Baby Bunnie

“*stuffies name* is tired..”

“*stuffies name* wants..”

“*stuffies name* says…”

“*stuffies name* is mads…”- this one’s usually joking cos daddy can tells when i mad 🙈

helps me let out feelings and show them to my cg- he caught on so quick as always! 🥰

*nonverbal hand movements*

*cheeks warm*

*feet doing the little kicky thing*

Me, parenting my tired toddler brain: Take a deep breath, it’s going to be ok. We don’t have to do everything today that’s overwhelming you. Let’s pick the most important thing to work on, ok? What’s the smallest step we can do to work towards that?

My toddler brain, wiping away tears: Um, I think we should…open up the important spreadsheet and look at the first row.

Me, parenting my tired toddler brain: Great! Let’s do that, and then we can have a popsicle, ok?

small activities (low energy edition!)

I don’t live with my carer, so most of the time when I’m small I am on my own. here are some of my favorite solitary activities to do while regressed.

it’s sometimes a struggle for me to figure out how to handle myself when I’m small but I’m burned out, low in motivation, or tired. like I said, I don’t live with my carer, so I have to be capable of keeping myself occupied. here are some activities for my small self when I am not feeling up to being the creative and playful kiddo I usually am.

🧦 dress comfy - this is generally the first thing I do when I realize I am regressing/regressed and I am having a low-energy day. my go-to comfy clothes are big sweaters (especially daddy’s sweater!), pajama shorts, and soft t-shirts. I will also typically carry a pastel knit baby blanket with me when I am small and low-energy because it has a familiar smell and I’ve had it since I was born.

🍙 eat a snack - sometimes when I’m small I will cook or prepare things for myself to eat, but when I’m having a low energy day I usually stick to snacks like goldfish, nori maki arare, and dry cheerios—ones you can eat with your hands and don’t have to prepare yourself. it’s also nice because experiencing familiar and comforting tastes can be grounding when I’m not feeling my best.

🌌 watch a movie - movies are a great tool for my age regression especially when I’m alone, either for helping me to regress or to give small me something to focus on when I’m having bad feelings or low energy. some of my favorite small movies are Finding Nemo, Ponyo, Lilo and Stitch, and Monsters Inc. if I’m using a movie as a distraction, I will usually also be doing something else while focusing on the movie, such as playing with a stim toy, chewing food, or cuddling a stuffie.

🕯 aromatherapy - specific familiar smells are deeply connected to my small space, so I will often seek out comforting smells (or explore new smells) when I’m small. I typically do this by engaging in something that’s already relaxing by nature, like lighting incense, sniffing candles, or cuddling my favorite stuffie ((this post better explains the connection between my age regression and smells, as well as lists some examples of my comforting smells)). nice or familiar smells can be very comforting and grounding, and I find that they are a good help for dissociation.

🎧 listen to music - surprisingly, I don’t really listen to kiddo music when I’m small, and my taste in music doesn’t really vary between big me and small me. however, when regressed I find that prefer softer songs. one of my favorite artists to listen to while regressed is mxmtoon. listening to music is soothing and it can help me relax if I am regressed and having trouble sleeping. it can also help if I am overwhelmed by other noises around the house and I wish to block them out to avoid sensory overload.

📱 scroll tumblr - often times when I am regressing without my carer and I’m not occupying myself with more engaging activities, I struggle with feeling lonely. seeing other content made by other regressors makes me feel less alone, and it can actually boost my mood a lot to know there are regressors out there just like me.

regressing on a low-energy day can be extra stressful, especially when you don’t have someone to take care of you. always remember to take care of yourself, drink water, and stay safe! 💕

Aw kiddo, Momma’s sorry. I know I haven’t been interacting with you as much, Momma’s just a little more tired than normal lately. Let’s make a deal yeah? How about you gather allll your favorite stuffies up and we have a movie night? It might not be much, but it’s the best I can do right now. I’ll even go make a tiny little snack platter for everybody to eat from, and maybe I can get you a drink too! Does that sound alright? Thank you for being so understanding little one, now remind me again..what snacks do your stuffies like? Oh oh that’s right! Let’s go grab your favorite sippy too, I’ll lift you up to grab it, ready? one..two..lift! Got it sweetheart? Good girl! Do you want to help Momma prepare the plate? Such a helpful bab, I’m so lucky ‹𝟯

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~~ Ideas for Carer’s Going Through Burnout ~~

• movie night with a small snack platter / take in that’s more snackish (maybe even feed your bab if you have the energy!)

• show and tell! have your kiddo bring their stuffies (or even other things) and have them introduce them, tell facts about them, or a story about!

• do virtual tours or watch zoo cams with them and ask them some questions about the animals/things they see! or print out any worksheets provided by the organization/for teachers

• tummy time / sensory play! this is a simple but fun time! get a plastic zip block bag and fill it with some paints, buy a tummy time mat, or get some sand for your little one to play with!

• coloring together

i was feeling sad today so i made a poster to help save sea turtles ☺️💕

i think i saw someone else do something similar recently but i cant find the post so if u know it pls send it so i can credit!