How to keep 2 year old entertained all day

[Karma1387]

Just looking for some useful ideas and suggestions. Sorry for the long post.

Prior to getting pregnant with DC2 I never let my DC1 watch tv besides the occasional Miss rachel when he first woke up. Unfortunately when I got pregnant between sickness, pain and exhaustion we basically live off the TV currently.

DC2 is due in a few weeks and I would really like to try to cut back down on the TV. He loves watching a film but I don't want to continue with all day having it on.

Thankfully he goes to nursery 3 days a week so he gets a break then and we try to go to my dads once a week but it does mean hes having at least 3 days with an insane amount of TV.

But I find it very hard to know what to do for 10 hours a day with him. Hes not big enough to go around soft play yet on his own and we don't have a lot of groups etc around us that aren't pricey (and honestly I hate them). Hes extremely energetic and its become very noticeable that his behaviour is getting bad when we are just spending whole days inside.

So any suggestions on how to keep a very energetic 2 year old entertained (whilst having a newborn) would be greatly appreciated.

We will give the library a go then. He loves books so will probably enjoy it even if it doesnt burn a lot of energy its at least out the house.

Ive had cbt and a different therapy although not sure what it was. Even tried hypnosis and medication nothing has helped. I have been like it for as long as I can remember, never good with people or doing things.

I know I have a long road ahead with trying to allow him to have friendships. I'm hoping he can have friends and at the most I will have to endure as little chit chat as possible but I will try anything for him.

How do you just sit at a playgroup. I have to follow him everywhere to make sure hes not pushing (this is new at nursery) or throwing things or trying to squash and young babies (hes a hugger but doesnt understand boundaries yet).

We are hoping to move areas before he starts school but I do know the social activity is good for them. Its the only reason he goes to nursery.

So many people have mentioned feeding ducks. I'm going to have to try and find a duck pond in another town as he loves animals!

My toddler IS the noisy one at the library AND I woke there 😂 honestly we don’t care!

Check out if yours has a toy library as he might find something new to pay with!

I like to be outside in the morning and then home in the afternoons in the winter! Mine is 2.5 now and has got so much better at playing for (very short) stints on her own so hang on in there!!

Walk him as far as you can to activities. The limit is what you can do at this stage, he can probably walk further than you. If you do this he will be tired when you get home: peace hopefully. He needs lots of exercise out of the home and it will also be good for you as well.

Most of the activities we will do involve driving but I will get him to do as much walking as possible. He doesnt really like his pram anymore but he does like to he carried which is hard work as he isnt small!!

Definitely go to the library. Its a great outing and you can leave when you are ready. If he only lasts 10 minutes so what?? Is there any chance of changing his nursery days so you can go to story time?

I would also start taking him to the shops. Just plan to buy 2 or 3 things. Its really good for him to have that experience.

Something else you might want to try is a bus ride.

And look for more parks. He needs to run off that energy. I would do a park morning 1-2 times a week. If you go early then you won't interrupt his naps.

Give groups another go. All the playgroups I've been to, its ok to arrive and leave when it suits you so don't worry about having to stay for the whole thing. Just have an excuse ready.

If he doesn’t know how to play at playgroup then that’s a good reason to go. Maybe ask how they manage him at nursery as he must be interacting and has to behave there, he won’t be followed around individually.

The only other day we can change him to is a Monday but we moved him off of it as it was bloody annoying with the bank holidays! I might just have to travel out of the town to find a Monday group.

Our buses are rubbish here and honestly after having to use them for a year due to having seizures during his labour i cant stand them. Its almost as long to get a bus from my town to the next town (just under 1hr) as it would for me to get a train from the local town to london!

But I am going to look to find some better parks or just go to the big country parks once I am recovered from baby.

3 days mursery
Two days at weekend his dad is around?? Or are you on your own?
So it is not so bad

I only ever go places where he can be free which will probably suit your son too! Gymnastics drops in, softplay, enclosed park, forest walk, play cafe etc. Trying to make them sit with you during a class is just stressful, same problem when going to shops and things, i only recently let me son out of a trolley at the supermarket, he used to sit in the trolley and scan stuff for us instead 😂. You don't have to skip the nap, see if you can find some morning only plans then you get the best of both worlds!

Also for garden entertainment when it gets a bit warmer, chalk to draw on the patio, paint the fence with a tub of water and a paint brush, sandpit/table, a water wall (I have one from smyths) are all great options that they don't get bored of instantly. You could hang out nearby with the baby while he plays :)

The nursery room is tiny so its not too bad for him to keep an eye on him but usually they say hes an angel (equally hes an angel for nappy changes, clothes changes and eats everything offered to him which is the opposite to at home where I deal with a child who thinks hes being murdered because I need to change his top or nappy!)

However they have just started having issues with him pushing the boys in the room (he loves the girls gives them lots of hugs). I haven't really asked if they have issues with the destructiveness but I assume he doesnt really get the opportunity to be bored there between all the food breaks and nap time and outside time.

I know I should take him to playgroup and I will look to see if I can find one for a Monday for once I have recovered after baby which hopefully isnt too many people and I can see how he copes there.

