How to get stuff done
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: Toddler Times
Forum Description: Is bubs growing up and getting into everything? How do you train them to use the potty? When do you start feeding solids? Share your tips and advice here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=25873
Printed Date: 27 July 2025 at 2:05pm
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Topic: How to get stuff done
Posted By: cuppatea
Subject: How to get stuff done
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 2:43pm
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I need tips on getting things done whilst your toddler is awake. As you will see from my other thread a certain little boy is no longer napping and I use the evenings to study or sleep so I need to know how to do things when he is up.
I get him to help with some things but is difficult with others, any tips would be great. He's helping me at the moment by smacking the vacuum with a wooden spoon  ------------- 
 
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Replies:
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 4:34pm
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set up activities for him to do close by? With housework I just get Tom to help...usually means he creates chaos while I clean....it may still be a mess but its clean underneath. Otherwise I open the doors to outside and send him out with his chalk.
I cant use computer with him around or he wants it too.
Sorry not much help/ I still wait till he is asleep and then do things or rush around once he's in bed for the night. I think the real answer is to be so super organised and tidy that you dont have much to do,,,,YEAH RIGHT |
Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 4:44pm
Harry 'helps' by carrying things back and forth, and yeah sometimes it makes more mess but usually it's mess that doesn't take too much to clean up (ie taking all the cloths one by one out of the drawer). This afternoon I set him up with luke warm water and bubbles in the sink, and some plastic stuff to 'wash', while I loaded the dishwasher and just tidied up. It kept him busy for ages and even got the floor washed too 
He also helps unloading the dishwasher, I take all the sharp things out of the cutlery basket thing and he takes the other cutlery out one by one and puts them in the drawer. Or I often do stuff while he's feeding himself breakfast or lunch, cos he can't move from the highchair and is happy if he's got some fruit to eat (i like giving him a whole nectarine cos it takes longer to eat and he loves it). Oh and if I ever want to go on the comp when he's awake, like Tom, Harry wants to use it too. But I've found the best solution - I open 2 windows side by side, and in one of them I play the old school sesame street songs off youtube, while I can catch up on stuff in the other window. Keeps him happy for ages. We do have a lot of 'helping' that involves banging things with sticks/wooden spoons/shakers though ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 4:54pm
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I usually do stuff while Isabelle sits in her highchair with a snack .. ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 5:36pm
Seems we mostly do what you guys do. Spencer loves helping with the dishwasher, although sometimes he is trying to close it before I've had a chance to take out/ put in anything. He loves the washing machine as well but then sometimes instead of putting the clothes in it he runs of with the dirty laundry.  
The worse thing I find is trying to do anything in the kitchen because he thinks that if I'm in the kitchen he should be allowed crackers and stands at the cupboard banging his hands on it saying "cracker cracker cracker", the only time he doesn't do that is when I'm doing stuff with the dishwasher or when we are baking as he helps with that. Sometimes he wants to get on the computer with me and other times he isn't fussed, he's in the study with me now but he is annoying the dogs through the ranch slider, he's doing his "I'm in the house, your outside, haha' dance.  -------------
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Posted By: Glow
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 7:02pm
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I sometimes have a little helper or give him or set up somethng interesting or new to look at. Does he have a cupboard of his own or draw fill of intersting, safe things he could explore in the kitchen while you are busy?
Who am I kidding! My house is a tip *cringes* at the thought of cleaning the fly dung off the ceiling & the dozen other things that really need to get done 
Definately noticed a dropp on my cleaning standards ------------- Mummy of Two Boys B: 2004 K: 2007 |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 14 April 2009 at 9:17pm
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Yeah I let him play in the tupperware drawer and he also gets in one of the cupboards but can only reach the steamer so spreads the bits for that all round the house which I don't mind him doing as I never use it anyway...lol.
I also bought some fridge magnets today so they kept him amused for a bit. Urgh don't you just hate that fly dung stuff, really pisses me off. -------------
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 15 April 2009 at 3:39pm
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Let him wash plastic dishes in a bucket on the kitchen floor or blow up some balloons for him to amuse himself with while you do other pottering around. -------------  |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 April 2009 at 3:53pm
I'm crap scared of balloons  He had one the other day that the nurse gave him and I spent all afternoon cringing waiting for it to pop, which it did in the end cos he kept squeezing it.
I like the bucket idea though, will try that out. -------------
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busymum wrote:Posted By: busyissy
Date Posted: 15 April 2009 at 7:20pm
| I think the main thing with toddlers is that they just want to be involved with what you are doing and they just want to be with you. To get housework done I let Dom 'help', things take a little longer but they get done. Usually after 5-10minutes he goes off and entertains himself until the interesting parts come up, like pushing the buttons on the washing machine, vaccum cleaner and dishwasher. I like to leave cleaning that involves chemicals until he is asleep or otherwise occupied. I have to admit I have resorted to putting a DVD on a couple of times. And every couple of weeks or once a month I ask the gparents to take him for a hour so I can whip round the house really quickly. |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 15 April 2009 at 7:54pm
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Unfortunately I would have to send him to the UK for the grandparents to look after him, bit extreme just to clean the house....lol
He had a huge catch up nap today so was able to do some bits then. Think I will just have him help and then things I can't get done with his help I will do whilst he is helping daddy If he does a catch up nap every few days that will help heaps.
Also got the bubble blower out today, was very good at distracting him for a bit. -------------
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