Where/how to safely put toddler when doing chores?

[Picklesjar20]

Even watching or playing with my toddler i can't turn my back for a second. Shes in the tv unit, under tables ect.

I did use the jumperoo to keep her safe to pop loo, quickly do dishes but shes too big now.

What do you do to nip into another room? Or do dishes, make her lunch?

I can't bring her in kitchen as it is so tiny there is no room to put her in there with me. I tried a travel cot with toys but she felt too enclosed so had a hissy fit.

We had a play pen in the middle of the kitchen floor. DS would play, chat, watch me but couldn't go anywhere.

Large playpen with safe toys and no electrical plugs in reach.
Put up with some low grade grizzles until they learn to like their own company. You should be able to have the child there for two or three, hour long sessions daily and for other short spells while you are in the shower etc.

Stop now and again to help imagination by playing with child in playpen with toys. Read them a story every half hour.

Pop them into cot for a sleep when they seem sleepy. Offer snack and drinks regularly. Talk to child and sing with child when working nearby.
Put new things in the pen - like a box or different toy every day.

Yep, big play pen here too. I hated how it took over the living room, but it was the only way to keep DC safe and get anything done.

Just got to babyproof the shit out of your house and pop in and out, tbh. Under tables sounds fine, get a child lock for the tv cabinet, give her something to entertain her and crack on

We didn't ever have a playpen. We tried a travel cot too and he hated that, and hated his cot, and hated a friend's playpen, so caging him away = rage and getting nothing done.

We just do things around him. Make sure it's babyproofed so there's nothing dangerous she can get to, and let her get on with it. Sometimes distractions will work - toys she hasn't had in a while, a TV show, etc, but mostly we just do what needs to be done and he'll either help or amuse himself.

We never really did much Jumperoo time either due to the 5-minute limit for hips, so it didn't feel like too much of a change.

We had a big playpen up in the living room with toys and books and often, TBH, the TV on until he was 2. Then he could climb out, so we babyproofed like crazy and didn't do many chores. Our house was properly grotty for a year or so because when the hell do you deep clean the bathroom with a kamikaze toddler around. I actually remember starting a thread about that in despair 😂

I use a travel cot set up downstairs . He hates it so can only do 5 minute bursts but he's just into everything and constantly stuck something/hitting his head/ climbing on something if I leave the room.

I guess I was lucky that all three of my children had afternoon naps for an hour or so until they were about 4. I used to rush around cleaning or getting tea ready while they were asleep. I tried to get lunch ready the night before to save time - trying to breast feed baby while helping toddler eat in high chair and supervise 4 year old was rather challenging!

I babyproofed the living room, then had a baby gate across the door, so they were contained to that room, then I'd pop in and our if Iwas doing quick jobs. If I needed to be out of the room for more the 5 minutes, I'd take them with me. Usually sit them in the high chair while I did dishes etc in the kitchen, in their cot in the bedroom or inside the empty bath if I was in the bathroom.

This is 100% right. Mine also detested a play pen so just had to baby proof everything and let him toddle round whilst I went in and out

Large playpen or give her a 'chore' to do alongside you. Let her 'polish' the cupboards or floor with a clean dry cloth or cloth with a bit of water on it. let her 'sort' a pile of laundry into two piles.

We used to have an activity centre that could be wedged into the kitchen doorway to stop DC getting in but they could play inside it - pressing buttons, dancing, making lights and sounds go on and off, opening flaps and spinning stuff. Kept them busy for a good 30 mins most mornings while I did stuff that might be dangerous, like emptying the dishwasher of glass and knives, or pouring boiling water.

Combination of travel cot, play pen and baby gates on living room, kitchen and stairs. Then baby proof everything.
Sometimes if I was cooking etc I'd pop them in the high chair in the kitchen and give them some crayons or stickers to do. Or give them their lunch/tea early and they could eat that in the high chair whilst I cooked for the adults.

How old? 2YO I could set up with some fun toys then leave them to it, or if really desperate TV and he’d come find me if he wanted something. 15MO honestly forget about it until nap time and lunch would always be something cold I can chuck together in 2 minutes whilst they’re in their highchair.

