so how much do you really watch them?

[bebemoohatessnot]

I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, why I can't seem to accomplish things during the day.
Facts:
-16.5m dd. Very active, walking, running, climbing, talking, wanting to read, play etc. Somewhat independent.
-3 floors. Kitchen/wc/garage, living room/spare room/toilet, master bedroom/ensuite/nursery.
-typical housewife chores to do (barring ironing which I just don't do -sue me )
-husband gone M-F
-5yr old cat
-ils live 2hrs away
-quiet neighborhood -everybody keeps to their selves despite me trying to be less shy and friendly toward them
-my family lives in States
-what few friends I have live hours away too
-no real money for nursery only one in walking distant is 25 quid for half day
-searched for childminders and none in area have room or will take for random hours during the week

So how much do you watch your kids? How do you get things done when it's just you?

I just let mine play and I get on with what I need to do? the house is childproofed so no real worries, but may be easier as we are in a small flat so always within hearing distance.. but if you just let her play on whatever floor you are cleaning should be fine? or you can do a proper clean on the weekend and ask dh/dp to look after her for a bit while you clean in peace. i do this quite a bit too. other option is doing lot of housework in evenings once dc are in bed, but then you feel you never get a break so not always the best option

Today has been a significantly better day for us, with the sun shining I opened the doors and windows at the back of the house and let her play on the patio while I tidied the kitchen and also while I did the living room (which is just above the patio) as I could see and hear her very well.
She's not particularly dangerous in her play (for which I'm grateful), but she is liable to find things from places... We've recent curbed the climbing (mostly) by not giving her anything she can climb, and no reason to do it either. (Everything she was trying to get we've either moved down to within her reach or tried to tuck away out of site, or have gotten rid) That being said she thinks it's great fun to chuck herself over back of the couches and then climb back again..Basically I think she's going to be a rock climber when she grows up...a rock climbing plane spotter with Upsy Daisy in her belt

But honestly, I think part of if though is I really am a 'shut out the world' person. I can sit for hours reading, playing video games, surfing, weaving, writing and not hear anything (not that I do this any more). My dh used to tease me mercilessly that he'd come home from work and I'd say 'when did it get dark?!' The fear of getting so involved in things is which makes it difficult for me to get things done. I don't want to be concentrating so much on the job at hand that I forget she's around or don't hear her....So perhaps it's me that needs a little training too to make things work. ;)

Yes, it's difficult isn't it! I find I can just about get the washing-up done, maybe a bit of tidying and put a wash on while 13m DD's awake, but that's about it. She's happy in the playpen for a short time, but is soon hanging onto the bars and shouting at me! Night Garden is sometimes resorted to to give me about 30 mins...

I sometimes use her morning nap (the only nap she has) to do some cooking, maybe mop the floors etc, but I'm getting fed-up with that as then I feel I do nothing for myself, and I don't want to run around in the evening doing it when she's in bed either. We currently have a fairly un-toddler friendly downstairs, but are having some shelving put in soon so I can at last tidy away all our mountains of crap, and we can finally see the floor...

Thanks so much everyone for all these brilliant ideas. It's giving me so much more to work with. :)

Yeah Species8472 That's a bit like it is here... hopefully I can get things sorted soon.

can you afford a cleaner twice a week to do the worst jobs - cleaning the bathrooms and the kitchen, hoovering the floors?

I did stuff in naps and when they are in bed. You only have one DC though so it possible and far easier than when pregnant/multiple children. You tend to get more used to never having time to yourself the more children you have [. I gave my DD a dustcloth and she helps me clean. DSs just make it more dirty again though.

Lower your standards is the main advice and only do the absolute essentials. At the weekends catch up with batch cooking to give you some time off during the week.

We have a cleaner once a week...and I just do the bare minimum inbetween. Some people think its expensive, but I'd rather spend my money on that than going out/babysitters etc. It means the house gets a once over and if you did it friday would be clean for when dp gets home.

It means the rest of the week I can enjoy ds, play with him, take him to the park, baby groups etc. The way I see it, we have years and years to have an immaculate house once kids have grown and I'm retired!!

Not sure I can afford a cleaner as I cannot afford nursery for 5 hours...but I'll see what's available, though I think I'd be utterly embarrassed having someone in.

hi - i haven't had a chance to read all this thread - sorry - but one thing did pop into my mind about leaving your LO in the cot with books. We tried this with my DS at a similar age and he would kick off, until his wonderful godmother gave him a winnie the pooh read a long book - it has different noises, songs and exclamations as you turn the pages and is a bit interactive (they can pull things and slide things along the page). DS would look at that until he fell asleep. They are about £10 I think (or were). Best present ever - might help. good luck though! and remember, this phase will be gone in a flash and you can get back to shutting out the world again .

My dd2 is 16 months and if I'm desperate to get things done, and she wont settle in the play pen, I put her in the Ergo carrier on my back. I'm lucky that she is small (about 9kg) and realise this would be hard with a heavier child

9Kg? Wow :) That must be wonderful. My little Moo was that at abt 6mons (I thought I had it hard then )
We've still working on sorting this, though it helps having dh home a little more this weekend. :)

I have trouble with my 1yo. I can't let him crawl around kitchen diner as that is where cat bowls are, living room is fairly child proof, but there is still the TV, and the coffee table that he likes to crack his head on.

I tend to do most of it after he goes to bed.