Getting Housework Done with a Toddler (LINKUP)
Getting housework done while caring for a toddler sometimes takes strategic planning. Since most of us have the responsibility of housecleaning, cooking and keeping a crazy toddler alive, it can seem like a crazy juggling act at times.
Part of what this link up is for is to share ideas for the more complicated areas of life with a toddler so I'm looking forward to reading tips from you all as well!
Here is how I manage my home while caring for my busy two year old.
1. Let your toddler help I know this sounds like a lot more work. It is. But it is also not time wasted. Toddlers just want to do everything that you are doing and that's a wonderful thing even though at times it may start to drive you crazy I am learning to embrace my shadow and let my two year old "help". We have a lot of fun working together on housework even if it doesn't always get done quickly!
Here are some of the chores around the house that we do together.
-laundry: She loves to hand me the clothing items out of the basket for me to fold. This also keeps her from destroying my neatly folded piles!
-dishes: I pull her little chair next to me and let her rinse the soap off the plastic wear and silver wear or I just give her a plastic cup and a clean sponge and she is happy!
-sweeping and mopping: She has her own little broom and dustpan so I give her a section of the room to sweep and clean while I'm working on the rest of the room.
-washing windows/cleaning: She loves to wipe down the windows with me. I use an 100% toxic-free cleaner from the company I'm a rep for: Healthy Home. I use that same cleaner for all of my cleaning so that I don't have to worry about her helping me. Here is a link to where you can purchase it if you are interested. It's called CLEAN.
-picking up toys: I try to consistently teach my daughter to clean up after herself and put her toys away. This is definitely a chore to do together!
-cooking: This one is the hardest for me. I love to have my daughter help me with dinner but it gets VERY messy letting her stir/pour/dump etc... If I have plenty of time to prepare dinner and clean up, I let her help me as much as I can. The kitchen is where memories are made and I want my daughter even now to have great memories of baking and cooking with her mama :)
2. I distract her with her own special activity.
I keep a lot of her toys put up in separate boxes so that she doesn't get into them all at one time. It's a real mess saver, but it also gives me an opportunity to distract her with a specific activity if I need to get something done around the house. Here is a list of the different activities I have for her to do if I have some work to get done:
Play dough Button Art (ALEX Toys Little Hands Button Art
Part of what this link up is for is to share ideas for the more complicated areas of life with a toddler so I'm looking forward to reading tips from you all as well!
Here is how I manage my home while caring for my busy two year old.
1. Let your toddler help I know this sounds like a lot more work. It is. But it is also not time wasted. Toddlers just want to do everything that you are doing and that's a wonderful thing even though at times it may start to drive you crazy I am learning to embrace my shadow and let my two year old "help". We have a lot of fun working together on housework even if it doesn't always get done quickly!
Here are some of the chores around the house that we do together.
-laundry: She loves to hand me the clothing items out of the basket for me to fold. This also keeps her from destroying my neatly folded piles!
-dishes: I pull her little chair next to me and let her rinse the soap off the plastic wear and silver wear or I just give her a plastic cup and a clean sponge and she is happy!
-sweeping and mopping: She has her own little broom and dustpan so I give her a section of the room to sweep and clean while I'm working on the rest of the room.
-washing windows/cleaning: She loves to wipe down the windows with me. I use an 100% toxic-free cleaner from the company I'm a rep for: Healthy Home. I use that same cleaner for all of my cleaning so that I don't have to worry about her helping me. Here is a link to where you can purchase it if you are interested. It's called CLEAN.
-picking up toys: I try to consistently teach my daughter to clean up after herself and put her toys away. This is definitely a chore to do together!
-cooking: This one is the hardest for me. I love to have my daughter help me with dinner but it gets VERY messy letting her stir/pour/dump etc... If I have plenty of time to prepare dinner and clean up, I let her help me as much as I can. The kitchen is where memories are made and I want my daughter even now to have great memories of baking and cooking with her mama :)
2. I distract her with her own special activity.
I keep a lot of her toys put up in separate boxes so that she doesn't get into them all at one time. It's a real mess saver, but it also gives me an opportunity to distract her with a specific activity if I need to get something done around the house. Here is a list of the different activities I have for her to do if I have some work to get done:
Play dough Button Art (ALEX Toys Little Hands Button Art
)
Finger Paint Sticker Pad (Melissa & Doug Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad) Puzzles Mosaic Pictures (The Orb Factory Limited My First Sticky Mosaics Fairies
) Chalkboard/Whiteboard coloring
I also try to match what I give her to do with what I'm doing so she feels like she is doing something similar. If I'm cooking, I ask her to cook me a meal on her play kitchen, or if I'm paying bills, I give her a pad of paper to scribble on. Those are just a few of the activities that keep her busy for a short period of time so I can get things done. As a last resort there is always Curious George. He is the ultimate distraction in our house :)
What about you? I would love to hear how you manage your home and keep your toddler busy. Link up below!
I also try to match what I give her to do with what I'm doing so she feels like she is doing something similar. If I'm cooking, I ask her to cook me a meal on her play kitchen, or if I'm paying bills, I give her a pad of paper to scribble on. Those are just a few of the activities that keep her busy for a short period of time so I can get things done. As a last resort there is always Curious George. He is the ultimate distraction in our house :)
What about you? I would love to hear how you manage your home and keep your toddler busy. Link up below!
In this link up we want to share with you what we've found that has worked for us as new mamas to toddlers. Because we're experts after being moms for a few years or so, right? Not really, but we have some experience and want to share what we've learned and we'd love to learn from you, too!
Here's our Hosts for this round!
My delicious adventure
Here are the topics we will be talking about this Month!
April 2nd. Spring activities and craft ideas for toddlers.
April 9th. How you keep your toddler occupied while grocery shopping.
April 15th. Potty Training.
April 22.Ways to distract a toddler while you're cooking/cleaning etc.
April 29th. Clothes shopping for your toddler. (Where do you get the best deals, where do you shop, how do you save money) etc
Here are the topics we will be talking about this Month!
April 2nd. Spring activities and craft ideas for toddlers.
April 9th. How you keep your toddler occupied while grocery shopping.
April 15th. Potty Training.
April 22.Ways to distract a toddler while you're cooking/cleaning etc.
April 29th. Clothes shopping for your toddler. (Where do you get the best deals, where do you shop, how do you save money) etc
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