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Would you let your child use wet mop pads unsupervised?

30 replies

ShapeofanLonmyforehead · 23/08/2026 09:23

DD has been getting up in the mornings on the weekend and telling us to stay in bed, she then goes downstairs and tidies anything that out, hoovers the living room and ‘mops’ (uses a dry/dust sheet with the flash mop) but she’s notices that I used the wet mop pads and/or spray and now she’s asking if she can do that in the mornings. Initially I said no because it’s chemicals and if I’m not downstairs with her (she doesn’t want us downstairs as she likes to surprise us with the hard work she’s done) then I can’t leave her to handle chemicals on her own. She keeps asking if she can just put a wet moo-pad on the mop so she can mop properly but wants to do it by herself and said she’ll wash her hands after she’s touched it.

I don’t know if I’m being a bit helicoptery or just expecting her to eat the mop pad which obviously she won’t.. but if I put a wet mop on the flash mop the night before and leave it covered in the tub so it doesn’t dry out. All she has to be is lift it out I guess.. should I let her? Or just say to keep using the dry ones.

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fizzysoda · 23/08/2026 10:55

I think people are being a bit mean, I think it’s quite sweet that she wants to do this. I also have a child who likes to clean and has been like that since he was little, always wanted to help me mop or do washing etc. I think she will be fine with the mop

Delphiniumandlupins · 23/08/2026 11:05

Probably not if she's 3, definitely OK if she's 13. I'm guessing somewhere in the middle? Do you have a cordless hoover because I think a plugged-in one would be riskier than a mop?

PrincessOfPreschool · 23/08/2026 11:19

I would suggest she uses a broom, dustpan/ brush, then wet mops. I couldn't be doing with the noise of hoovering on Sat morning, however well intentioned!

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ShapeofanLonmyforehead · 23/08/2026 22:29

Onbuy · 23/08/2026 09:23

Peculiar post

namely because you don’t say how old your Dd is

Oh god sorry, she’s 6!🤣

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ShapeofanLonmyforehead · 23/08/2026 22:36

I can’t believe I forgot to mention her age then forgot to even revisit this post until now 🤣

DD loves to ‘surprise’ us, some days it’s by writing us a letter each, other days it’s demanding we stay in bed and can’t go downstairs until she says so (because she’s ‘cleaning’)

She tends to put away any toys that may be left out from the night before, take her dirty washing from her room to the washer, make the cushion of the sofa neat and tidy, she LOVES to fold the throws really neatly on the sofa too bless her 🤣 then she’ll wipe down the table, hoover and now she’s into mopping too 😅

she doesn’t always do it, but she does love doing it I think it makes her feel like she’s being grown up because she obviously watches me and her dad tidy 😂 I promise she’s not a little Cinderella being forced to clean.. she actually hates being told to clean or tidy her room.. it’s only fun on her terms obviously!

someone mentioned a spray bottles with water and a little fairy liquid.. that’s the winner here.. I’ll start doing that for her. Thanks everyone.. and sorry you’ve all been guessing her age 😩

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