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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

How do you keep your house tidy with a toddler?

23 replies

dogmum00 · 16/08/2022 10:58

I don't mean clean just tidy. Do you tidy as you go or accept it will be a mess throughout the day and wait until they gone bed? Any tips welcomed! We have a toy box in the lounge with all his toys in there but don't stay in there long

OP posts:
veniceorna · 16/08/2022 10:59

My house is thoroughly cleaned and tidied before I go to bed each night. Then I tidy as I go along throughout the day

If you want a tidy house, from experience, you have to both clean when they go to bed and throughout the day too, picking up as you go along

SalviaOfficinalis · 16/08/2022 11:00

I tidy as we go - if he gets bored of one thing I put it away… or even better (try) get him to put it away.

It’s not pristine obviously and there are still lots of things out but it stresses me out when there’s literally no room to move because the whole floor is covered in toys.

SalviaOfficinalis · 16/08/2022 11:02

Also take something with you every time you leave a room. So if you go into the kitchen, have a look around to see if there’s anything you can take with you (cups/bowls etc).

And when you’re in the kitchen, bring back any toys that have ended up there.

I find little and often is best and then you kind of do it automatically.

Sanch1 · 16/08/2022 11:02

Mostly just tidy once she is in bed. Her mess tends to be confined to the living room so its not too bad. If it spreads into the other living area I move it back to the living room through the day!

badgerstink · 16/08/2022 11:04

By not having too much stuff out. Just choose a selection of toys and rotate them regularly. Less stuff = less mess

FindingANewLifePlan · 16/08/2022 11:07

I do tidy as we go, because I can't just sit in mess as more as created round me. If DC want to get more toys out then I make them help me tidy the last lot up.

For the stuff that needs moving round the house, I usually have one basket upstairs for things that need to go downstairs and vice versa, and then tidy those up at the end of the day.

Charlie14 · 16/08/2022 11:09

I've always cleaned as I go. Also best advice I heard was make your house easy to clean. So I just literally have a very basic house ... I have toys etc away in ikea units and stuff.

IceStationZebra · 16/08/2022 11:09

veniceorna · 16/08/2022 10:59

My house is thoroughly cleaned and tidied before I go to bed each night. Then I tidy as I go along throughout the day

If you want a tidy house, from experience, you have to both clean when they go to bed and throughout the day too, picking up as you go along

This. I do try and pick things up as we go along, then clear the bedroom just before bedtime and the living room after bedtime.

It’s a fucking slog though and my least favourite part of parenting, especially as untidiness will most likely last throughout childhood, teen and young adult years too.

veniceorna · 16/08/2022 11:10

@IceStationZebra oh yes definitely! Thing is though I'd feel really uneasy if it wasn't done so it's better to just get on with it, otherwise I feel down about it

ladygugu · 16/08/2022 11:15

By never sitting down 🤦‍♀️

Cornettoninja · 16/08/2022 11:16

Ah mate, you don’t Grin

to some extent you can keep on top of it and encourage the little devils to put their things away when they’ve finished with them but a lot of it is acceptance they’re whirlwinds and enjoying it whenever the opportunity presents itself and they’re not there to undo your hard work in seconds.

I know some people who’ve managed to get into the routine of rotating toys available and keep the opportunity for ‘mess’ at a minimum but I never managed it. I found the best method for me was having dedicated boxes/cupboards for ‘stuff’ so it could all be swept away quickly and easily. Word of warning with boxes, don’t over fill them. The contents will be exploded without mercy when they’re ‘looking’ for something to play with.

BertieBotts · 16/08/2022 12:49

I am on my third toddler.... what has helped is minimise any toys that have the potential to be a huge mess/hassle/get damaged easily. Have a few of these, but only ones that are actually fun and not a huge pain to set up/put away. They need to actually earn their keep. Also, keep these high up so they can't be got out, everything that is accessible is tough and easily slung back into boxes.

Easy access boxes/tubs/drawers, especiallly if labelled with a category is helpful. And toys like stacking rings, duplo, bits that click together etc should be stored together as much as possible, if you have a set of stacking rings and all the rings are distributed between 5 different boxes, they can't be played with and the rings are just annoying clutter in the other boxes. Stack them back together and put up out of reach then bring down for a game.

We tend to just clean up in the evening, but if we need space for a specific game then I might go in and clear things to make a space for that - this is another benefit of having the fiddly things up out of reach as it means you can say let's do marbles/a jigsaw/this board game - but we'll just tidy up first. It shows them there is a point to tidying. I don't do loads of persuading them to join in/threats etc as have found this doesn't work, instead I just do it myself (modelling) and explain why - they tend to join in anyway this way once they are used to it being a normal thing. Also once about 2-3+ if you explain that it's quicker when we do it together they are even more motivated to join in.

Avoid complicated sets with loads of different pieces that only work in that set - some of the "character" big pieces like Paw Patrol/Peppa Pig/whatever are fiddly and have stupid bits that fall off or get broken - I don't buy them as a rule.

Consider toy rotation - I don't do this but it works for a lot of people. What I do is declutter fairly regularly and get rid of the outgrown/broken/junk toys (like McDonald's freebies - some get kept if they are actually played with) plus don't go overboard at Christmas/birthdays. Keeping the overall amount of toys to a manageable level, so even if every single thing is upended (it happens) it doesn't take long to put right is key.

