Baby & Toddler

Minding a colleague's 2 year old on Saturday morning. The last toddler I looked after was my grandson

citrus_kite_8599

One of the younger doctors in our practice has a Saturday clinic and her usual arrangement has fallen through, so I offered to keep her daughter from nine till one. The child is two and a bit. I haven't had anyone that age in the house since my grandson, who is eight now. The medical side doesn't worry me. Four hours does. What does a two year old do all morning these days, and what should I put away that I won't think of? Our flat has not been arranged for small children in a long time.

3 comments

  • ochre_tiffin_2213

    Things that caught me out when a friend's toddler visited: the low drawer with medicines and cleaning things, dupattas and charger wires hanging within reach, and the gaps in the window grill. Four hours only feels long if you plan to entertain her the whole time. A small bucket of water and a few steel bowls on the balcony floor kept that child busy longer than any toy. Also ask her mother what words she uses for the toilet and for water. That saved us some tears.

    • citrus_kite_8599

      The steel bowls are a good thought, I still have a cupboard full of them. I'll ask about the words too. I had forgotten how much depends on those.

  • linen_window_9331

    Mine is twenty-one now, so my memory is selective, but what I recall from that age is that they need a change of scene every forty minutes or so. A walk to see the security guard, a ride in the lift, watering plants. I would also ask the mother to send one familiar thing from home, a cup or a soft toy. It anchors them in a strange flat.

    • bronze_diary_2872

      the lift is a strong choice. mine would ride it all morning if we let her. also small snacks every hour, otherwise four hours turns into one long negotiation

  • violet_hammock_6344

    Ask her mother what time she naps and whether she'll nap anywhere other than her own bed. If she normally sleeps at eleven and doesn't, that's your hardest hour, not the first one.

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