[ASheppa0821]

How does everyone balance their housework with a toddler who still is in the "heavy monitoring" stage? Emma has recently started walking, and will watch a Barney video, but loves to move around while doing so. I want to keep her secluded during chores like vacuuming, where i can't hear her, and i'm in the other room, so that she doesn't get into anything that I know will hurt her. She's too big for her exersaucer, pretty much, and there's nothing out there that is condusive to my home. Although I have a decent size house, I have a very "divided" house (no HUGE open rooms...), so I can't put up one of those gate circles to keep her in there for a few minutes while I clean. I usually wait to do laundry while she naps, because it's downstairs.

How did/do you all handle it? I'd love to hear everyone's different methods!

[DivasMomma]

It definitly gets A LOT tougher once they start walking!! I give Jaecy a wipe (I still do this because she knows what shes NOT supposed to get into, and does it anyway when Im not paying attention) She walks shes all of around and dusts with me.
shes all of a sudden scared of the vaccuum so she runs and jumps onto the couch, which keeps her out of the way.
When I do dishes she brings a chair in and "helps" me (just makes a big water mess, but tis jsut water!) and as for laundry, I swear the kid LOVES to help! She takes the wet clean clothes and puts them in the dryer, and INSISTS on smelling all of the soap/softner before I put it in. she likes to guess what it smells like
When she was little, and had just started walking, our washer/dryer was in a laundry room out of our apartment. I would stick her inside the basket and tote her down there with me, or I would put her in her crib for awhile with some toys to play with. She was usually content in there for a few mins at a time!
GL!

[twinzplus3]

I include my kids in the chores. . .and expect that the house will never return to its pristine "Better Homes and Garden" state until they are all grown and gone!

[MommaColleen]

Clean....who has time to clean

Seriously, I just did things while they were napping or when they went to bed for the night. Emma doesn't walk yet but I still stick to waiting till she goes to bed at night to do my cleaning. Plus I have 2 older kids that each have chores

[mrmnmom82]

I put a basket in the middle of the floor and we count together as they put things inside. I feel like the count.. 1 ha ha ha!....2 ha ha ha!....

[LeanyBean]

Originally Posted by MommaColleen

Clean....who has time to clean

I have 4 boys so my house is a mess pretty much 24/7. It seems great when we get one room pristine but that only usually last a few hours. Occasionally we have an entire level of the house clean and organized but yet again lucky to have that last more than a few hours.

[Samual]

We just leave them to whatever they are doing, if a room isn't child proof they shouldn't be in that room at all.

[JeanLynn81]

Originally Posted by Samual

We just leave them to whatever they are doing, if a room isn't child proof they shouldn't be in that room at all.

Alyssa's room wouldn't be child proof unless I were to take everything out of there and add padding to the walls, floor, and ceiling. And even then, I'm SURE she would find a way to rip up the padding and get stuck under it.

Anyways, my dd loves to help too! Yes, everything takes longer, but to her its a game. Kind of makes everyday boring chores seem like fun.

What I wouldn't give to be able to view the world through the eyes of a child again!

[KR258]

Originally Posted by Samual

We just leave them to whatever they are doing, if a room isn't child proof they shouldn't be in that room at all.

I found child proofing to be too expensive so the only child proofing there is in our place are a few gates and outlet plugs...(oh and we don't own anything expensive because we're afraid she'll destroy it one day). I gotta watch her close all the time. The only room that's mostly safe is her own and only becuase there is nothing in it! I usually give her a baby wipe and make her clean with me. She enjoys cleaning things...as far as dishes and laundry and vaccuming..........I wait till she's sleeping or her dad is home. I can't really get them done with her around because she's always waiting for that one minute when I'm not watching to get into those things she knows she shouldn't.

[KR258]

I have had her help with the dishes once. She sat up on the counter and played with a plastic measuring cup and the water.....She ended up in the sink by the end of the dishes clothes and all!!