So many people have mentioned play cafes. I havent ever heard of them. I'm not sure if we have any around us but I will look. But yes I think its going to be lots of walking in country parks. At least I will lose the baby weight a bit quicker 🤣

Two other things that aren’t specific activities but might help. Delay putting the TV on in the morning. Once it’s been on, it’s so easy to keep it on or face an argument. Take the batteries out of the remote or something and pretend it’s not working for a day or two. (Maybe the weekend when your partner will also be there.)

Secondly if your partner works nights presumably he gets up in the afternoon - make it a regular thing that they do something together eg in the hour between 4 and 5. Football in the garden? Duplo? Park trip? That’ll give you a break and run off some energy post nap time.

So he has 3 days at nursery. So its only 4ish hours after nursery I have to try to keep him entertained which at the moment is mainly TV as he is shattered from nursery especially as he isnt napping as much there plus by the afternoons I am shattered.

1 day a week his dad is here and he tries to help entertain him but my son is far more interested in mummy as I am more fun.

So its just 3 other days so no its not awful but I still feel guilty that he watches a lot of tv overall through the week and I would like that to change back to how it used to he once DC2 is born.

Honestly it will get better. Loads of us posters seem to have / have had 2 under 2 and it’s been ok! You will be absolutely fine and it will get easier, pregnant with a toddler is so hard. But these activities don’t need instructions really, and that’s the beauty of it, he can play with it however he wants and that will give him so much freedom and control in ways that are safe and don’t affect your routines 😃

For example, just leave a bowl of oats and some spoons / old yoghurt pots on the table or a messy mat, and he will find his own way to play with it. If he wants to pour it out and repeatedly fill the cups, sweep them, that’s fine, it’s his play. Or he isn’t able to follow dance actions, that’s fine, just get him dancing alongside you in anyway he likes. Play has no right or wrong as long as it is safe. You’ve done a great thing asking for ideas and there are lots you can now implement with little extra work 😃

I am actually really lucky my son doesnt cry for TV or moan if I turn it off. Its more I have it on so he kind of flicks between bringing me a book to read, watching a bit of tv or throwing his toys out the tubs (his idea of playing) it just means he doesnt need as much input from me so I can sit on the sofa and rest a bit especially as I don't sleep well.

Unfortunately my partner doesnt have much time awake with us. He isnt usually home until 9 and then by the time he has had breakfast and said hello to us for 20-30 mins he goes to bed so hopefully he gets to sleep by 10.30ish so he sleeps until about 7. He has to have a good 8 hours as he suffers from sleep apnea and he will fall asleep driving if he doesnt get enough sleep. So we dont get a lot of time together. But his job has allowed me to give up my career and just do a basic 2 nights a week job so its swings and roundabouts I guess.

I think i need to change my flooring and then he can have a bit more freedom. I'm starting to think carpet is my enemy. I put it down so it was softer when he crawled/fell over. But its no good for messy play.

I do feel bad as we did have a little table for him to draw/play on but he kept bloody climbing on it and falling so I had to get rid of it!

Ah that’s tricky.

does he have duplo? I got a massive bag - a sack really - second hand for under a tenner. My little one just chucked it about or ignored it but it’s good because he’ll quickly get the hang of it and you can play with him while sitting on the sofa, if you have a coffee table or something.

We unfortunately cant have any tables in our living room as he climbs them and falls!

But he has lots of Duplo. He just insists I sit on the floor with him to play it. Which I do for as long as I can until I hurt too much.

I use the TV too for my 2.5 year old when I’m cooking, it’s handy for keeping them occupied and not running underfoot!

I plan out our week so I don’t lose my mind. We go to Tumble Tots, play cafe, two local museums, the local library every week and we have one day where we just go for a walk and then play in the garden. Most places have parks nearby so I tie them in as much as I can. I find parenting in the house quite difficult but as soon as we’re out she is happy.

Indoor toys wise - it depends on the child. Blocks like duplo, painting, play-doh and her favourite activity right now is washing the dishes (just safe things!) and pouring water from one receptacle to another.

Definitely.

They change so much between 2 and 3. Being able to communicate clearly makes a huge difference (less frustration). As he develops fine motor skills, he will not need to be so destructive. He will learn to sit down and do more things patiently and quietly. He will develop his problem solving skills.

Each of these stages is so short, although they can seem huge when you are in the thick of it.

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Oh god no tables! What happens if you bring in a table and then just watch him like a hawk and tell him no/ get him down off it every time? I expect they have tables at nursery and he knows not to climb them. He’s not a tiny baby any more and he will eventually understand no. Easier said than done I realise.

We tried for months. I would take him off it say no but he would just keep going back to it as he thought it was hilarious. You will think after him keep slipping and falling off the chairs and table he would realise it wasn't worth it but for him it was something to climb and the more we said no the more fun it was. I eventually tried taking the chairs away and just left the table for him to play stuff on but he still kept climbing it so I removed it. Plus we had the issue of if I went to the loo or to get a drink he would be up on it. I couldn't cope with never being able to leave the room so we decided no tables or chairs in the living room. At nursery its all 1 room with at least 2 adults so I guess its a bit easier for them to have someone watching constantly.

He hasnt ever tried climbing the dining table in the kitchen though so I take that as a small win. He has some brain cells in there 🙈