what do your kids do when you are cooking/cleaning?

[CandyCrate]

DS (23mnths) watches TV while I clean and cook, because otherwise he tends to do naaughty things while I am out of the room, or hang off my legs while I am trying to open the oven etc.

I am trying to find things other than tv watching for him to do though, as I tend to spend about 2 - 2.5 hours a day cleaning or cooking, and I think this is a bit too much tv for him. Also it means I feel guilty about letting him watch a bit when he is wound up or tired as I think he has had too much already.

What do your kids do when you need them to not be by you??

Slight thread hijack, but how does everyone get their grass cut? It's the one job I really struggle with.

grass cutting and ironing are 2 things that have to happen when the kids are asleep, or there is an extra adult in the house. I have been known to leave work early, cut the grass, then go to Nursery to pick up the boys. Be interesting to see how others do it.

Re my earlier post about just accepting/trying to get used to the fact that things will take longer to do as you involve him or just try to get it done around him... I didn't mean that to be 100% of the time, with no telly of course - that would drive you insane. When they no longer nap you do need me-time still, both for chores and just for your head space! Just decide eg 1 hour/day max of tv, when you can intensively do some cleaning/cooking. The other hour or so of work, that's when you involve him throughout the day (and it then takes a bit longer). Don't feel guilty about an hour of telly with a non-napper. :)
Glad he liked the plastics cupboard. And yes to washing up the plastics too! Just put a towel on the kitchen floor and another to hand for flooded surfaces when he's finished! But he'll have a ball.

He does do the washing up thing, but I make him go outside! He likes to pour the water out of the bowl so it would flood my kitchen. Its been so rainy lately he hasnt had much of a chance to play it.

Ds2 (2.3) will come and sit on my lap or try and take the Hoover out of my hand. I have tried to turn it into a game or get him to help but it doesn't work. I have accepted that household chores and using the computer can not be done in his presence.