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Original poster

Cooking and housework with a busy 16 month old - how?

56 replies

Del453 · 08/04/2020 16:20

How does anyone do anything with a busy 16 month old? I’m not exaggerating but from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep he runs around climbing on things, climbing the sofa, table etc. I’ve put all the dining chairs upstairs as he would move them (yes move them, he’s bloody strong) within like 2 seconds and be climbing on stuff. I’m with him every second as I’m worried he will fall or hurt himself. I can’t do anything. House is a mess, other 2 kids I’m barely taking care of (older). My girls were nothing like this. Advice and tips please. He’s always been hyper but this lockdown making things worse as obviously older ones not in school and I’m not taking him to baby/toddler groups.

OP posts:
Nutellapastries · 08/04/2020 16:40

At that age I waited till he went to sleep at 7pm. Sorry 😐

Dishwashersaurous · 08/04/2020 16:41

Afraid you don’t. Unless he’s asleep or strapped in

So prepare and cook dinner when he has a lunchtime nap

You are allowed to go for a really long walk with no time limit with him in the buggy. Use this time to talk to the older two

Spend an hour every evening after he’s gone to bed to tidy up
Hoover on a Saturday morning when your partner has him for an hour

Stickybeaksid · 08/04/2020 16:43

Nap time or after they have gone to bed. Other option is to get up an hour early and do stuff in the morning.

Can your partner not mind the toddler

Craiglang · 08/04/2020 16:44

Sling. It saved my life in that stage. Throw the kid on my back and get on with it. Or strapped in to the highchair with toys/snacks/other bribe.

My kids were all the same and even at 3.5 my youngest will climb the curtains if unsupervised. DC3 colours at the table while I make dinner and I stop her climbing on the table chat to her.

CecilyP · 08/04/2020 16:45

It's hard, you just do what you can when you can.

How old are your girls? Could they help more?

firstimemamma · 08/04/2020 16:45

I've got a 20 month old and I make sure I utilise his nap time so half doing stuff and half having a break. Preparing his tea and washing up is done when he's strapped into his high chair either 'helping' if possible or watching an iPad. I give the house a quick go over once he's asleep and get organised for the next day. That's literally it! If I want to achieve anything more than that it has to be when daddy is home!

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 08/04/2020 16:46

Nap time!

Honestly I moan about having a 2.5yr old under my feet but can honestly say it would be harder if this had happened when she was 18months.

Do what you can during nap time, bed nice and early and don’t be too harsh on yourself

picklemewalnuts · 08/04/2020 17:11

I baby proofed the room I was in. If you want to clean the bathroom, try sitting him in the bath on a towel with a few toys and work fast.

In the lounge, I put the sofa across the cupboards so he couldn't empty them . Try and organise it so if he climbs and falls, he lands on something soft.

And rope your older children in. You can do a lot in ten minutes, if you know he's safe.

It's like living in little blitz moments!

Fresh01 · 08/04/2020 17:18

Strap in the highchair with a small pile of grated cheese or grated apple or box of sultanas. Takes much longer to pick up and eat when grated or trying to fish a sultana our of a box. Might give you a couple of 10 min slots.

Washing task them with putting stuff in machine whilst you sort powder etc. Give them a pile of pegs to play with while you hang up washing.

CheshireDing · 08/04/2020 17:26

As others have said you have to tidy after bedtime.

DC3 here was/still is bonkers, we got a playpen for him so he could shout but not get out whilst I made dinner 🤷‍♀️ And we got a robot vac.

SisterA · 08/04/2020 17:31

My toddler helps me with some tasks - he helps with laundry (he’s not really helping obviously he’s making a mess but not causing much trouble), when I’m cooking dinner I close the kitchen door and bring some toys in to occupy him and I’ve also done some cupboard/drawer rearranging so anything he can get into isn’t dangerous. Bathrooms get done when he’s sleeping ideally but again I’ve organised the bathroom cupboards so anything he can reach are just toilet rolls and spare shampoo etc is somewhere he can’t reach. He build towers and rolls the toilet paper around but again it’s not overly destructive. And he loves the vacuum so he follows me around barking at it like a dog when I do that.

None of it is ideal but it works for us so I’m sure you'll manage to find something that works for you!