We’ve never baby proofed or has a play pen. I just do stuff around them or bring them with me. And get them involved with chores. Mine will just sit on kitchen floor and pull stuff out cupboards for entertainment

I babyproofed most of downstairs and had stair gates to keep them in the living room or whatever room I was doing chores in.

I just brought child with me mostly. He just climbed out of a travel cot by about 12 months so that was pointless.

Prepping lunch I would put him in highchair next to me in kitchen and les him help prep or snack on bits I’m cutting

Cleaning - just do bits at a time whilst watching them. If I set up something like duplo in room I was cleaning he might have played a bit, otherwise follow me around, or gave his own cloth and water spray bottle entertained enough to do urgent bits. I wouldn’t mop unless he was napping or would do when dh was home to take 1-2 year old out 30 mins like weekend or evenings as that was a nightmare.

Tv cabinet or any other cabinet we have child sage fixed to walls so no toppling over, and used those magnetic door locks on cabinets if we didn’t want him opening. Otherwise generally everything was safe enough to wander, sharp or breakable out of reach

A pop up play pen if you're limited on space, sure the name is Summer something. If you have space then a proper structured one.
Set her up in a high chair with an age appropriate activity, look on Instagram for ideas - my dd is 3.5 so playdough, painting, crafting etc.

For me it was a combination of doing housework when she was napping/asleep, making sure her play space was free of hazards and a little carefully planned tablet/tv time!

A play pen

I know this stage all too well! both my daughters have smashed a tv each whilst I was washing up or cooking. I was having it no more so I ended up buying those play pens which you can customise if that makes sense. I got this one from amazon, https://amzn.to/3VKXT6g it has made life so much easier and I don't have to worry as much anymore and it was defiantly cheaper than buying yet another tv! 😅

I never used a play pen or anything like that as didn’t have the space, how old is your daughter?
When mine was a toddler, I’d bring her in each room id be in if I needed to do something, depends on her age - washing I let her help me take clothes off the clothes horse to he put away, pull them off as she wanted and id ask her to pass them to be to put away.
Cleaning, I got her a toy hoover so she’d ‘hoover’ with me.
Pretend cleaning sprays and cloths so she could clean with me, as she got bigger I would put a little water in a spray bottle and she’d wipe the sides with me.
If I really didn’t want her involved, I’d give her some toys on her play mat to try keep her busy.

Stair gates I think are obvious if upstairs, or high chair in the kitchen? I’d put food colouring in Greek yoghurt and let her ‘paint’ with her fingers on the tray. You can also get high chair toys that stick to the tray.
Give her lunch whilst you quickly do a chore? In sight of you.

I also did bits whilst she napped but tended to prefer to do most whilst she was awake so I could relax whilst she was asleep!

’Big’ jobs like cleaning the bathroom was something I just did at weekends when my husband was home.

oh and the best toy I got which she loved when she was 16months-2 was a little play sink with running water, she played with that and did the ‘dishes’ on the kitchen floor whilst I did the real washing up!

No play pens and minimal baby proofing here! Mine generally just followed me around whinging a bit. They quickly learn to go and amuse themselves or help.

just to say also- if it’s one of those days where you just can’t get anything done as they don’t play ball, I just left chores for when she napped. Washing up seemed easier when she was asleep if she didn’t want to play with her sink. It’s hard juggling everything but it’s doable to a degree!

Large play pen and open doors if you can't fit it in the kitchen.

Babyproofed our kitchen/dining room/living room (they all sort of flow together but aren’t open plan, it’s hard to explain) and the tot is just marauding around whilst stuff gets done. I’ll give him a cloth and he’ll ‘help’ dry (plastic) dishes etc or unloads the washing machine into the basket. Or he’ll just be playing with his toys. Everything takes longer but I quite enjoy it and we make games of it.

He has a floor bed in his room rather than a cot so the room is entirely baby proofed and he has a baby gate instead of a door. His room is luckily opposite to our upstairs bathroom so I stick him in there with a toy if I need to shower or do heavy cleaning with bleach in there and he rolls around on his bed singing and putting his teddies to sleep whilst I shower and whatnot.

We do have a playpen, but he hates it (this is also why a cot was never going to work and why he has walked everywhere since 18 months old, he really doesn’t like confinement) and I don’t really like it either except for if I want a wee in peace downstairs so he just comes along on most chores and jobs!