Clear up immediately after meals so that food does not make its way to toys and drinks are less likely to be spilled - I suck at this, but it helps a lot when I do it. We got a dustpan and brush with plastic bristles that is ONLY used under the highchair and that helps. Also, we had one of those plastic mats for wheely office chairs, put that under the highchair to make a wipe clean floor. It's still disgusting, but it's easier to clean - I never got on with the shower curtain method.

DH tends to clean up the front room after we put the kids to bed but recently he's been doing it before bed and involving them - he is good at summoning energy and enthusiasm to make it a game/challenge whereas I am not at that hour.

My thing is to try and keep on top of the kitchen/dishes, and washing. I do it around them - generally tend to give them something to play with in the room. DS3 is a tricky age for doing the dishwasher as he wants to grab all the knives so that is harder now and I tend to stack on the counter and DH will fill it when he gets home. Then DS1 empties it.

Stichintimesavesstapling · 16/08/2022 12:52

Toy rotation
Throw 99% to charity
Don't buy any more toys.

Use baby locks on everything if you have a DS like mine who likes to empty packs of cereal down the loo 20 times a day.

Milkand2sugarsplease · 16/08/2022 12:55

I tidy as I go based on what he has out. I never let him get everything out at once. When it gets too much we stop and tidy away before starting again.
I then put the house back together when he goes for a nap and then again when he goes to bed.

Usually clean and hoover on one of those tidy ups too

SeaToSki · 16/08/2022 13:06

Keep all drawing and playdough stuff in the kitchen and only get it out when they are sat at the table (and get them to help clear immediately they are finished)

Food and drinks only at the kitchen table or picnic style outside

Have a selection of toys they can get out themselves that dont have too many parts and get storage containers that they can help to put it away in

Toys that have lots of parts, put somewhere they cant get to them and bring them out for a ‘treat’ and then put them away once they are finished. I include most puzzles in this category

Print a photo of the toy and stick it to the outside of the box so that they can see what goes in that box

Remember that learning to categorize, sort and the motor skills needed to pick things up and put them in a box are all essential skills that dc need and help to develop their brains, so ‘playing clean up’ is just as good an activity for then as imaginary play etc

Have a clean up song to trigger clean up mode with them

Have a basket with random toys parts that need to be put back in their home so you can collect them and have a put it back session at the end of the week

Have a blitz with the dc before bed and then another one once they are in bed

Some days will just be chaos

smartiesnskittles · 16/08/2022 13:07

Ha- I was expecting the replies to say it's almost impossible! But no- people seem to manage it!
With four under 8, breastfeeding, cooking, outings, nappies, meals & snacks, no amount of tidying as we go and toy rotation will cut it. I'm not with them all the time and someone always needs me. But a 5-10 minute Mary Poppins joint tidy a few times a day works. Involving them in hoovering as an activity works for me too.

BertieBotts · 16/08/2022 13:17

Have a basket with random toys parts that need to be put back in their home so you can collect them and have a put it back session at the end of the week

Oooh yes this is also genius, I do this too but I don't empty it at the end of the week, it is just where we look when a piece of a game/puzzle/etc is missing.

BertieBotts · 16/08/2022 13:19

Ha- I was expecting the replies to say it's almost impossible! But no- people seem to manage it!

TBF, my house is not tidy by any stretch of the imagination. I shared what helps - I didn't say it works 100% because it doesn't Grin

SkirridHill · 16/08/2022 14:53

Here are my feeble attempts (single Mum, work FT, one DD):

  • Basket in the living room into which I hoof all the random living room toys
  • I never leave one room without taking something to another
  • I wash dishes whilst dinner is doing
  • DD tidies her own room (I help on weekends)
  • Nothing comes out unless the last thing being played with is put away

I also regularly declutter and give things to charity/donate clothes to friends so that there's less stuff in the house generally.

I fucking hate housework.

workingmumuk · 25/08/2022 10:27

We don't generally have a problem with toys strewn about everywhere because we taught DD to tidy up what she's using before she gets the next thing out. And we sing a tidy up song whilst tidying between activities. She really enjoys it and will do it independently now.

We struggle with laundry, dishes, and keeping the bathroom clean in our house... so not perfect by any means but doing the above has been a lifesaver! All toys are put away and we don't actually have that many... we have a clear out before each birthday and Christmas and only buy toys that don't have lots of small parts.

Also where possible we go outside into nature as much as possible so we aren't home making a mess 😂

Eixample · 25/08/2022 10:31

Decide whether you want to go for it 100% or lower your standards as being in the middle of the two is miserable — it’s never tidy, but you aren’t relaxed about it.
Make an activity of putting the toys away.
Remove toys they aren’t interested in — closed boxes on a high shelf in their room is ideal.

user1471523870 · 30/08/2022 17:09

I tidy as we go and I am teaching him to put away a set of toys before taking another one out (not that it works, but I will report back on progress!). Towards the end of the day I care a little less as I will round them all up after he goes to bed anyway.
He doesn't have access to all his toys, I tend to rotate them. And I keep the messy ones out of reach (we take them out just if we know we will supervise), things like Play Doh, any type of crayons/paint/glitter, some of the puzzles, some of the Lego...

Thehonestbadger · 30/08/2022 17:13

I have a 100% easy and foolproof method.
….. LOWER YOUR STANDARDS 😬
Can you see the floor? TIDY
Are the walls clean? CLEAN

Have a 30 minute tidy before bed - literally just set a timer and do whatever you can in that time then pat yourself on the back and call it a night xx

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