how can i entertain my 2yo at almost 40weeks.....

[Annie456]

That's it really, i'm almost 40 weeks and a sahm to a 2yo DS...he's just sampling the "no napping" thing (...great timing) and I am EXHAUSTED!! any ideas how I can entertain him without resorting to tv? We've not been going out much in the afternoons since clocks changed as parks close early and i'm always too tired. ive got a pretty well stocked craft box but we tend to spend 20 mins covering the kitchen with glitter and glue and an hour trying to clean it again...I just don't have the energy. help!

My toddler isn't keen on sleeping at lunch time now, however we have a new rule - quite time in her bedroom. She can either play, look at some books or sleep. But she must be quite. 9 times out of 10 she sleeps.

I feel for you nearly 30wks here and I'm finding it tough going.

Swap your day round, out in the morning to the park and afternoon glitter painting etc?

What about a soft play or a local shop and drop crèche? Just an hr to put your feet up whist she plays would be lovely.

My tip is don't beat you yourself up for resorting to the tv. It's only for a short period of his life and won't hurt. You can cuddle up together on the sofa so he's not being ignored.

But other things that worked for us: Toy kitchen and food, kept her entertained for ages, putting on music and dancing (well, you watching him dance really),and tea parties for toys, which can be done lying down(you, not him obviously!). Oh, my dd also loves playing doctors so sometimes I lay on the sofa and let her look after me. I ended up covered in plasters etc but I got a rest.

Similar position here, almost 39 weeks with a 2 year old very active DS. We do lots of duplo lego, colouring in, play doh, sticker books, batting a balloon around, bubbles, jigsaws and a short walk around the block as he really needs it. We also have been going to a local playgroup one or two mornings a week but not sure how much longer I will feel up to it. I also find a change of scenery helps so if for example you are downstairs and DC starts to get bored go upstairs to play in their room for a bit.

What's wrong with TV? A little isn't going to hurt him.

Am in a similar position and am very, very, very, very tired. I try to take the little darling to a soft play place/park and let them run around till they are ready to drop.

If you're dropping naptime I strongly recommend implementing 'quiet time', which involves a few stories and yes, some TV, while you put your feet up.

Feel your pain, dd stopped napping completely at 18 months, when I was about 4 months pregnant. I'm now 35 weeks and she is 22 months and I'm exhausted most days. We get out to groups 3 days a week, I have friends visit 3 times a week for play dates and the rest of the time is filled with drawing, playing with her toys, reading lots of books and cbeebies. We were using the telly a lot but she has thankfully gone off it a bit and is playing more with her toys. Also borrowed some new stuff from the toy library which she is enjoying.

Cbeebies. I love it. Whatever did our parents do without it?

Oh yes and a long daytime bath is great. My two will play in there for ages and I can just take a cuppa up and sit next to the bath and chill out for a bit. There is a good website here with ideas to make bath time more exciting.

this is another website with some lovely ideas of things to do with preschoolers. Some require more input than others. Playdough is usually pretty easy.

This'll be me in four months time! I usually take my DS to the park in the morning as I find it helps him have a longer nap.

The library is a good suggestion, esp on wet days. You don't need to get any books out either, just sit and read some.

Our local library story hour etc, might be worth checking to see if they do anything similar.

Two things: firstly, there's nowt wrong with a bit of tv! It saved my sanity many a time and when you have a toddler and a newborn you might grow to love cbeebies as much as the rest of us!!

Secondly, does he ever entertain himself? You don't need to be all singing, all dancing supermummy all the time. Mine are good at playing independently which is a great life skill to have.

It's all about survival!! (saying that, I'm struggling to be the mum I want to be to my 2 and 3 yos whilst pg with number 3... And like a pp says, it's a short phase in your lives and he'll be ok)

Yes he still has quiet time when he doesn't nap. I usually give him about 30 mins to settle himself, at which point I go and dump a load of books and teddies in his cot and he reads to them for about an hour (sometimes falling asleep in the process!) he doesn't shout to get up at this point and I leave him until he does which can be going on for a couple of hours-DH thinks this is too long...but DS does shout when he wants to get out and i'd never enforce it if he was distressed. The problem hits us later when he's exhausted in the afternoons but I guess we can slow it down a bit.
I'm not going to many playgroups at the moment as we've just moved house and I don't have a sociable bone in my body right now....we do go to the library though and the park if it's not too wet. If we do watch tv I try to mix up a bit of cartoons with nature programmes to lessen the guilt..I know things will have to change but for now I'm not comfortable with much tv unless it's a last resort, perhaps 20 mins here and there during the week so I can dry my hair / Hoover / cook etc.
Hope the new baby energy slump isn't as bad as the full term pg energy slump (don't answer that!) x

I found it much harder beng pregnant with a toddler than having a newborn and a toddler. Won't be long for you now! Just keep going.

That's good to hear..I'm holding on to that thought!

Definitely easier having the newborn than being a huge, hormonal, exhausted, aching pregnant woman!

Peppa pig DVD on a loop? Or cbeebies (its educational dontcha' know ).

Seriously, don't beat yourself up about letting your 2yo watch some quality tv in these last few days, its really not worth getting yourself knackered walking to library / park / crafting. Sometimes a snuggle on the sofa whilst your little one watches tv and you snooze will do you both the world of good.

VERY glad to hear that toddler+newborn is actually easier than irritable-exhausted-massively-pregnant woman+toddler!

I am pleased to hear that it's an 'easier' tiredness once baby is here because quite honestly, I'm bollocksed already and have been for ages!

You might be more tired but at least you can put the baby down. I have just had to resort to putting my DS and Dd in their rooms for 3 mins to calm down as I have one of those awful pregnancy colds which feels like flu and I just want to cry at the moment. Bring on the weekend is all I can say.

My ds could recognise his numbers to 10 by the age of two due to watching a Baby Einstein dvd whilst I was heavily pregnant with dd. It was positively educational! I used to use TV as quiet time instead of a nap and 'discounted' it from my assessment of the amount of TV he watched. It meant he sat still for an hour instead of running around and made him at least pause for breath.

I agree that life with a newborn and toddler is MUCH easier than being pregnant with a toddler.