[misse10]

My DS 8mo is tummy crawling and into everything (as they are). we have a playpen but he cries whenever he's put into that so I leave it for when i really need him safe (for my bathroom, shower, clothes line etc time). he loves getting into everything and learning about the world, but that means that unless he's asleep i spend my life picking him up and moving him away from the dog/cupboards etc.

i kind of expected this, but it leaves me feeling like i'm wasting a lot of time during the day when i should be getting household stuff done. paying bills, organising tradesmen, online shopping, cooking, whatever people do when they're not working (i'm determined to be good housewife even though i'm not sure what that means yet!)

am i deluded thinking that i can get time for this stuff? or am i missing a trick/tactic? it seems all my girlfriends can have multiple kids while cooking nutritious meals and having clean, well maintained houses...so it seems possible but that i just haven't worked out how/the balance.

when/how do you guys do it?!?

[~Supernova~]

I let DS go crazy lol. We have locks on cupboards that are dangerous (glass, chemicals etc) but he has free reign of the saucepans, junk draw, plastic cupboard, and utensils. Yeah, I spend my day picking up after him, but he has fun, and I get a lot done. I also let him go in my wardrobe, he has a shoe fetish haha

ETA: You just need to relax. If all the dangerous stuff is out of reach, what's the worst that can honestly happen? IMO they NEED to explore and make mischief, it's how they learn.

This post has been edited by Mareek: 01/02/2013, 03:33 PM

[MissM86]

I agree with Mareek- just let him crawl around and make a mess. I have never used a playpen and DD has had free reign of the house. She was walking at 8 months and now at 16 months is a huge climber. I have given up pulling her off tables, chairs, benches etc and just let her go for it. I would drive myself mad if I chased her around all day.

Childproof the cupboards you don't want him to access, secure the oven dials (DD constantly turns the gas on) and toilet lid (DD climbs in yuk) and just get on with your day. Every so often, do a big tidy up behind him and put everything back (But not too often or you will feel constantly defeated)!

[Ehill]

Yes, just make certain areas safe and let him go crazy. DS has 3 kitchen cupboards that he pulls apart every single day about 5 times. They are plastic stuff and I just chuck them all back in in 10 secs flat afterwards for it to be destructed half an hour later. All the toys are in the open area off the kitchen and he can trash that as much as he likes as often as he wants. So that is how I cook and do stuff in the kitchen.

When I shower he trashes a bathroom cupboard (my DH's ). Although this morning he pulled all the toilet paper off the roll which is still sitting on a pile on the flr of the ensuite. Pffft....care factor.....nil, I will just grab my paper off the floor for the next day!

He snacks in his highchair while I do stuff. Find finger food he likes.

So in short......lower your standards and give him stuff to destroy.

Having said that, I am a bit stuffed outside at the moment. So no advice there as my area around the washing line is not very safe so I do that one while he is eating or sleeping.

[axiomae]

My tricks with my 7 month old when I need to keep her safe while I do something are the jolly jumper and the jumperoo - I can pop her in both of those and she will play happily in them while I vacuum, hang out washing, cook etc

[Babetty]

Both my kids loved 'clothesline time'. They got to see washing flapping in the breeze and being shaken out, and pegs are the best toys ever!! So just take her with you and let her go for it (occasionally I would need to throw a beach towel over some of the line for shade, depending on time of day).

Cooking - either finger food in the high chair or let them into the tupperware or saucepan cupboards.

Toilet - put down at door to our bedroom, line of sight to the ensuite and watch her crawl!

Shower, well, that was after they were in bed...it's my me time!!

Basically, keep them within sight and let chaos reign for a while - giving them the junk mail provides heaps of entertainment and is surprisingly easy to clean up.

[meggs1]

I did/do a combination of:

Racing around at nap time, after bedtime.
Housework while wearing an ergo
Letting him wreak havoc on the safe cupboards - to this end I have the most accessable one full of Tupperware plus an Ikea unit which holds 4 baskets (toys) and 4 shelves (books) and 2 big dinosaurs which he can pull out.
Letting him "help" - playing with pegs, dustpan, etc
Playpen/gate + screaming if I have to deal with something hot/poisonous etc.
Lowering standards

[KRT]

I found that it did get better once DS was a bit more mobile and a bit more verbal. He started to understand no, and come to me when I called (sounds like a dog!). He also got better once he could stand up without pulling on things - I didn't have to stop him from pulling things over onto himself. He also learned not to shut his fingers in doors and drawers!

[honeylulu]

I baby-proofed the kitchen/living room area completely. The drawers/cupboards DS can reach are filled with toddler-friendly cloths, tupperware, wooden spoons, pegs, etc and I let him make a mess. The short time it takes to clean up after him is worth the time it buys me to prepare meals, etc.
I put DS in his highchair for morning/afternoon tea and that buys a good 20 minutes each time, especially if I let him have waterplay or yoghurt "finger painting" in the chair afterwards.
Ironing I have to do when DS is asleep.

[zogee]

I don't think there's a magic solution as long as we all have something to eat at the end of the day and something clean to wear then I've done my job! It does get easier but during the holidays I'm finding my 4 yo is just as messy as the baby!