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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Does anyone get ANY housework done with a 15month old baby?

40 replies

may08 · 08/01/2009 16:33

I'm hoping I'm not alone here but my little boy is very demanding and requires alot of attention to keep him amused. He has lots of toys but doesnt play with them (sometimes they might amuse him for a minute or so) and just likes to wander around the house so I follow him everywhere because there are so many hazards - steps, chairs to climb on and fall off, fingers to trap in doors etc.. As a result of this the only time I get anything done in the house is when he is asleep! A small lie actually as I can now hoover (he was scared of the hoover until a couple of weeks ago). What I would really like to do is spend a little time in the kitchen but as soon as I go in there he starts hanging round my leg and crying - I dont think he likes it when I stand up as he has been so used to having me sitting down at his level for so long. I've tried the t.v which he will watch (night garden) for a short while but only if I sit with him!

Any suggestions would be great but I think what I really want to hear is that other mums/dads have the same problem!

OP posts:

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Jojay · 08/01/2009 16:35

DS was exactly the same at that age 0it's the worst as they're fully mobile but have the attention span of a knat.

My solution was to go out all the time, just visiting friends or doing to toddler groups etc. Didn't help on the housework front though.........

I foun that from about 18 months onwards it did get better though, so hang on in there

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 08/01/2009 16:36

Not with my 18 month old. No one can. Not my Nana who has raised her own children, not my mum who has raised me and my sisters and vowed she would never be beaten by a little girl.

Her nn is m the monster, there has never been a name so fitting. It's not that we don't try and contain her it's that she escapes, from everywhere. If i left her unattended fo more than a minute she would have climbed the curtains and be swinging from the light shade.

ilovetochat · 08/01/2009 16:36

my dd was and is still the same, she is 18 months, mostly i just have the hour she is asleep, if i want to go in the kitchen i let her come in and bring a toy or give her a household object to investigate while i wash up, stair gates and fireguard to keep her away from danger, put her in the cot if i need 5 mins and up till xmas had a travel cot downstairs with mesh sides positioned so she could see me if i needed it.
mostly i just let her help, she empties washing machines, hangs socks on the airer, washes veg, she also has a small mp and bucket and brush set so i give her tasks which she loves and a kitchen set so she cooks by me.

Original poster

may08 · 08/01/2009 16:41

Jojay - yes I do the same, spend most of the time going to baby groups and visiting people - I've never been so sociable! I'll keep my fingers crossed for the next few months and live on microwave meals for the time being!

OP posts:

meandjoe · 08/01/2009 18:37

may sound a bit stupid but have you tried getting ds to 'help' you with the housework? if i want to put the pots away, he 'helps' me by putting his plastic bowls back in the cupboard, if i'm cleaning i give him a wet wipe and ask his to clean the floor/ cupboards for me, he has a feather duster that he bods about with dusting with for me. he even has a mini mop which i get him to mop the floor with when i'm doing it, he sometimes does a better job than i do! half the time he just gets in the way but it keeps him happy and busy. he was also terrified of the hoover til about a month ago so i had to do the hoovering when dh took ds out! he will now tolerate it but only if he's in my arms at the same time (very heavy 17 month old in one arm trying to hoover with the other is not ideal but it does at least get done!)

aidansyummymummy · 08/01/2009 18:44

meandjoe....i thought they did away with child slavery years ago...obviously not which is great news as I can now put my 15mth DS to work! [grin}

aidansyummymummy · 08/01/2009 18:45

meandjoe · 08/01/2009 18:47

lol, my sister always says it's child labour and i should pay him! lol. my theory is, i worked hard enough for the first 10 months of his life that he owes me big time! a bit of cleaning... he's got off lightly

ahfeckit · 08/01/2009 18:48

my 20mo clings to me all thetime so i gave up trying to do regular housework months ago (he's always demanded alot of attention). i do housework when DH is around so he can spend time with him and letme get on with stuff.

try not to worry about it, things will eventually get easy for us all.

aidansyummymummy · 08/01/2009 18:50

meandjoe...I think you are setting your son up to be a lovely and caring husband in the future. If my Ex has been taught from an early age to do housework and tidy up he probably wouldnt be my ex.....next task cooking!!

meandjoe · 08/01/2009 18:56

ooo yes i must get him cooking asap!!! i think it's the only way to get anything done, other wise he just screams/ whinges/ demands attention, at least this way he thinks he's being useful and is learning some life skills!!! he also loads and empties the washing machine for me an gets clothes of the radiators and throws puts them in the ironing basket. he's a useful chap to have around (when he's not screaming that it is!)

jeanjeannie · 08/01/2009 18:57

Nope - housework....what's that?

Got a 2.2yr old and the most clingy 7mth old you could meet. Neither of them nap at the same time - if at all! Hoover comes out at weekends or if MIL takes one of them off my hands for an hour. I find even getting round to wiping a table or work surface a miracle.

