How do you get anything done?

deltagirl79 · August 2010

Help me please. I work p/t and on the days I'm home with DS I feel like I'm not getting anything done! Okay, it's not quite that bad but I still feel like I spend all day chasing him around so I'm still trying to get stuff done in the two hours after bed time just like on the days that I work.

I'm sure I'm exaggerating, but it's Friday night, DS just had a complete meltdown before bed and I'm worn out now. But I still feel like I need to get the dishes done and probably some laundry.

How do you get things done around the house when you are chasing LO's all day? TIA!

Baby_Bunny_Hopeful · August 2010

I do things while DS is taking a nap... or even when he's awake and content- I put him on his playmat or with toys, and transfer laundry, do the dishes, etc.

ClaudiaAC · August 2010

I work out a system.

In the morning she plays with her books while I run down and get the CD's out of the washer and either put them in the drier or put them outside to sun/dry. Then it's all Sophia until she goes down for a nap I take a quick 20 minutes for myself, because I'm usually already drained when she starts nap number one. Then I put in a load of laundry, take a shower, take the dog out, clean, craft, sit on twitter pointlessly. You know the stuff there's no way she would let me do ha ha. I don't really try to do too much house work when she's awake. It's nearly impossible. And really things like vacuuming are pointless until she's gone to bed for the day. Every time I do it during a nap she gets into the wipes and they are shredded behind the couch or something. :-)

She does nap for a total of 3 hours a day. 2 hours mid-day and 1 hour in the evening. So I can cook dinner during the 1 hour nap.

After she goes to bed I do a load of laundry right away, and right before I go to bed I move that load from washer to drier and put the CD's in the washer. The next day it starts again.

jenifairies · August 2010

I take antidepressants. lol - really. I'm much more productive now.

Anyway some stages are harder than others to get kids to entertain themselves or help you out. Don't stress over things you can't control. I know that one from experience - if you don't have the time to do the dishes, then don't spend the rest of your night beating yourself up over not doing them. Make a list for tomorrow (a short one) and put dishes at the top.

When DD napped, I did more when she was asleep, or after DH got home he would play with her while I worked on it. Or put her in the high chair with something fun - crayons, playdoh, even water with some cups and spoons. TV. My new trick is turning on her barney cd and putting up the baby gate in her room.

Rebekah1021 · August 2010

I don't run a circus around DD. It's easier now, but when she was a baby/small toddler, she had independent play. If I did laundry, I gave her some socks to play with. Just make do. I learned to do quite a bit with someone hanging on my legs, up my butt, or on my back.

kcisthebombdotcom · August 2010

My little man is a few months younger than yours but is mobile so I feel your pain! It was so much easier when he took a few naps everyday and wasn't mobile to get things done.

I'm not sure if your LO is too old at this point, but will he still play in his exersaucer, johnny jump up, or any toys like that which keep him stationary? What about putting him in a PnP with some toys to get some stuff done? Do you have a small area that you can completely babyproof, put up a gate so he can't get anywhere upsafe, and leave him with some toys to be entertained?

Right now I have a system to get everything done. My laundry room is right off my finished basement that's babyproofed so DS plays there. If I'm upstairs to clean the kitchen, take a shower, or anything like that I put DS in this and it keeps him entertaied and confined for a good half hour

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3904494 .

Doing stuff I do on a weekly basis, like deep cleaning the bathroom, I do when DH is home.

wifeandmama · August 2010

I clean daily. Now, it's really simple because my son is 2.5 and will "help" or just play on his own. When he was little, I wore him or gave him some sort of task to do that kind of related to what I was doing to entertain him. I took advantage of nap time in the beginning and always cleaned before he woke up. I prepped dinner during his naps so I coudl just throw it in the oven when the time came. Again, he's old enough now to just give me a hand in the kitchen and he loves it !

Stacyc625 · August 2010

hate to tell you but it is going to get worse before it gets easier. I am going to answer your question strictly based on how to clean with a LO that is 1-2yrs old.

you have to learn to have him help you- talk to him and tell him everything you are doing- around 14 months or so- Gisele 'got' the concept of helping. She would stand at the dryer and put the socks in the dryer for me as i handed them to her. Or she would help put clothes in a basket... she also learned how to take socks OUT of the basket. Learn to make it fun for them- have your LO 'sort' the socks. Use this time to teach colors and grouping.

When I would clean the bathroom- i would put her in the tub (no water) and give her a washcloth and tell her to help mommy clean. so she was corraled in there and I would clean the toliet/sink etc.

Same thing with dusting. I would give her a rag and she would 'help' she would even make the noise of pretend spraying the polish on the rag (she didn't have the spray)- and she would dust the table with the paper towel/rag.

With vacuuming- I bought her the Fisher Price 'corn popper' toy. She would pretend to vacuum- any time i did.

for me the hardest part was emptying/loading the dishwasher. That was difficult until she got a little older (like 2) and then I would give her the plastic bowls/lids to put away and 'organize' until I was done putting all the breakables and sharp stuff away.

You have to learn how to corral your child and engage him in helping to get anything done. Or learn what will occupy his time long enough for you to get anything done. Use fun 'cleaning' music to help. Find a kids' CD of upbeat songs/nursery rhymes to put on while you clean. And sing to him

I work at home- and NEED naps for work- I don't clean during naps so it was something that I just needed her to understand and roll with-

Now I only clean for 1hr a day and i have a schedule/routine and I do one 'big' thing each day during that time. That time is long enough to enlist her help and then we move onto fun play things.

rebeccaontherocks · August 2010

My DS plays independently pretty well. So I just give him a cupboard to play in or a box of toys in the middle of the room while I clean. Otherwise I do it when he is napping. By the time he goes to bed at night, I usually just have to finish up dinner dishes then relax.

Dr.Loretta · August 2010

She sits in her high chair while I do dishes or start dinner.

I throw a load of laundry in when she's napping, or if she's hanging out content in the living room.

I put her in the Ergo or the Moby and she helps me put away laundry.

Etc.

Boizmom · August 2010

My 3yo and 5yo are pretty self sufficient. They can pretty much do anything on their own so when I am cleaning, taking care of the baby or whatever, they aren't having to sit around and wait for me to do anything. And I do do things with them, but I don't have to entertain them all day if you know what I mean. And the baby, well, he is just fine playing on the floor or in his exersaucer while I throw in some laundry or do the dishes or cook dinner. He does take two long naps a day so that helps me be able to get things done around the house too. It's really not all that difficult to get things done. It helps that I have some pretty independent and laid back kids though.

HarrietNJMommy · August 2010

I'm "superwoman"! LOL!

I do what I can, when I can. I don't have "naptime" to get things done. 2 out of 3 kids are awake. And I certainly do NOT get my girls to help me clean up anything other than the playroom because it will take FOREVER........

I also have a cleaning crew and a helpful DH.......

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