'll grow out of it and she's better when she's well fed, but I didn't want you to feel bad if the only advice is 'go outside' and that doesn't work for you.

Thank you for making me feel seen😂
We have tons of wonderful toys and we do go outside most days but like pp they rarely seem satisfied! Maybe they are just a bit highly stung as I was as a child but it can feel really deflating!

This sounds fucking awful and like my actual idea of hell 😬

Don’t do it then?

Don’t do what?

Thanks for the support.....🤨

If it’s just whining ignore it, melt downs you need to try work out the triggers.