January With a Toddler: The Month That Lasts a Year
If you’re reading this near the end of January, there’s a good chance you feel exactly like I do: like the month has been going on since 2021.
The Christmas sparkle has packed up and left. The weather is doing that grey UK thing where the sky looks like it’s buffering. And the “fresh start” energy? Brilliant for about 48 hours… until your toddler wakes up at a time that should be illegal and demands snacks with the intensity of a tiny hostage negotiator.
But here’s the truth: January is also where the real parenting happens. Not the highlight reel. Not the cute “new year, new me” version. The ordinary days. The messy days. The days where you’re just trying to keep everyone fed, warm, and vaguely stable.
And as a stay-at-home dad, those ordinary days are basically the entire job description.
The winter toddler reality (aka: why the walls feel closer)
At this age (roughly 2 to 3), toddlers are levelling up in every direction at once. They’re moving faster, talking more, testing boundaries harder, and developing strong opinions about… everything.
So in January, when you’re indoors more, it can feel like:
More energy + fewer places to put it
More words + bigger feelings
More independence + more “NO”
Some days, it’s adorable. Other days, it’s like living with a tiny drunk lawyer who argues every point and never sleeps.
The bit people don’t say out loud: it can feel isolating
Even if you love being at home with your child, winter can bring a specific kind of loneliness.
The days are repetitive. Adult conversation is rarer. And if you’re the only dad at certain groups or soft plays, you can still feel like you’re slightly “out of place” — even when everyone’s lovely.
I’ve learned that isolation doesn’t always look like being alone. Sometimes it looks like being busy all day and still feeling like you haven’t properly spoken to anyone.
So if you’ve felt that this month: you’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re just human in a role that asks a lot of you.
The January reset I actually trust (it’s not a big plan)
I used to think I needed a full new routine, a perfect schedule, and loads of motivation to “get back on track”.
Now I do something smaller, because it actually works.
My “3 anchors” for winter days
One thing outside (even if it’s 10 minutes)
One simple activity inside (that doesn’t destroy the house)
One small win for me (tiny, but deliberate)
That’s it.
Not a massive plan. Not a brand-new life. Just three anchors that stop the day drifting into chaos.
And honestly, most days the “outside” part is just me and Lily in coats, sizing up puddles to splash in!
What I’m noticing at this age (and why it’s both amazing and exhausting)
Right now, toddlers are often in that phase where they’re:
building confidence in climbing/running/throwing
expanding vocabulary and trying short sentences
experimenting with independence (“I do it!”)
starting imaginative play (little stories, pretending, copying adults)
Which means: you can feel them growing, daily.
One minute they’re doing something that melts you (“Daddy, look!”), and the next they’re furious because you peeled the banana “wrong”.
And that’s the thing about this stage. It’s messy… but it’s a front-row seat to a human becoming themselves.
A few things that helped me survive January
Not in an Instagram quote way. In a practical, “this kept the day from falling apart” way.
1) The “snack buffer”
I keep an emergency snack box ready.
Because most toddler meltdowns are actually hunger disguised as drama.
2) One predictable routine
Same “shape” each day: breakfast, play, out, lunch, nap/quiet time, afternoon activity, tea, wind-down.
The content changes. The structure stays.
3) Lower the standard (seriously)
Some days, the win is:
everyone is fed
nobody’s crying (much)
you didn’t spiral into doom-scrolling at 2pm
That counts.
4) Give yourself adult input
Podcast. Audiobook. A call with a mate. Anything that reminds your brain you’re not just a snack-and-nappy machine.
The surprising January win: it’s honest content
If you’re also building something on the side (like I am with Old Dad Diary), January is a reminder that the real moments are the ones people connect with.
Not staged perfection. Just:
“This is hard today.”
“This made me laugh.”
“This tiny moment mattered.”
That’s the heart of it. Chaos, cuddles, firsts — and the everyday stuff in between.
If you’re reading this and feeling behind…
You don’t need to “catch up” on January.
You just need to finish it.
And if all you managed this month was keeping your child safe, loved, and moving forward… you’ve done more than enough.
If you want, I’ll be sharing more of the real-life bits (and the funny ones) over on the channel because we’re all just figuring it out as we go.
See you in February. Hopefully with slightly more daylight.
