u/GeologistSmooth2594

I know the typical outings like going to the library and the zoo, museums. Those things are great for my youngest who enjoys learning in general. However my oldest hates when he feels he is being led to learn something. So it’s very hard to sneak in those little learning opportunities in daily life outings or field trips.
How do YOU encourage your resistant kids to learn and take things in without seeming like you are actively pushing them in the direction?

Prefacing this crashout with: Hand foot mouth hit our household (3 kids) and I am extremely grateful it has been very mild. I’m the only one with sores and they aren’t as bad as cases I’ve seen online.

THAT BEING SAID.

i Haven’t been able to use my hands properly in days. Yesterday they were on fire so badly I had to ask my husband to stay home because I couldn’t hold the baby. Couldn’t cook. Couldn’t touch water without extreme pain.
my 11 month old seems to have zero symptoms but he has FOUR teeth coming in and is biting while nursing. not on purpose, but to the point of tears for me.
He has always refused a bottle so I am the one who feeds. He didn’t even start liking solids until about a month ago. It’s nurse to sleep, nurse when he’s upset, nurse for EVERYTHING. he Is a very chill baby and I love breastfeeding but I’m already at my wits ends and now the biting has started to really depress me.
All of the things I do to help my mental health (journaling, gardening, walking, painting) I can’t do because of the HFMD. Even my toes have sores currently.
on top of the hfmd pain, I damaged Some type of nerve in my wrist months ago and have extreme pain using my wrist for almost anything. Yes I will be going to the doctor but, as it goes, it is very hard actually getting there.

This has been the hardest week of my mothering life and I’m so ready to feel 100% again.