Stir crazy please help!

We have our dd's who will be 2 in April and our little guy who will be 7 months soon.. I am a bit early to be posting here but I thought my girls are closer to 2 so I thought parents in this forum might be able to help. We have a very babyproofed house and we follow a good schedule during the day.. We used to go out and about a bit but it is hard with 3 this young and so close together in age.. Then our car's transmission gave out and now we are stuck at home with nothing but a triple stroller for daily walks and the occasional play group. I work part time and am home with them most of the week by myself and we are going crazy being stuck inside all week long! Weekends we get out a bit with the other car but it only can fit two Carseats. A new car is on the horizon but my dh is in the process of a job change and we don't want to make a move on the car just yet.... Do you have a ny good and creative ideas to mix things up a bit at home? We cycle toys and go for walks and we have a slide inside.. I do not trust my girls to not run off in the backyard. We are going nuts here! Thanks!

 

fingerpaints, crayons on big paper, forts, supervised play doh, magnets on fridge... these are some things that kept my girls happy for a while at that age!

 

I like this site - especially how it breaks things down by age range.

http://www.icanteachmychild.com/

 

Unless your backyard butts up to a major road or interstate I would work with the twins on staying in the backyard during the baby's nap. If they are really tough in the beginning brig out a PNP to stick a misbehaving kid. I think Walmart sells little driveway cones if your yard doesn't have good visual boundaries.

 

collapsable tents and tunnels have been great for me for stir-crazy moments. I drag them out of storage and set up little obstacle courses and hide-outs. I would love to have a ball pit too! For outside play, we have a sand table that keeps them occupied.

For outside behavior, try parking your car horizontally at the end of the driveway for a visual cue. Also, we have a rule that if you go in the street, outside play is over for the day - no second chances. We did a couple of days where we went outside knowing that we were going to have to go back in and they learned very quickly.

Finally, I wonder if you could try to make some friends to come over for play dates? I know my kids always seem much more content when the house is bustling.

Hang in there - I know it seems like this stage will last forever but I promise it won't!

 

Been there, done that... although I guess in our case we could go out with the car, I just want to save the $$ on gas. The good news is that my kids are really good at entertaining themselves now and really don't need me over their shoulder to give them activities!

And I agree, try the backyard... as soon as one starts to run off, back in the house. They should get it quickly (if you have the courage to deal with it).

 

I know what you are going through!! I never bought a triple stroller and we pretty much never left the house without another adult, so we were at home ALL THE TIME. Lots of good ideas here! I would take the twins outside and play while our youngest napped, usually from about 10am-11am. Of course I would have to supervise, but it was a really great time to teach them "how" to play in our yard, out of the street (yes, I had to chase them out of the neighbor's yards!). We played with chalk, balls, riding toys, bubbles, swings, etc... We also gated in our deck so we could all be outside but the twins were still contained... don't know if this is an option for you. I also started doing bath time during the day... just for a way to pass the time. Another thing that we used (and everyone still loves) is a ball pit we created with an inflatable pool with tall sides. It's even big enough for me to get into... and it IS really fun when everyone is in there!

Just out of curiosity... what did you end up getting for a triple stroller?

 

It can also help to get down on the floor with them and teach them to play in a new way. Right at 2 they start wanting to do more imaginative play and read longer more interesting books. Mine also like any toy that involves letters or numbers so you could start with the toys to lead into coloring, etc. One of their favorites are those cheap foam bath letters!

 

You can start letting them do arts and crafts. Coloring, playdoh, stickers, etc. And never underestimate the power of some pillows and chairs draped with a blanket or a sheet. My girls still love to build and play in elaborate forts on a rainy day at home.

 

Everyone has great ideas! Playdough, painting with paint, shaving cream (cleans up great and smells great!), finger paint with pudding, my kids love to lick their fingers! Find a place that sells appliances and have them set aside a washer box that you can have and make a playhouse out of it. Kids can color it with crayons! I always tell the place where I get boxes that my kids are going stir crazy and it would totally make the kids day if they could have a box to play with. People are more willing to help kids out!

Another website I like is: www.toddlertoddler.com Great ideas!

Make cookies together. Fill a container with some sand or rice and let them play. Put a plastic table cloth under to help with clean up. You can put so many fun toys in the sand for them to play!

Pop them in the bathtub with their swimsuits and let them swim! Make or find some bathtub paints for them to use. Let them wash dishes in the sink. I give my kids plastic dishes and utensils and let them go at it! I usually put a towel under the chair or stool to soak up any water that escapes. I usually take their shirts off to so it wont get wet.

And yes, ask for other parents to come over with their kids. Playdates are important for both kids and moms. Make kid friendly snacks but have some snacks and such that are for just the adults.

Also, when you finally get another vehicle that fits your needs, look into MOPs. http://www1.mops.org/web/web_group_search.php?srctype=menu&PHPSESSID=4f0e28bcc0d9ec47643c6e28a7db8b88&PHPSESSID=4f0e28bcc0d9ec47643c6e28a7db8b88 This link is to find a group in your area.