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Original poster

Housework and 1 year old

91 replies

cheekypickle · 10/08/2012 12:25

Is it me or is it jut impossible unless their asleep? I know DH will come home today and ask what I have done and it won't be very much.

Took DD to a group for 45 mins this morning and a group this afternoon for an hour. Other than that been at home the whole time

OP posts:
GhostShip · 10/08/2012 19:28

*a child of your own I meant to say

VolAuVent · 10/08/2012 19:30

It's virtually impossible unless they're asleep.

RuthlessBaggage · 10/08/2012 19:31

Actually I find it easier with a 15mo than I found it with a mobile 6-12mo, for example. At least he can entertain himself for more than two seconds.

Having said that, on first reading the OP I thought "yeah it's a nightmare; I do far less than I should", completely forgetting the 10-12 loads of laundry and 21 meals (inc washing up and wiping down) I do each week with the children under my feet playing nicely nearby.

Little and often is the only way. And get them to help as soon as possible - even a toddler can help tidy up, push a brush around, wipe a window, etc.

Flylady is quite good for splitting housework into minimum units, so you always have time to do something even if it's just wiping the bathroom sink and bleaching the loo while DC is in the bath.

Socknickingpixie · 10/08/2012 19:33

dont be daft ofcourse its not impossible

coppertop · 10/08/2012 19:35

How much you get done can vary according to what your 1yr-old is actually like:

Ds1 - Could be put anywhere and would stay there. Terrified of the hoover though, so possible to do anything but that.

Ds2 - Complete hyper nightmare who couldn't be left unwatched for even a second. Nothing got done.

Dd1 - Velcro child who had to be carried everywhere, so the only jobs that got done were ones that could be done with a child attached.

Dd2 - Happy to join in but has always had a built-in proximity detector that goes off if more than two feet away from me. So jobs can be done but only ones where it's okay to have a toddler very close by.

CharlieMumma · 10/08/2012 19:38

Am I the only one that just does stuff when ds is napping, eating in high chair or if he's gone to bed! Automatic reaction get a cleaner - bloody hell how the other half liveHmm

AThingInYourLife · 10/08/2012 19:39

I don't know anything about you, you mentioned in your post that you didn't have children.

"Someone doesn't need to have a child to know what they are like."

Knowing what children are like and knowing what it is like to have your own children are very different things.

AThingInYourLife · 10/08/2012 19:41

You should never leave a baby unattended when eating or in a high chair.

Some people put away laundry when their toddler is in the bath.

They too are irresponsible idiots.

But hey! Their houses are tidy...

Sirzy · 10/08/2012 19:42

It is more than possible to keep a house clean without doing anything irresponsible!

GhostShip · 10/08/2012 19:44

So if you don't know anything about me why are you assuming anything then? And I said that in my third post, after you'd already had a go.

You have no idea, I'm very much entitled to have an opinion on whether someone can do housework whilst looking after a child.

Why aren't you saying this to anyone else?

Pekka · 10/08/2012 19:56

catgirl ...when will I see you again? When will we share precious moments?...

OP- I have a 5 month old DS who doesn't like to nap and demands attention all the time. I find housework almost impossible. I think the fact that I am very tired (DS is a poor sleeper) makes me much slower than I used to be.

catgirl2012 · 10/08/2012 19:58

Will I have to waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait forever?
Or will I have to suffer (suffer)
and cry the whole night through? Pekka

Socknickingpixie · 10/08/2012 20:01

ghostship im with you compleatly,it is not impossible if you are organised and dont tend to look on the negative side of everything and can be bothered to do it you will get it done.
without doing anything that is stupid like leaving a child unsupervised in a bath/highchair.

if you just dont want to and prefer to play (nothing wrong with that at all) then fess up and be proud about it say 'oh well i played all day instead' and do it the next day

GhostShip · 10/08/2012 20:05

Sirzy - youre right! The thing is some people dont have to because they can afford help. To them it might be impossible because they know they have something to fall back on.
To someone who can't afford help, there's no time for thinking like that. It's got to be done so it can't be an impossibility.

downbythewater · 10/08/2012 20:08

I'm just Shock at the number of people just saying 'get a cleaner' as if it is that easy! Round here they cost £10 an hour!

I found the adjustment hard, but in time you adapt and find a way to make it work. A combination of doing things little and often ( eg chopping veg for dinner while LO is eating a snack in the morning, cleaning the loo while they are in the bath), lowering standards A LOT and doing big jobs at the weekend/ hoovering round in the evening are the way forward!

EyesDoMoreThanSee · 10/08/2012 20:13

Use fly lady

MamaBear17 · 10/08/2012 20:15

Playpen doesnt work for me because dd throws a tantrum. I have told hubby that he either needs to take her out for a couple of hours so that I can clean, or I'll take her out and he can do it! We both work (I work 4 days he is full time) but even so, I cant properly clean when I am alone with her. Firstly, I feel guilty for not spending the time playing (since I am at work for 4 days a week) and secondly, she kicks off. Usually when I am upto my elbows in bathroom cleaner. It is just too stressful. x

minibmw2010 · 10/08/2012 20:19

I tend to just keep an ear out for DS (14 mths) and get on with it, admittedly very quickly. So long as I know he can't catch his fingers in the doors then I leave him to it and check on him every few minutes.

KittieCat · 10/08/2012 20:25

I either used the sling with DS in it while I did things or I had him in the same room and sat him down with a bowl of dry rice crispies which took a nice long time to eat! Clearly the latter meant more clearing up but I just left the vacuuming to last... It gets much easier. DS is now 20 months and it's simple again.

MadgeHarvey · 10/08/2012 20:26

I just lowered my standards - a bit like the ratings agencies! Went from 'poor' to 'unreliable' to 'negligible' in a very few weeks!

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 10/08/2012 20:34

I don't see the point in cleaning too much as ds quickly follows me around in a whirlwind of destruction.

I can't see how the cheeky twunt can ask you what you've done all day when he has two four hour naps on the weekend though.

Kayano · 10/08/2012 20:38

Chalk board/ white board

I don't get the whole - I had a baby and can now do nothing else...

I set up a rota for me and DH.

onemorebite · 10/08/2012 20:43

pretty impossible for me. Our house gets very dusty and have seriously thought about sewing a duster onto baby's bum and let her clean as she follows me from room to room. Have recently taken to carrying baby in one hand and sporadically going round with a baby wipe in the other.

And have taught 5 year old to hoover (she loves cleaning),

The only thing that gets done regularly is the kitchen floor - and that is only because baby insists on flinging half her food on it eery meal

stickyj · 10/08/2012 20:43

4 kids, one house, own business. Playpen, who gives a F if they don't like it, honest to goodness. You have to balance your life, baby's life and reality. Someone else quoted mums in Africa.......they work, etc etc with baby on their back and you know what, baby doesn't get asked how they feel and what they would like to do, they are just surviving.

If DH comes home and asks about house, whatever. You might be husy cleaning, you might just have decided to have a lazy day or go out with friends. If you're at home all day and he's not, then the majority of the home is up to you. He should help out when he gets home, but give him at least 15 minutes before launching into tirrade time. He has a job so do you.

You're not asking him to child mind his kids, just give him the baby and let him have some Dad time. Unless you have have kids with SN there is no reason whatsover that you can't keep the house tidy, get the washing done and still have loads of time to play with/much the kids.

Kayano · 10/08/2012 20:52

AThing being able to clean with a baby does not equate to leaving a baby alone in a bath while you fold clothes.

What a ridiculous thing to say