Tips on Housework with Toddler

[winegirl]

Any tips on how you guys manage/have managed would be great.

If I am not at work then I am on my own with baby, and so cant really hoover, mop etc as she is 17 months and if I take my eyes off her she is climbing the stairs or trying to tip mop bucket over etc. My parents come over for couple hours once a week on the weekened, so was doing it then, but they have come to see both me and baby and i would like to spend some time with them.

How do the rest of you guys manage it? Any tips welcome xxxx

Winegirl x

[Scarlet]

Winegirl, Housework what's that

Invest in a 'huge' playpen, this is what I'm thinking of doing. At the moment, I put my baby in his high chair and let him watch me whilst I'm cleaning up and I give him an apple or something to keep him quiet for 10 mins. I then carry the high chair everywhere with me, even to the loo.. ;D

[cazfletcher]

cavans 2 and a half, so ive got him "trained" to help me lol. he loves going round with a dustpan and brush, or a damp cloth so he can "help mummy". i run the dishwasher overnight and hoover once hes gone to bed. but i would put your little adventurer in the highchair or "safe" area while you get on, or do it when shes asleep. also there are play kitchens and hoovers etc that you can get. you can use these to help keep her occupied and she will feel very grown up "helping" mummy when she is old enough. one thing with cavan is that hes learnt "tidy up time" from nursery. so maybe you could set the same time each day to get jobs done, saying "tidy up time now", and ask her to give you her toys off the floor etc. when shes cavans age she will really be able to help you with the simple jobs like dusting and washing up (give her a small bowl of bubbles and plastic plates/cutlery she can wash while you do the "proper stuff" in the sink), and she can follow you around the room with a toy hoover while you use your grown up one.

[winegirl]

Thanks for the advise guys! I am going to try doing it all on my own with her tomorrow, so i really will be putting all your tips to the test! Really not very good at being mum, career woman, domestic goddess etc!!

Thanks everyone - really very much appreciated x

[chica]

Hi Winegirl,
I used to give my two, the chance to clean up just a small space for themselves ie, I have wardrobe mirrors and they just used to love spraying everything and anything at it, and then polishing away for ages. Didnt matter what it turned out looking like, as no other visitors got to see it, and I could clean it up again afterwards. They used to get great fun of watching themselves emerge from all the sprays and polish. Also little dust pans and brushes worked a treat, especially as they were helping poor OLD mummy who could not reach in certain places.
Otherwise, most of my household clearing up took place when they went for a nap. Mind you it was soon undone again as soon as they got up. Good job I never had many visitors

Love and hugs
Chica

[winegirl]

Thanks Chica

Managed a bit this morning but Baby is terrified of the hoover and sobbed the whole time, so will have to come uo with a plan B i think! Either that or i will just give up and live in a tip! LOL

Thanks for the advice x

[Scarlet]

or you could get a maid *winks*

[cazfletcher]

leave the hoovering til shes asleep, or you have someone to take her while you hoover. i used to have problems with cavan too, as the noise really scared him. i couldnt even get it out of the cupboard without him screaming at me to put it away. at first mum used to take him for me while i did it, but now hes a bit older, i just get on with it and tell him its ok but the faster mummy gets this done, the sooner it goes away and we can do A B or C...

[winegirl]

Think your right Caz, dont want to upset her just to be able to see the carpets! Back to plan A, mum comes ove and takes her out for an hour! LOL. Thanks guys x

[caterina]

Hiya winegirl
RE hoovering, I found that since bub went to tots and played with the toy hoover she's been less frightened of our one. Maybe beg, borrow or steal a shot of one and see if it works with your bub?
Plus it is only my hoover she's scared of, whenever we go and stay at Granny's she toddles along holding Granny's hand hoovering away quite happily....could it be that she is scared of my one because it's used so rarely?? ;D xx

[winegirl]

LOL! Thats so funny Caterina! Might buy a her the toy one for xmas then she can `help' mummy!

Great idea, thanks for the advice!

[sianyc]

Rhianna hated the toy one until about 2 months ago. No probs with the proper one but the little one scared the crap out of her :-)

I do some when they're eating breakfast and watching morning cartoons. Caitlin 'helps' with some when Rhianna plays and whatever's left is done at naptime or ignored! It helps that Caitlin will entertain her little sister for a bit. When C was small, I did what Scarlet does and moved the highchair around

[flobob]

Hello Winegirl
My boy was also scared of the hoover. I used to carry him on my hip whilst pushing it if I really had to do the hoovering. And he has got over his fear. Hoover doesn't come out much though ...
Flobob