Mumsnet users hare the times their toddlers have ‘helped’ around the house with Fairy Non Bio

[JustineBMumsnet]

NOW CLOSED

Whether it’s their facial expressions or what they’re doing around the house, toddlers love to copy mum and dad. Fairy Non Bio would like to hear your stories about when your toddler has tried to ‘help’ around the house, seemingly unaware that they’re probably reversing your hard work.

Here’s what Fairy Non Bio has to say: “’We love it when a family unit comes together and everyone wants to help out, but because of all the chemicals in a laundry detergent we want to ensure that doing the laundry is only a mum & dad chore, however we would love to hear of all the other examples of how your toddler tries to help around the home”

Has your child attempted to do the hoovering? Perhaps they repeatedly empty and put away the contents of any cupboard they’re able to open? Maybe they enjoy destroying your organisation by sorting the clean washing?

All who share their stores on when your toddler tried to ‘help’ around the house, on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of your choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight Terms and Conditions apply

[Otterses]

Mine is official Washing Machine Supervisor. He runs to the kitchen as soon as it goes in, and shouts words of encouragement at it to motivate it. It's very helpful.

Unfortunately, he also likes playing with the buttons ... I thought the machine was broken recently as a short cycle was taking about six hours. Turns out he'd been fiddling and repeatedly added extra time to the spin cycles 😂 less helpful.

[ifigoup]

My two-year-old comes with me to the launderette to help put things in the tumble dryer. It’s literally 30 seconds’ walk from our house. When we get home he pulls all the warm, clean clothes out of the basket, lies down on the floor and rolls himself up in them.

[queenoftheschoolrun]

Ah, the time when DD decided to tidy up the baking ingredients and dropped the hundreds and thousands all over the kitchen floor. Now known as millions and millions in our household!

[MargoLovebutter]

Both of mine loved to 'help' with domestic chores when they were toddlers. I only wish they felt the same way now as bid old teenagers.

Have lots of funny stories but one of the best ones was "washing" clothes in the toilet bowl - yum!!!!!

[CordeliaScott]

DS (2) loves to vacuum. He will sit and tantrum outside the cupboard that it is in if we do it without him. He used to help himself to it but due to the number of things being knocked everywhere as he swings it around we had to put a lock on the cupboard.

They also both love to "help" me cook. This usually leads to carrots peeled to within an inch of their life and every individual ingredient being tasted as it goes into the pot.

Still in a number of years I'll probably be begging them to help with these tasks

[JanuarySun]

My toddler loves helping with the baby, if I leave him on the changing mat when I run to get a nappy I come back to find him piled in baby toys

[bridgetosomewhere]

Cleaning anything with wet wipes: even the TV and windows. That's so helpful....!

DS is very good at Emptying the dishwasher and this weekend stayed up til midnight helping me clean up after a party. Very helpful of him but I suspect he just wanted to stay up late!!

[TickleMeEmo]

My 20 month old loves to help load the washing machine, helping me out the first laundry in, only if I turn my back for even a second he will also put “suprises” in there... such as anything he can grab from the kitchen cupboards! We’ve had silicone cake molds, a plastic jug and a pastry brush all turn up once the washing machine is done!

[Whyareyouallabunchof]

Ds4 is my launderer? Is that a word? He will put the washing in the machine then call me "washing machine needs soap mum" then presses the correct combination of buttons and starts the wash.

Now to teach ironing...

[Pinkpanther473]

Dd1 when she was about 1 was adorable when she had spilled some juice on the floor. I was tired and a bit grouchy and was holding back from being cross with her and she went off and came back with the dustpan and brush to sweep it all up. Bless her!
Now three, the job she is most enthusiastic about is putting the dishwasher tablet in the little box and turning the dishwasher on. Still tries to give it a surreptitious lick as still cant really believe it’s not a sweet.
Yy to pp, she used to love flinging things off the clothes airer while I was loading up the other side

[MaverickSnoopy]

My 2.5yo loves cleaning - possibly because she's been at home a lot with me and has seen me do it (a lot) so wants to be like mummy.

