Enjoying time with young children

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The most stressful un-fun period for me is from whenever they learn to walk until a little after age 2. After 2.5 they get much better to be around.

Agree. Not a fun window. Much nicer to take them outside when they're not trying to wander in the street, each woodchips, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing fun with young children. Just get through the day and enjoy the alone time hour at the end of the day.

I hope this is sarcasm
Otherwise wow I feel sorry for your family

I agree. How sad.

[Anonymous]

Vacations, running multiple errands, and going out to restaurants with small children are more headaches than enjoyable at this time in most cases. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find and make some more special moments at home or in a more casual setting.

Do an indoor picnic; snuggle on the couch with a big pile of books and some soft music in the background; get your older child a pair of binoculars and strap the younger one to you for an adventure scavenger hunt in your backyard or a local park; put on CosmicKids yoga or KidsBop dance and get off the couch to join in.

You don’t have to do huge outings or elaborate arts and crafts projects or picture perfect parties or play dates. Just find small things that at least one out of two of the kids like and go for it. Also know that it’s just as meaningful to find moments with the kids individually. They may be cuddling with your baby in a quiet room as he drinks his last bottle before bed; or the pride you feel watching your four-year-old land a trick on her scooter or finally identify all the letters in the alphabet. The small moments of joy and pride are just as meaningful as something bigger that’s “supposed” to be a fun endeavor that sometimes isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing fun with young children. Just get through the day and enjoy the alone time hour at the end of the day.

I hope this is sarcasm
Otherwise wow I feel sorry for your family

I’m pregnant work for home a demanding job just like my spouse and have a 3 year old that is defiant doesn’t nap and just tantrumed at the park and in the car for an hour. And we’ve been locked in since last March. No, it’s not sarcasm. I have no memory of fun. And don’t worry we’re all feeling sorry for ourselves enough.

OP needs to be realistic that it’s not fun or thankful for the moments of fun that she may have that others don’t.

Hang in there. I feel you. And your family is lucky to have you.

[Anonymous]

I really enjoyed those ages. It helped that I had mom friends to do activities with. We used to eat out a lot before Covid, we always took things for kids to do at the table, coloring, single play doh, small toys etc. Being at a playground is fun if you and they have friends around. Put your toddler in a puddle jumper and go to the pool. Yes you will be on high vigilance but it can still be fun at the same time. I agree with the PP who said strict schedules matter. Eating, napping etc at set times makes the whole day more enjoyable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing fun with young children. Just get through the day and enjoy the alone time hour at the end of the day.

I hope this is sarcasm
Otherwise wow I feel sorry for your family

I’m pregnant work for home a demanding job just like my spouse and have a 3 year old that is defiant doesn’t nap and just tantrumed at the park and in the car for an hour. And we’ve been locked in since last March. No, it’s not sarcasm. I have no memory of fun. And don’t worry we’re all feeling sorry for ourselves enough.

OP needs to be realistic that it’s not fun or thankful for the moments of fun that she may have that others don’t.

Do 30/40 mins of quiet time in her room to break up the day if not napping. If she does it quietly without bothering you reward her with a show she likes or something else. If not napping she should be in bed early so that’s nice. You are not “ locked in” you can go outside and do things. What is she doing while you are both working?

[Anonymous]

Be super consistent when it comes to bedtime, naps and meal times. If they are whiny they are either hungry or tired. Don’t have to many expectations and keep things simple - park, library and playing outside in backyard or neighborhood. Get them scooters and balance bikes. That’s it. Nothing is fun at this age lol. It’s a super stressful time. Hang in there

[Anonymous]

With those ages, less is more. I have fond memories of playing house and restaurant and making roads for toy trucks. Imaginative play. Also long times in the sandbox and kiddiepool.

