#thatswhatquietlookslike

“After hearing nothing from our youngest for too long, I discovered a kitchen covered in turmeric..” A friend’s Facebook admission inspired me to ask mamas and papas of babies, toddlers and kids about their #thatswhatquietlookslike experiences. Do they sound familiar...?!

“I was stuck on the phone fielding three emergencies related to work and our house - and my 18-month-year-old was happily playing on his own. He had disappeared into the kitchen. So after dealing with all the hassle I became suspicious and checked on him. He had gotten hold of the dishwashing liquid, and poured it over four baskets of freshly washed and folded summer laundry ready to be put away for winter. He even made sure that every single piece of clothing had some on it… #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like a little boy eating coal from the fireplace! He won't eat what I cook him, but he will eat coal..” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Once found the boy at 20 months, licking wrappers. He had found the stash of chocolate in the kitchen and eaten it. All of it.” #thatswhatquietlookslike 


“Furiously trying to mop up the flood on the bathroom floor with your bath sponge as water pours through the ceiling below, rather than just turning the bath taps off…” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like a whole canister full of cocoa powder shaken all over boy, clothes and floor. ‘Look mummy, I'm a babyccino’...” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like... coming upstairs after a relaxing cup of tea with a friend in the kitchen enjoying five minutes’ peace, and finding your three year old and his two little friends stuck in the wardrobe after playing 'hiding' and getting the door wedged shut! A neighbour had to come in with tools to take the wardrobe door off... they were all fine luckily and they never got into the wardrobe again…” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like covering your baby brother in stickers.” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like a little girl who has found a box of Parkway's posh biscuits that you thought you had hidden, and is steadily munching through the lot...” #thatswhatquietlookslike

“Quiet looks like using an entire tub of Sudocream to redecorate a room...carpet, curtains, bedspread…” 

“Quiet looks like a toddler hiding in the cupboard to eat a stolen 🍩 doughnut.” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like emptying a box of tissues and baby wipes out all over the floor. And tearing up the entire roll of kitchen paper into tiny pieces.” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Toilet roll rolled out over the entire bathroom, putting on mummy's red lipstick and emptying hand cream all over the carpet..” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like eating and smearing and wearing an entire pot of aqueaous cream.” #thatswhatquietlookslike 

“Quiet looks like 'experimenting' in the bathroom. Mixing any and all lotions and potions in the sink- shampoo, toothpaste, Immac cream…” #thatswhatquietlookslike