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.

I have a flat and putting him inside a playpen or cot never ever worked.
just had to baby proof everything.
involve him in some things
it is very annoying I feel you

We don't have a play pen or anything, I just have cupboard locks on tv unit and cupboards etc, have a load of toys out or drawing stuff and occasionally the tv if she won't settle whilst I'm cooking dinner or something.

Then catch up with a bit of housework whilst she naps, or get her involved when she's awake, help you load and unload the washing, she passes me pegs to hang it out, give her a clean cloth to 'help' with the dusting etc etc! Better that than them locked away in a playpen all day!!

I have a bit of a fail safe method that will let you get 30mins to an hour, but it's not great parenting.

Big playpen with interesting toys in the middle of the room, put Ms Rachel (the 90 min singing ones) on and - if they still won't settle and you really need it - give them non-choking food they love in a little plastic bowl (eg baby crisps). It's never failed to settle my little one.

You may however just be able to use the playpen and toys, or just the playpen toys and Ms Rachel - depends how fussy they are.

You can also take them out somewhere first so they're very tired and want to sit quietly in playpen for a bit.

DD is 2 and roams free while I get stuff done at home, and has done since she was started toddling. We have a play area next to the kitchen but she'll often wander upstairs on her own and play in other rooms. She sometimes gets into scrapes but nothing too dangerous. I tend not to do chores that take very long during her waking hours - I prep meals and clean once she's in bed.

Get an XL bully, they make excellent nannies, apparently.

We had a big play pen with toys in….until he learned to climb out of it 🙈 now jobs get done whilst he’s in bed or he’ll come with me and ‘help’ (he’s 15 months so not particularly helpful). Bathroom breaks he either comes with me or he goes in his cot although he cries. For making lunch, etc he’ll either play in the next room with me trying to keep an eye as much as possible or he goes in his high chair with some toys whilst he waits.

I get them involved
if I’m dusting so are they, if im
washing up then they also get a bowl of water and a sponge to play with.
mid im vacuuming they get to hold the hose with me or they play with their own brush and pan

We’ve toddler proofed the shit out of our house with stair gates if there’s hot or dangerous stuff to prevent going in kitchen during that. I’ve moved all dangerous stuff from lower cupboards and put locks on other cupboards like under the sink etc. and he just plays around me when I’m doing jobs. He loves using his Henry hoover while I hoover and he loves pottering about between bedrooms with stair gate closed when I’m upstairs, due to having teenagers too I do quick scouts of bedrooms for danger items but as long as all safe then they’re fine.

Playpen
screen time
snacks

When doing upstairs chores we made the landing into a giant playpen by shutting all the doors and the stairgate and put lots of toys out.

I know you’ve said your kitchen is small, but do you have room for a toddler tower? Our little boy loved standing up on his tower at the kitchen counter while I make lunch. I’d give him little snacky bits, or plastic utensils to hold while I did jobs. They’re quite space efficient and stops your little one being round your ankles while you’re doing things.

I get the impression your little one is under 2, and I would say it gets much better. Mine is now coming up to 3 and I can leave him playing in the living room popping in and out without too much fear of danger.

She is 15 months, but behind in milestones. So she gets everywhere by rolling around, (nippy little bugger 😂) pulls on everything..but also doesnt communicate well..so there is currently a lot of frustrated tantrums. Also have a newborn who is constantly on me atm, so its hard feeding him and simultaneously getting her out from under tables..

Thank you everyone as well, i have been reading and trying out a few of your methods.

The travel cot is not working at all she has a meltdown everytime even with toys.
I am putting up stairgates and babyproofing too..she seems to finds hazards out of things i would never think of 😅

I was wondering about that playpen but im dubious, i don't want to buy it and find thats a dud as well.

The highchair in kitchen has worked for 5-10 mins a time. She is funny about feeling restricted (even hates cuddles 😭😭)

Ah okay bless you! Having a newborn too is hard!
I have a 4 month old boy and my daughter is now 4, but she goes to pre school a couple days a week so I can do some cleaning but I’m not going to lie, I have just hired a cleaner for every other week to do a deep clean as I just can’t keep up with everything, I never thought I would need one but I’ve got to the point where as mums, we just can’t do everything! Is that something you would consider?

playpens always sound great but I know my daughter would have just sat in there frustrated as she’s like caged in and would want to explore lol

sorry also if sounds obvious but could she go in to nursery 1/2 days a week so you can try do some bits? Newborns I find are sleepy so you can do some little jobs whilst they are asleep in a sling or something?

I hope you find something that works for you x

How old is she? Bring her with you and include her in what you’re doing. My DD loves ‘helping’ with the laundry, dishwasher etc

Actually funny you say that, i have been looking at nurseries. I plan to go back work soon, but nightshifts so i can alleviate the high costs.

But her health visitor thinks a small nursery setting may help her development issues.

A few got back to me today full till 2026 😅 only room for the baby..but wondered if a bit of 1:1 time with her once a week will help her :/ then get them to go together next year 2025 where i found one has availability..it would be end of the year, so baby would be 5 months.

I never had a playpen, we had a stair gate so she couldn’t play on the stairs and other than that if I needed to make food I would either get her to help or she would play with toys/watch CBeebies.

She knew she wasn’t allowed to touch the TV (it wasn’t on the wall and was at perfect toddler height). She could wander through to see me in the kitchen whenever she wanted and if I was using the oven/draining a pan I used my voice to tell her to stay back because it was hot. I perhaps instilled the “things in the kitchen are hot” too well because as a teenager she is still scared of the oven lol!

My DD hated being in the travel cot apart from when she wanted to sleep but was absolutely fine in a playpen - I think because the visibility was better. Can you borrow one from someone to try it out?