HELP -things to do with 3 year old daughter HELP

daddybf

Hi i was wondering if someone could give me some good advise ,i am now a single father who unfortunitly only has access to his daughter on the weekends,she is now 3.5 and because i only have her on weekends i really want to make the most of it.

i dont have a car so can only depend on publin transport

im based in Dublin, i draw with her every weekend and paint and dance- she has me wrecked

Please can someone give me some suggestions for things to do

what makes it harder is she now has this extreme fear of any insects which is really restricting when you bring her the park and she is child who is very shy and finds it hard interacting with other children


help please please please help. i just dont know what to do.

metrovelvet

One of the things my father did with me when he had me, was take me to Dun Laoire. Wdd walk on the pier, he'd show me the boats and the seals, and get me an ice cream. There is also a great playground at the people's park. She will like the DART ride too. Take her for a nice lunch too. Teach her to dine out. Its the beginning of manners and she will like being on a date so to speak. Pick a place youd like to go back to, so its your place with her. This ritual was repeated so often, that now that he is deceased, its the place I most strongly associate with him, and I will visit there to think about him, and never his grave.

Its just a suggestion. YOu could always pick Howth or somewhere like the botanical gardens, but you get the picture.

Its important imo, to create ritual with your children. They like it and its the beginning of creating memory, which is what life is all about.

smelltheglove

My daughters dad doesnt drive at all. His parents drive him to pick her up or he gets a taxi. He takes her every second weekend and usually one of the days they will go to the cinema. Other than that I have to say sometimes she does say they didnt do anything but thats probably just because they didnt leave the house.

Her daddy is a chef so they make different foods together, she loves it when they bake sweets or deserts. He is quite hands on in the arty department so they make clay and she paints it, paint, colour, beads, she has even started knitting in the last while. Pretty much anything crafty. Another thing she looks forward to hwen going to her daddies is the dog, the dog is about 2 yrs old and she loves playing with her.

Waternews

Hiya,

I second the idea about Dun Laoghaire. On a Sunday, the farmers market is on in the people's park - it's mainly nice food stalls though - and is teeming with small kids.

She's old enough for the cinema - just and very much depending on the movie - but it's a whole day out.

There are lots of make and do websites aimed at stay at home mums (SAHM if googling) - so you could get some ideas there.

You could help her with her insect issues - take her to the just reopened dead zoo and look at the nice butterflies. All safely nailed into glass boxes

Get a bucket and go to any beach with a picnic. That's another all dayer, especially if you go on the Dart.

The zoo is amazing. Just brilliant, and she's really the right age for that.

Do a walk around the city (easier on a sunday) looking for treasure on a map - so for example a lady in a dress with a cart (Molly Malone statue) - which she can cross off the map/list. Ok, this requires a bit of planning on your part, and entirely depends on if your little girl likes that kind of thing.

Do your normal stuff - if you make it that you are fully engaged with your DD, a trip round the supermarket and hanging out are just as good for her - it's you she wants, not entertainment.

PlayDoh. Nuff said.

Have fun!

beemaja

Hi there,

first of all I think it is absolutely fantastic that you want to give your daughter as many little adventures as possible.

I would also recommend the museums in town, my 3 yr old boy loves Collins Barracks, easy to get there and he loves going on the Luas (and they have lots of crayons for paintings there also and kids events), you could bring her to farmleigh house, a lot of the libaries also have free children events on on Saturdays, where she can mix with other kids (such a punch and judy show, story telling, etc) and she can get her own books on loan, would she enjoy going for a swim maybe or going to the movies, also the kids museum in Sandyford is not too far from the Luas , then you have Airfield farm off the Ballaly stop, Pearse Museum, Malahide Castle (which also has a train little doll museum), you could also bring her to the Aquarium in Bray and a lovely Italian ice cream afterwards.

If she is scared off parks/insects you might want to give her the choice of a 2 or 3 adventure options and let her decide what she would want to do, that way if you are going to a museum which is near a park, she may just forget about her fear, fingers crossed.

Hope this gives you a few ideas, enjoy.

smelltheglove

I second Malahide Castle, my little girl loves going there with her daddy, although dont bring her on the tour, my little one went on one with his parents and came home not being able to sleep for a week because they spoke about ghosts and had ghostly images in the booklet. She was so convinced it was a real ghost I had to show her in photoshop exactly how they did it so she would calm down.