Not a fan of taking toddlers to any restaurant. This is why there are babysitters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be super consistent when it comes to bedtime, naps and meal times. If they are whiny they are either hungry or tired. Don’t have to many expectations and keep things simple - park, library and playing outside in backyard or neighborhood. Get them scooters and balance bikes. That’s it. Nothing is fun at this age lol. It’s a super stressful time. Hang in there

Also when it comes to the park stick to your neighborhood park and try not to micromanage. I also found that sidewalk chalk is great. Sometimes a park with no playground is better than one with a playground at that age. What specifically causes you to be stressed? So that we can come up with solutions!

[Anonymous]

I am not enjoying the infant/toddler stages much -- I knew this would be the case for me and it's a big part of why I just have one.

I try to take her outside and let that be my "enjoying it" time. It's often less stressful than anything indoors. She LOVES water!

[Anonymous]

I definitely struggled during the newborn phase, but I'm very much enjoying 2.

[Anonymous]

Baby is 8 months and I’ve enjoyed it all since 2.5 months. Restaurants aren’t that fun anymore but love walks, playing, reading, cuddling, singing. Please tell me this feeling doesn’t go away! It makes me sad that things seem to change once another kid comes along

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Baby is 8 months and I’ve enjoyed it all since 2.5 months. Restaurants aren’t that fun anymore but love walks, playing, reading, cuddling, singing. Please tell me this feeling doesn’t go away! It makes me sad that things seem to change once another kid comes along

It depends on your child. My oldest doesn’t really snuggle anymore. She stopped when she was like 4. I do lay down and hug her while I sing at night and at 12, I feel lucky she lets me do that! She never liked trading with us. But she loves walks and trips to Starbucks. I miss snuggling but man our chats are great.

DS is 9 and still the snuggliest kid ever. It’s amazing. But the sad thing is that he is too big to just snuggle up on my chest and fall asleep. I hate it that he’s growing up! But he had always insisted on being read to (which I don’t actually enjoy but DH does), and he is still into playing and having fun.

Anyways, that was more info that you asked for. Basically enjoy all ages as much as you can because you never know how things will turn out.

(That’s not to say everybody has to enjoy all ages. I think that if you don’t like kid things it’s fine. Wait for them to enjoy intellectual chats and trips to Starbucks)

[Anonymous]

I have a 4 year old and a 1 yr old and enjoy a lot of things with them, but 1) I do prefer to spend time with them 1 on 1 or with a fully-engaged DH so that I don't feel like I'm constantly "lifeguarding" (i.e., scanning both of them to make sure they don't kill themselves) and 2) I have low expectations and acknowledge that even when something is fun, it can be exhausting. Playgrounds and splash parks are the best bet for us at this age - there's enough to keep them both occupied. We are always looking for new fun ones. I also have a hard-and-fast rule that we only do one outing a day on the weekends so we don't get too tired. Leave around 10 AM, back by 2 PM at the latest (12:30 if we're not having lunch at the destination).

Also if you haven't been doing playdates for the older one, start doing them. I enjoy the occasional make-believe session with 4 yo but there's only so much paw patrol rescue games I can handle. Much more fun to watch him play endlessly with another kid while I can chat with another parent and have the babies play with each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vacations, running multiple errands, and going out to restaurants with small children are more headaches than enjoyable at this time in most cases. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find and make some more special moments at home or in a more casual setting.

Do an indoor picnic; snuggle on the couch with a big pile of books and some soft music in the background; get your older child a pair of binoculars and strap the younger one to you for an adventure scavenger hunt in your backyard or a local park; put on CosmicKids yoga or KidsBop dance and get off the couch to join in.

You don’t have to do huge outings or elaborate arts and crafts projects or picture perfect parties or play dates. Just find small things that at least one out of two of the kids like and go for it. Also know that it’s just as meaningful to find moments with the kids individually. They may be cuddling with your baby in a quiet room as he drinks his last bottle before bed; or the pride you feel watching your four-year-old land a trick on her scooter or finally identify all the letters in the alphabet. The small moments of joy and pride are just as meaningful as something bigger that’s “supposed” to be a fun endeavor that sometimes isn’t.

NP. Is my 4yo supposed to be doing scooter tricks and identifying all the letters in the alphabet?? She's really only interested in the first letter in her name. All the other letters can pound sand.