Grumpos · 08/04/2020 17:33

I don’t think you can - my house is trashed every day from morning to evening. I have an hour or two at nap times to tidy round and wash up.

Distract in his high chair with a snack whilst you sort bits, a little bit of TV won’t hurt and use walks, baths and play in different rooms if you can.
When things get too much downstairs for us we go up and play in the bedroom for a bit for example.

I feel your pain Confused

ooooohbetty · 08/04/2020 17:35

Playpen. Or in the kitchen I used to give mine access to one cupboard that they were allowed to remove everything from and play with. That used to keep them amused while I cooked.

Sipperskipper · 08/04/2020 17:40

DD was similar at this age. I sort of let her climb / move chairs etc but only if she couldn't use it to get anywhere dangerous. She was a nightmare if I tried to cook, but around this age I got her a children's knife (kiddicutter) and she loved actually cutting stuff. It took 3x as long but kept her occupied with me. Must be so hard during lockdown. She's nearly 3 now and it is a lot easier (although she still has a LOT of energy!)

parrotfashionista · 08/04/2020 17:41

I've just got magna doodles for mine - good for the high chair

MsChatterbox · 08/04/2020 17:44

I used to put my son in his highchair in the kitchen with me. Would give him something to pretend to mix or just chat/sing songs. If that failed I would put him on my back in his carrier (he's always been 95th centile so was a good workout).

Original poster
Del453 · 08/04/2020 17:45

Thanks for the ideas! I’m doing a few things now I’ll feedback how it went later this week. I can’t really do anything as I fall asleep when he does as he still wakes up 4 or 5 times a night. I’m so exhausted can’t carry on like this anymore. My other 2 are 6 and 4. Feel bad that I’m a crap mother to them cos I’m either running after him or too exhausted

OP posts:
Idontwantthis · 08/04/2020 17:47

I feel you....now imagine doing all that while also trying to work from home!! 😆

BuzzingtheBee · 08/04/2020 17:51

You can only do what you can do

Marieo · 08/04/2020 17:54

Naptime and bedtime! For cooking I used to pop him in the highchair if he was unsettled so he could see what was going on and I could keep an eye. Did upgrade to a helper stool but they are expensive new, we got one second hand for cheap and it's been great!

crispysausagerolls · 08/04/2020 17:57

Mine is like this. I’m
Pregnant and after a morning of running around and doing proper parenting I’m
Just having to stick shit on YouTube so I can sit down. Horrible heartburn and feel awful but honestly it’s fucking exhausting. No bloody way do I have the energy for cleaning once he has gone to bed either. Managed to struggle through some at the weekend whilst DH had him. I really, really, REALLY miss my cleaner.

No idea how you are coping with other children - sympathise massively. Big hugs OP we are all in the same boat xx

CanaryFish · 08/04/2020 17:59

My son is the same (even down to dragging chairs around ) and doesn’t sleep at night either , you just do what you can to get through the day and keep everyone fed and alive!

CaryStoppins · 08/04/2020 18:09

Child proof a room. Have a stair gate on that room. I wouldn't worry about him falling off a sofa, he won't hurt himself - it's things like having the TV securely mounted on the wall, any bookcases safely attached to the wall that are important.

Tidy up with all the children as you go along. Don't let them get everything out in the first place - once they've finished playing with something put it away before getting anything else out. Have a tidy up time before snack time, before lunch, before tea, before bed. Then once he's asleep it's just a matter of running the hoover round.

While you're cooking strap him into his high chair or at the table with puzzles, paper and crayons or books.

Original poster
Del453 · 08/04/2020 19:28

Thank you everyone! It’s really tough. No idea how some of you are working from home. My husband is working from home and we literally don’t see him all day. He’s in the study from 8am till 8pm (I’m getting ready for bed around this time lol!)

Tried the high chair but he squirmed and squirmed and managed to pop the little clicker thing at bottom of the chair (am I making sense? Feel like a zombie right now, holding him n typing so excuse typos. I tried to tempt him with so much on high chair but nothing worked. I even gave him crayons - he ate them! Didn’t touch the grated apple, cheese and raisins tho

OP posts:
Kay1341 · 08/04/2020 19:32

I put 14 month old DS in a travel pram eith toys or youtube videos. Alternatively he's on the kitchen floor and gets to play with safe utensils and tupperware.