She will routinely ask for the feather duster to do the dusting, sometimes when I'm doing housework and other times just because. She also likes putting the washing into the washing machine and taking the clothes out of the dryer.

She also has a toy mini Dyson which makes a hoover noise when you press the "on" button and has little coloured balls that bounce around inside. Normally she gets the toy hoover out when I hoover. She's really ill at the moment with a nasty fever and yesterday she was lying on the sofa tucked in with a blanket watching me hoover. She never stops when poorly so really it's an indication of how unwell she is (bit like me!). Later in the day during a calpol induced good phase she went and got her toy hoover and started hoovering - it had obviously been playing on her mind. What really made me smile was when she started picking up things (bean bag, baby gym, bouncy chair etc) to hoover underneath. She's never done that before but spent ages on the detail, lifting everything and hoovering underneath and then putting it back. Each time saying "there". At the end she went over to her toy kitchen and made a cup of tea and said "tea now mummy" and then sat back on the sofa with her blanket. I managed to video the tail end of it which really made me smile.

[CJPlay]

My children love doing little jobs - tidying up, putting things in the bin, hanging the washing out, etc. Their favourite is cleaning the sofas with baby wipes though! That usually keeps them busy for a while!!!

[mummabubs]

My 15mo eagerly unloads the washing machine as I'm trying to load it. The cheeky smile on his face as he does it means he gets away with it. His "assistance" definitely makes a boring everyday job a little more exciting!

[MrJollyLivesNextDoor]

My son has an obsession with vacuuming...and I am happy to indulge him in his passion! Long may it continue 🙂

[lisapop]

Brushing the dog, with her older sister's hairbrush

[UpOnDown]

'Sorting' the clean laundry pile!

[derekthe1adyhamster]

My DS is 19 now, but when he was 2 he helped to put the shopping away. it was only when I turned the oven on to heat up, and heard what I thought was a gas explosion, that I found out where he’d put the tin of beans! That was fun to clean up

[MummyofTw0]

My 3 year old loves to help me dust and when I'm hoovering, she gets her toy hoover out

My oh my it's so cute to watch

[Bumblebeans]

Our 3yr old loves to clean the shower doors, she does a fantastic job too!

[MrsBudd]

I was feeling very pleased with myself having put all of the washing away in the wardrobe, turned around to DS 17 months having methodically removed every item he could reach in the chest of drawers behind me and sitting on the pile looking equally as pleased with himself 😂

[VittysCardigan]

Many, many years ago when my now 30yo dd was small she 'helped' clean the cat litter tray by emptying the lot into the toilet! Cleaning that out with a small plastic beach spade was a fun half hour!

[castielchace]

My three year old is a star..he loves dusting,hoovering & has a weird passion for carrying laundry with me X he has two elder sisters though so it's rubbed off on him too XX we all work as a little family unit 😍,

[Elderflower14]

Many years ago ds2 thought he would help by painting my front garden! He peeled the tape off the paint container and then walked cornflower blue paint all over the lawn, gravel and flagstones! He then realised and knocked on the window to show me. My neighbour heard me having complete habdabs and rang her son who thankfully arrived within 5 mins with a pressure washer and got the whole lot off. He then put ds2 in his van and took him for a drive while I calmed down. I sent neighbours son home with a bottle of wine as a thank you!!

[TellMeItsNotTrue]

When she tried to help by bringing me breakfast when I was pregnant, had morning sickness and a bug on top. Sounds so caring and sweet, but seeing her walk in with a box of museli leaving a trail behind her made my heart both sink and fill with joy at the same time. She even brought me a bowl, I was just glad she didn't bring the milk!

[April2020mom]

My 2 year old twins love to help me clean and cook. For DD who has dwarfism her favourite activity is to assist me with laundry and wiping the table. DS is expected to make his own bed and put away all toys on a low shelf of the bookcase in their bedroom.