Getting things done with a toddler

[julesmama]

So dd is 21 months and I'm also newly pregnant, I'm home full time plus I work from home part time and I'm having trouble getting anything done. I'm already feeling the pregnancy is going to make things harder - during her naps I just want to get some rest but I need to work, clean, etc. I was hoping to find ways to incorporate dd into the cleaning, something I haven't done much before (I've always tried to do it during naps, etc.) but I think this is what we need to start doing. I need some concrete suggestions of how to say clean the bathroom with a toddler "helping." She's definitely very helpful about cleaning up toys and such, we don't have issues with that sort of clutter. It's more the bathroom and kitchen, mopping, etc. especially when there are cleaning products involved (even with the more earth friendly ones I feel a little uncomfortable with her right there). She's also not quite at the point where I can give her a little job to do and she'll stick with it for more than a few minutes. I feel like keeping on top of this stuff would go a long way to help me stay sane and have more time to do everything else. Ideas?

[lifeguard]

Ds needs to be right in the middle of everything I do. Even if he's happily occupied with a toy as soon as I start to do something he's right there. Anything I reallllly don't want him to "help" with I do when he's not around (so when he's at my Mom's or with dh or sleeping).

Some things that work for us. He LOVES to play in water so if I'm cleaning in the kitchen & I set him up at the sink with water & scrub brush he'll "wash" dishes forever. It tends to get messy though so I usually strip him to his underwear & I always need to clean up the water afterwards that's on the floor.

If I'm tidying in a room he's pretty good about helping to pick things up - but then will often start to take out again.

If I'm doing something like raking or gardening he'll generally want to help for a couple minutes & then once he's done it he'll go do something on his own.

Plain & simple doing it with him is much slower but it's a learning experience for him.

[EzzysMom]

For the bathroom, I do it while she's playing in the tub. For the rest of the house I can mostly have her follow me around with her own super-short swiffer duster while I do the real cleaning with the bathroom. Gotta say though that I just went through that first tri plus toddler and it was very tiring. I had to nap during her nap or I just could not make it through.

Mopping the kitchen i have to do after she goes to bed though, because otherwise she'll run and slip on it no matter how many times I remind her ( and she falls on her a$$).

[Comtessa]

I'm in the same situation -- first trimester, exhausted and chasing my toddler. My house is a wreck. I'm trying, but I'm not holding myself to much of a standard.

I always put 16 mo DD in the tub when I want to scrub the bathroom. I use plain baking soda if I have to scrub the tub when she's in it. She "helps" me dust, too.

[dividedsky]

you can take out the middle pole of a swiffer to make it toddler-sized... my boys live for it, and fight over it! i seriously need to buy 2 more just for them. if they have the makeshift mini-swiffer, they're totally cool while i do the floors and etc.