Anonymous wrote:Toddlers and preschoolers: too young to read to themselves, do school work, play independently or do anything on their own for very long, not supposed to have screens a lot, don’t really understand why they can’t go out and do usual things like playground, library, preschool, play dates etc

Of course I say this as someone w 5 and 3 year olds. I’m sure any age is hard for various reasons. At least w a baby they don’t need to be going out much anyway.

YES!!! We don’t really have a yard. When I tried going outside with DS, 3.5, he wouldn’t stay away from other kids on the street. A neighbor kid coughed on us. My back is bad, so grabbing him hurts, and this is the WORST behavior we’ve ever seen. Tantrums, peeing on the carpet, dumping Duplos while I am trying to get the baby down, suddenly refusing to eat most foods. Still holding off on the iPad and extra TV, but I may crumble. We’ve always been very strict about screens, but he just watched Daniel Tiger, and I hate that I can hear the final credits.

I have kids 2,6,10, and 18. They’re all difficult to me. I’d say 2 year old is easiest. He just knows we’re not going out as much but is happy to just take walks and play in the backyard. My Kindergartener is just constantly questioning making sure she’s not the only one not going to school because she doesn’t want to miss out and loves school. The 6 and 10 year old have been constantly arguing with each other and this is really just the first day of no school but with none of their regular weekend activities has made it seem much longer.

I think 2 or more kids under 5 would be hard. We have one five yo and it’s been fine so far. He misses his friends and all the activities we do but he was thrilled to stay home with me today.

Anonymous wrote:I'm pretty sure everyone is going to say whatever age their kid is, but I have a 3.75 year old boy and it has been very difficult so far. I need to get him outside more, but...

3.75? He's almost four so stop the ridiculous counting! I bet you normally give his age in months

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any kid with ADHD.

Yeah, but I can say honestly it would have been SO MUCH WORSE when they were in the 3 to 6 age range and literally smashing into walls and each other and flipping out about every little thing. Now I'm like -- here's your screen. Commence hyperfocusing.
God help us when they run out of their meds at the Pharmacy, though. I may literally have kids jumping off the roof.
Good luck to everyone.

Did you ever think maybe their ADHD is worse because of all the screens and lack of exercise?

My kids are 5.5 and 3. I will be ok and it helps they have each other. I cannot imagine enduring this with a 18-30 mo old.

We have a 16 month old and a 3 year old. Both boys, both very active. There is a lot of screaming in our house. We live in a 1000 sq foot house with a tiny yard that’s essentially unusable. Walking distance to nothing. Life is dark. We are panic buying toys and giving them out daily. And this is gonna be for months, I fear.

The despair is really strong for me right now. Work helps me cope and it’s closed now.

Anonymous wrote:Any kid with ADHD.

Yeah, but I can say honestly it would have been SO MUCH WORSE when they were in the 3 to 6 age range and literally smashing into walls and each other and flipping out about every little thing. Now I'm like -- here's your screen. Commence hyperfocusing.
God help us when they run out of their meds at the Pharmacy, though. I may literally have kids jumping off the roof.
Good luck to everyone.

I have a very mobile 10 month old who needs constant supervision and a seven year old who is usually fine but is having some emotional mood swings because of all this (me too, really). Small house so no quiet spaces for work. But my job is flexible, so that helps.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 25 year old is the WORST! I have an 11 and 18 year old that are fine, taking it in stride, pitching in, cleaning up after themselves. She is whining and complaining because “all of her friends are out having fun and living their lives, and she gets to be this one stuck in the house and missing out.” OMG, the drama!

Ok but does she follow you into the bathroom? No? Then you’re better off than anyone with very young kids

Now that my kids are tweens and teens, I found “Being followed to the bathroom” no big deal comparing to what I have to worry about now

Aww, I have teenagers. They aren't so bad. The one is almost 20 and the other will be 18 soon. Young adults with young adult responsibilities. Good kids.

This is OP; thanks for everyone who replied sincerely; misery loves company

My 14 year old had just reached the age of work permits and is chafing at the prospect of two to eight weeks at home instead of earning money. She’s fully aware of what’s going on and realizes their are adult heads of household who can’t work, but it’s one more disappoint on top of a cancelled competition and other events she had planned for the second half of eighth grade.

I have a 6, 4 and 12 months old. The older two play very well together and entertain themselves. When/if wether is nice they play outside in our trampoline. The 1 year old is the difficult one... he is bored, loves to be outside, can’t walk yet, etc.... DH and I work from home, but we have a live in nanny and a big house so she is abLe to take care of them (with a few breaks)

3, 8, 10 and it is challenging. The age split makes just about everything the older kids want to do hard. Doing board games, baking, crafts ...are all a challenge with the 3 yr old who either wants to “help” or destroy. And since everyone is home, all day 3 yr old is refusing to nap because that would mean missing out on fun. They do all play together pretty well, but it does make me sad that I cannot do some of the more big kid things with my older kids because little one needs my attention.

It’s more about the activities and space and time you have than the age of the kids. If you have a playset and trampoline in your backyard and a huge LEGO room and a home theatre and a SAHP or teacher who’s off, you can manage three young kids fairly easily, while a family in a DC apartment with a mom who goes to the hospital and a dad who’s WFH in a demanding job might find it hard to manage one.