Deliverance

Great advice so far from posters. All I can offer to add to this is to address the insect thing. My own little one of a similar age is afraid of insects as well. She learned this fear from others i.e. her nieces. Previously she had no fear at all.

I would suggest books about insects to learn more about them in the comfort of your home. You could read the books to her to possibly let her understand insects and how actually harmless they are as small creatures.

The honey bee is a little fat little thing that has a 'busy life'. I approached one with my little one recently that landed 'for a rest' in the playground and we approached it to get a closer look.

It took off and went about it's busy business, but the little one took some steps towards it to get a closer look with me by her side.

I think metro made a very valid point. A regular place does spark memories for a much loved dad. I found that rather sweet and very relevant. I hope my own daughter will remember me in such a lovely way.

metrovelvet

A suggestion to dads: maybe organising saturday father-baby/toddler/preschool meet ups around Dublin wouldnt be a bad idea. Like the mother toddler groups that take place during the week.

Billiejo

Many great suggestions here for out and about. If you cant always be on the move why not add some 'around the house & garden' activities.

One thing this age group adore is dressing up.
Collect items such as rements of colourful & flimsey & glittery materials (bedding box is great for this) and charity shops have all sorts of small handbags & BIG beaded plastic necklaces & braclets etc. They love Snow White and Cinderella etc outfits

Consider a dolls house project. You could both furnish, carpet and decorate together. She may gain great purpose and creativity including fun searching out bits for this.

Also Girls this age love flowers. Collect some pots let her choose some easy grow seeds or veg and watch them grow together.

Mrs K

Feed the ducks in stephens green, playground in stephens green, then take stroll down Grafton Street, stop to look at the street entertainers, my nephews especially loved the guys with all over body paint! Let your little one throw a few coins into buskers bucket! Take dart to howth feed seals, playground and if you are not on trainline line even the dart is a novelty! Agree with previous poster re insect fear, it's learned behaviour! Try catching a spider and show her how many legs it has or if you can see some ladybirds let same walk on your hands to show that you don't fear Insects.

wolfpawnat

Wow, fantastic ideas going here. My dad never did really interesting things with us and as a result we hated going to his, he would sit down watching old westerns all day and leave it to his girlfriend to entertain us!!!!!!

OP I think you are doing your daughter and yourself a great deed by wanting to make it intersting for the 2 of you!

Things I can think of;

Dundrum cinema (on the Luas/Bus) has a young children and parent showing at weekends.

Collins Barracks ( also on a Luas line)

Dublin Zoo

Phoenix Park

Natural History Museum has just re opened (as others have said she can see dead bugs there)

Dublin Castle

Grafton Street buskers

Stephens Green Park to feed the ducks

Dart to Howth/Dun Laoighaire/Bray/Greystones especially now that summer is nearly here she can go paddling.

I also bring my son to the landmarks of the Easter Rising, he is 14 months old and is excited whenever I bring him to the James Connolly Statue near Busaras, you cannot get them interested in history too young:D

Also there is a "leprechaun museum" on Jervis street, she may find that fun.

Hope any of these are a help

RosieJoe

Here a few sites for you to look through.

http://www.fundays.ie/
http://www.dlrevents.ie/
http://www.thingstodo.ie/

LegacyUser

hi there,
my daughter who is 3 and a half is also quite shy. recently we moved house. there is a little green outside our house as there are in many housing areas. we put a slide/playhouse on the green rather than in our back garden. we find now that she has become more sociable as it attracts the local kids and they play together. obviously it's not an all day activity and you do need to supervise but it's something to dip in and out of.

other suggestions include a trip on the dart out to seapoint beach. kids love writing their name in the sand and having a paddle or just running around in the open air, so good for them too or even a beach picnic. often down around Bullock harbour there are seal. the more exposed she is to fish and animals may reduce her insect fears.
Fabulous public pool in clondalkin with playground.

GOOD LUCK, it's an endless but very rewarding job
xxx

daddybf

Hi guys i know it was ages ago but thank you all so much for your help and guidance on what to do it was much appreciated..:)