I gotta look after not one but two 16-month-old babies. Last night was typical. Wolfed down dinner so I could bathe the kids one after another, break up fights, read stories, feed them, get them ready for their bed time, which is 9:30, and then prepare solids for the next day, do the dishes, clean up the kitchen, wash milk bottles, take out the trash, fold the clean laundry, etc. By the time I was just about done with all the chores and ready for a hot shower to wind down before I turn in, one of the babies puked all over himself and the bed. So I was up until well past midnight. The babies don't puke every night, but every night, if it's not one thing, it's another. That's why I can't practice at home. Not anymore. Haha. And being a father of two kids, I gotta watch after my finances, which means a self-imposed ban on uke-buying. For now.
But it's good to hear TaoCat practices in his car. I'm not alone. Yay!
Been there, done that, albeit one at a time, not two simultaneously.
If volume is an issue, then stuff some sort of sponge under the strings near the bridge. This way, you can work on your right-hand strumming technique too.
For me, it was more of a larger issue of self-identity. I came in as me, then when my kids were born, I was no longer me. Outside forces were preventing me from doing what I used to do. I mean, you're struggling to find time to play the ukulele? That seems like a low. For me, something more basic like SLEEP was taken from me.
What was my approach? (You're not going to like this.) Kids and family come first, therefore, I gave up everything. But, you can't be an effective father if you lose your sanity. So, the little ukulele-playing time you're putting in is important.
At 16 months, man, you're not out of the woods yet. They're going to require ALL of your attention. It's almost a miracle you have any time at all for yourself. Rest assured, what you're going through is completely natural.
Here's something that was told to me when I was younger, and I wish I heeded to it then, but it's never too late. "The more hard work you put in earlier, the less you have to later."
So, at 16 months, there's nothing you can do but what you're doing now. They are SUPPOSED to take up ALL of your time - otherwise you're not doing it right. The struggle you're going through now will be a point of pride later and will build character too. Just don't overdo this daddy-thing or get stuck in it because this stage eventually develops into something else which will require a different aspect of you to step up.
In the future, when the kids can play on their own without you hovering over them, you can take them to the park, find a bench, strum away, and keep an eye on your kids at the same time. Just put in the time now to raise kids that won't require you to hover them all the time.
Good luck, man. You're not alone. Daddies have been around forever.