I've sort of learnt to embrace my dirt

cloudydaze · 08/01/2009 19:08

Hi,
I have two boys, 33 & 14 months. The older one isn't a problem now but the younger one still needs constant monitoring as is always doing something he shouldn't. I just shut doors for rooms that I don't want him in & if I need to be in the kitchen I'll often stick him in his high chair with some (safe obviously!) utensils (his fave is a whisk) or saucepan etc to play with. Sometimes for a special treat will pour some water on the high chair tray for him to splash - he loves that! Must say though, thing that is my saviour is the playpen. We got it for our oldest, only use it if I need to do something & need DS2 somewhere safe. He actually likes being in it as doesn't get to go in it often & he's got toys in there so he happily sits there playing with toys he otherwise doesn't really get to play with.
And agree with other postings, it def gets easier as they get older. Good luck!

claireybrations · 08/01/2009 19:08

I have a 2.7 year old and a 13 month old. The 2 year old is fine because she is happy to either watch me or play alone but the 13 month old is a nightmare.

I have a minimum that I try to do each day and it keeps me sane though the house is still a state. My minimum is:
At least one lot of washing up
Kitchen worksurfaces wiped over
Beds made
Children fed and watered
Dinner cooked for me and dh
One load of washing.

I do also try to keep the floors cleanish but I havent done them for about 3 days now and they are disgusting. Keeping the bathroom reasonable helps me feel better too but it isn't kept as clean as I would like.

I find it really difficult not to get stressed out by ds crying and climbing up my leg everytime I try to do anything though. Somedays (like this morning when he wouldn't let me put him down) I just give up but I was then when my aunt showed up unexpectedly and the house was a real mess with dirty floors, washing up piled next to the sink and the kids still in their pjs!

morningpaper · 08/01/2009 19:10

I think you need to remember that everything you do is WILDLY FASCINATING to a 15 month old, so you just have to bring them up to your level (i.e. with a high-chair or standing pod thing) and let them join in, playing with potato peelings or scribbling with crayons. With housework, I would just lug the children around with me from room to room - in the bathroom they can play in the sink or in the bath; in the bedroom they can sort through my jewellery, etc.

luvaduck · 08/01/2009 19:14

my ds is the same - although he does try to copy me cleaning etc

however one thing i have found that keeps him occupied for literally hours is a load of saucepans, a wooden spoon and building blocks. he stacks them (i've got this stacking steamer set), pretends to cook, puts blocks in and out etc over and over again. a godsend. forget all the toys he has for xmas, its saucepans every time!

meandjoe · 08/01/2009 19:15

were you claireybee??? our ds' sound so similar. wait a couple of months claireybrations then put ds to work!!!

LittleMissBliss · 08/01/2009 19:15

I'm with morning paper i clean the bathroom whilst ds is in the bath, put the clothes away whilst ds is in the bedroom 'helping'.
wash-up, cook, whilst ds is in his high chair with a toy, meal, snack or cup of water which he loves to spill and smear his hands in! If i'm hovering he pushes henry round for me!

likessleep · 08/01/2009 19:15

My 14 mth old DS is exactly the same and I know where you are coming from! I do all of the housework at w'ends when DH is at home (or even better, he takes DS out and I blitz everywhere) or during DS nap time. I try and keep on top of the kitchen after DS has eaten, as he is happy to sit in his chair for 20 minutes or so afterwards.

I do barricade him into the living room a bit, which I know is safe. That sounds mean, but he has enough room to cruise around the furniture, plays with his toys and I can nip out for a few minutes to load washing machine or empty the dishwasher. Plus, it gives me a little bit of time to not have to watch him constantly. When he is out and about downstairs, it is totally time consuming to just follow them around. Plus, he doesn't understand 'no' yet, so it feels like I am constantly telling him 'off', which I don't like.

I feel guilty that DH comes home and the kitchen is a mess and dinner isn't cooked! Luckily he is very understanding

I do think some boys are just more into exploring than they are toys!

morningpaper · 08/01/2009 19:17

You have to find your toddler Something To Do and do this formula in your head:

X [time take to do chore] minus Y [time take to clear up mess made by toddler] = B [sum total of useful housework achievable]

revjustaisgoingouttonight · 08/01/2009 19:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cantpickyourfamily · 08/01/2009 19:23

dd is 18months and very very clingly, i dont get much house work done, I could do some but while I am tidying one area dd will be messing up the other area...

Have noticed dd likes t clean work surface etc when i sit her up there so might start getting her to do more cleaning...

claireybrations · 08/01/2009 19:26

Meandmyjoe-yep am normally claireybee. I know they really do sound similar (apart from that your ds sleeps ) we are always on the same threads and it does give me hope when I read your posts

claireybrations · 08/01/2009 19:28

Oh sorry, you don't have the 'my' in your name

WilfSell · 08/01/2009 19:33

my toddler is very good a wiping and putting things away in cupboards. Often mobile phones and keys

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