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Parenting

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Original poster

How to get anything done with a baby?

18 replies

mum19821985 · 01/05/2017 16:41

Hiya! I have a lovely, active almost 10 month old. Up until recently I would put ds in the pram in the kitchen in order to wash dishes, make dinner etc. Now he's refusing the pram and I'm really struggling. He's happy in the highchair for a short time but soon gets bored! He naps mainly on me or for a very short time in a rocking chair. Where do you all put your babies when you are doing housework? DS just wants to crawl all the time😋

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neonrainbow · 01/05/2017 16:42

Playpen?

ProudBadMum · 01/05/2017 16:43

A walker? He gets to get about at least.

Timetogrowup2016 · 01/05/2017 16:45

A playpen for mobile babies is great or I've made my lounge baby friendly and can happily leave dd 14 months in their knowing she's safe

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lotusisaddictive · 01/05/2017 16:47

A sling maybe? If he'll only nap on you then you can get stuff done while he is asleep.

RunningMommy · 01/05/2017 16:47

Jumperoo?

SecretNortherner · 01/05/2017 16:55

We have a walker in the kitchen and he enjoys smashing it into my lovely new walls , if you don't have the space try a baby bouncer that clips to the door. Baby can then keep an eye on what's going on.
Is your kitchen not safe to let him crawl around? Is there anyway to baby proof it?

BendingSpoons · 01/05/2017 16:57

If you let him crawl around, what happens? Does he try to empty cupboards etc? We have a cupboard DD can empty with cereal bars etc and put some toys out for her. She then crawls around the flat (with doors shut on bathroom etc).

FusionChefGeoff · 01/05/2017 20:28

All of the above.

Plus, this is the stage where you have to adjust expectations, your time is not your own anymore so buckle up for the ride! Little babies can be so easy / obliging but all that changes when they hit this point.

Best bet is to start a regular routine to keep you both out of the house so house stays tidy. Playgroups / walks / swimming etc. Take packed lunches if you can - get them organised night before. Then get home n time for post lunch snooze - gives you a window to chuck washing on, prep dinner and hopefully not too much else needed as you aren't there to get it dirty!

AprilShowers16 · 01/05/2017 20:32

My baby is 9 months, he'll happily crawl around/ play with toys while I get on with jobs around him. I have to keep a close eye on him and move him away from dangerous things regularly but he doesn't require constant playing with or holding. We also have a jumperoo which will contain him for 10 mins or so

SansaClegane · 01/05/2017 20:39

Bit of bad news: it won't get any better!

Story of my life really, the amount I get done with children around is sweet fuck all. Curb your expectations and do stuff in the evenings while they're in bed!

purpleporpoise · 01/05/2017 20:39

Depends on your layout. We have a lounge diner, and it's toddler proof. I can spend some time in the kitchen if I keep popping back to chat to him.
Another tactic is to keep a toy/child safe other thing in there for him to play with while you're busy. The novelty often keeps them quiet

littledinaco · 01/05/2017 20:40

At that age, I used to let mine crawl around. If I was doing something in the kitchen for example, I'd shut the door so they couldn't get out, maybe give them some wooden spoons,plastic bowls,etc. It's a bit of a pain as you have to keep stopping what you're doing to move them away from things you don't want them getting. Would only do this if doing dishes/cleaning, obviously not cooking.
I'd put them in living room for cooking and keep and eye-if they got too far away, would move back to where I could see them.

If I was busy upstairs, they would crawl about with babygate shut. Sometimes I'd have to carry on my hip for a bit if they got fed up while finished off.
I tried to keep small boxes of different toys high up and pull out one at a time so it would seem like new ones to them.

It does take longer to get things done but still quicker than when they get to about 2 and want to 'help'!

Obsidian77 · 01/05/2017 20:42

Ime the housework tends to slide a bit

Gillian1980 · 01/05/2017 21:37

When dd was little I'd put her in the sling.

Then I used either a jumperoo (in lounge) high chair (in kitchen/ bathroom) or activity chair thing (in our room).

Now I can manage up to 30 mins max of her in high chair while I do kitchen chores. All other chores get done once she's in bed.

She napped on me until very recently so couldn't do it then. Now she naps in her cot but I use that time to chill out and rest.

Basically my house has been a bit of a state for the past 21 months!! And dh does far more housework than I do... without him it would be a complete disaster zone!

Eeeeek2 · 03/05/2017 14:38

Anybody that does chores with baby in sling a question, how? My arms don't seem to be long enough?

Clickncollect · 03/05/2017 15:11

A combination of the jumperoo, baby walker, a ball pit and a baby activity blanket with toys scattered on it. The game changer for me was when baby could sit up unassisted so he can play on his own sometimes now (with me supervising and in the same room).

BentleyBelly · 03/05/2017 15:47

Door bouncer, jumperoo, blanket and pile of toys on kitchen floor. I was quite lucky in that dd had 2 hour naps in her cot so I got plenty done then.

stopmoaningpip · 03/05/2017 17:02

Erm, no doubt this may not be popular with everyone but at about this age I started putting In the Night Garden on for baby in highchair (this is 30 minutes whereas a lot of other kids' programmes are only 10 minutes) so I could get the dinner cooked... otherwise it was just dangerous trying to cook with baby crawling around.

I think the layout of the house really makes a difference - I have friends with layouts where they can put a stairgate across the kitchen area and watch baby playing in the diner/living room area, and this seems to work really well. But it just wasn't possible in our house, and the oven was at floor level so I just didn't feel safe opening the oven with baby loose on the floor. I did also use a door bouncer, think this was when he was a bit younger though, can't remember exactly!

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