Mother turns washing line into a fairground ride for her daughter, four, and takes her ‘kayaking’ down the stairs as she finds ingenious ways to beat lockdown boredom
- Terri Haliwood, 39, from Portishead, Bristol, turned her home into a playground
- She kept her four-year-old entertained in lockdown by ‘horse riding’ inside
- She took her into the shower dressed for wet weather to pretend it was raining
By Georgia Simcox For Mailonline
Published: | Updated:
A mother from Bristol has been keeping her daughter entertained during coronavirus lockdown by transforming their home into a playground.
GP receptionist Terri Haliwood, 39, rode a kayak down the stairs and stomped in the shower in her wellies with four-year-old Bella, as well as turning the revolving washing line into a fairground merry-go-round.
She is hoping Bella will remember the silly memories rather then being stuck indoors.
With an upturned table, a unicorn toy and helmets Terri Haliwood, and Bella mimicked going ‘horse riding’ inside their house in Portishead, Bristol
In hilarious footage, filmed by Terri’s elder daughter Sherene Neville, 20, the mother-of-two from Portishead put an ironing board in the shower to create a water slide and told Bella they were at the water park.
Terri said: ‘That broke the day up and then she’s not miserable, because it’s something so fun that she’s done.
‘Bella-May was getting really upset because she’s been at nursery since she was 18 months so it’s been quite hard on her.
‘We’re not people that stay indoors either.’
Terri also turned her washing line into a merry go round by hanging bikes from it and holding Bella in a seat as she walked and turned the line
The pair even got under shower with their wellies, coats and umbrellas so Terri could say it was and Bella wouldn’t ask to go outside.
Terri said she thinks about what they do when it’s sunny and then brings it inside.
She and Bella wore orange life jackets and slid down the stairs in an inflatable boat so they could go ‘kayaking’.
She also turned the table upside down and used a unicorn toy and helmets to go ‘horse riding’.
Terri hung bicycles on the washing line and held Bella as she walked around so the line spun, turning it into a merry-go-round.
Terri brings the activities they normally do outside inside by dressing up so it feels like they’ve gone out to do an activity
She said: ‘We’re getting dressed up to do it so she feels like we’ve got out and done an activity.
‘A lot of mums are stuck for ideas – it’s something so simple that they can do at home to entertain the kids.’
Sherene, a furloughed recruitment consultant, said: ‘We don’t want Bella having a negative experience, like memories of staying in the house all the time – obviously she’s too young to understand what’s going on.
‘So if we make it seem like a really fun couple of weeks or however long it’s going to be, then it’s just going to be fun for her.’
Sherene posted the videos on her Instagram and TikTok accounts, not expecting them to be such a hit.
Terri and Bella even got dressed up in their coats and wellies and took an umbrella into the shower so they could pretend it was raining
She added: ‘We’d had people comment saying that they “live for stuff like this.”
‘People have messages saying that we have really cheered them up.
‘Someone actually messaged me saying they’ve had a break-up with their boyfriend and saw my video and it really cheered them up.
‘Obviously everyone is in completely different circumstances during this lockdown, so to hear everyone’s different story and know that we’ve actually managed to put a smile on their face is brilliant.’
They have plenty activities planned and advise parents who are struggling to keep their children entertained to stay positive.
Sherene said: ”Obviously it’s a really horrible situation to be in, but use this time to actually spend your time with your family in the household.
‘A lot of people work 40-hour weeks and they don’t have this much time with their family, so definitely spend it together and be there for each other.’
Terri added: ‘I’d just say go with it – kids are fractious, they are grumpy but it’s just a mess, you can tidy it up after.’
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