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Original poster

Oh god, weekends with a toddler are soooo boring...

34 replies

Bumperlicioso · 14/03/2009 10:47

What do you do with yours?

I've been up since 6.30 with DD, she's normally pretty self contained but now she is currently having a tantrum because she wants a satsuma (she's just had a banana) I've read 8 books with her, watched a bit of TV, and the day is just dragging! We don't have any money. The gas man is supposed to be coming round before 12 which means that we can't go out till then nor can DD go down for her nap. We don't have any money to spare and what I really want to do is go and sit in a cafe with a paper and a croissant!

What do you do to while away the monotony of the weekend?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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dragonbutter · 14/03/2009 10:49

this!

belgo · 14/03/2009 10:49

Give her a cloth and get her to dust all the surfaces.

belgo · 14/03/2009 10:49

or the hoover.

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dragonbutter · 14/03/2009 10:50

My boys have been washing stones in the garden while i mumsnet.

llareggub · 14/03/2009 10:52

On the same theme as belgo, I have a little spray bottle filled with water that DS uses to "clean" windows, surfaces, walls....it keeps him occupied for hours.

You could bake cakes, build dens, um.....paint?

I do share your frustration at having to stay in though!

LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 10:53

fill the sink with water and have some water play. or fill the bath and let her play in there for hours.....can youu see a theme here?

dusting keeps dd entertained for hours as well.

baking? anyhitng involving mess usually goes down well here.

do you have a garden bumper? can you pootle out there until the gas man comes?

LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 10:54
LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 10:56

and life with a toddler is never actually boring as they find delight in the most mundane and inconsequential things.....get down to her level (literally and metaphorically) and see the world through her eyes

dragonbutter · 14/03/2009 10:57

they also paint the shed with water lackadaisycal. we have a brush and a roller. even better in the sun because it dries quicker so they have to keep redoing it.

Coldtits · 14/03/2009 11:02

Give her a big pile of paper and recycling and show her how to fold it

belgo · 14/03/2009 11:05

Toddlers are acually fairly cheap to entertain, and they can even be useful.

If you have a garden, give her a bucket of water, and tell her to make soup, using grass and weeds and twigs and whatever else she finds in your garden. Give her a big stick or spoon to stir it with.

Original poster
Bumperlicioso · 14/03/2009 11:07

No we don't have a garden sadly, I do rather think my life would be improved for having one. I would happily just sit out in the fresh air and not feel so cooped up in the flat.

The thing is, even if I didn't have to stay in, and I'm going to risk sounding like a child here, there's nothing to dooooo! Every monday I go back into work and everyone says 'so what did you do this weekend?', erm went to the park, housework, read ITNG 5 times and went to bed at 10.30 each night because I was knackered from being up at 6.30. Though funnily last week a was sitting with a different team, all of whom have kids (unlike my team) and they were all saying 'thank god it's monday!

Gah! I'm just having one of those 'my life is never going to be the same, why can't I just spend my weekends sitting in a cafe reading the paper life is so boring with a toddler' phases. She's 21mo so just a little bit too young to appreciate baking etc. and I live in rented accommodation so painting is something I avoid . I just want to feel like I have achieved something!

And then of course daddy, who has just had a lie in until 10.30 (don't worry, it's my turn tomorrow) sweeps in and is all Superdad, playing fun games while I sit and grouch because I have been up since 6.30.

OP posts:
LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 11:14

Find a cafe that has a kiddy play area....the pret a manger in town has just added a load of kiddy toys and a craft table.

i know you said money is tight, but if DD is entertainedd, it's amazing how long you can stretch out a single cappuccino

better still, come and visit your dad soon and bring DD round here for the day

belgo · 14/03/2009 11:15

If your dp is there, can you not hand your dd over for a couple of hours and take yourself out?

LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 11:15

and the shed one will come in handy DB, when we get our new shed in the summer

LackaDAISYcal · 14/03/2009 11:18

bumper, she might not appreciate there is an end result with baking, but she will love getting messy.

could you also do some food play as well....making pictures from pasta etc.

We often stick some lining paper to the kitchen table and let DD rip with pens, paints, glue etc. It keeps her entertained for hours.

she also likes to empty and refill the piggy bank for hours on end.

Coldtits · 14/03/2009 11:22

give her a bath

seeker · 14/03/2009 11:26

And give her the satsuma - pick your battles, I say!!

Thefearlessfreak · 14/03/2009 11:26

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ssd · 14/03/2009 11:55

do you work full time op? if you do try to enjoy the time you have with your dd at the weekend

fleacircus · 14/03/2009 11:58

Can you not just get the crayons out? DD did a bit of painting and play-doh stuff this morning, now she's at the supermarket with DP (he takes her to the park on the way and then she generally sleeps her way around the shop). She's younger than yours though so is quite good at entertaining herself just by charging about getting into things.

Original poster
Bumperlicioso · 14/03/2009 12:12

Crayons are ok, but I have to spend the whole time drawing cats for her

I have just gone up from working 3 days to working four days a week so I spend plenty of time with DD, and I do enjoy the time with her so that's not really the problem but like I said I am just having one of those phases where I want to be doing grown up stuff again. Amusing DD isn't really the problem, (she's a bit grouchy today but like I said, normally very self sufficient) it's amusing myself in a way that incorporates having a toddler that is the problem!

OP posts:
pistachio · 14/03/2009 12:28

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CrushWithEyeliner · 14/03/2009 12:33

Welcome to my world

peppapighastakenovermylife · 14/03/2009 12:48

Oh I so agree with you! DS has just got more interesting - he is 2.8 now and actually enjoys doing things and does things a bit on his own (although I still have to draw endless cats - what is it with cats?). I always used to feel like this - the days dragged and I was almost hysterical at the idea of a day in. I too just wanted to get up when I wanted and not have to get anyone else up too.

Strangely it got easier when I had DD - now 6 months. She would lie there or now play with toys and it felt like I had more company even if it was a baby! DS will now watch films such as madagascar and its lovely to snuggle up with him. Or he builds a lego house rather than just aimlessly putting blocks together and we can talk.

It does get better when they get that little bit older.

Can you go for a walk to the park together? Or you just get out for an hour now?

xxx

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