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

[userinfinity]

My 1yr old’s new hobby is pulling the clothes of the airer and loading them in the washing machine 🙄

[TwoDaddys]

My son loves to help around the house with his little hoover (well Dyson). He once tried to help with the real Dyson and broke it. So I asked him to go and sit by the table and do some colouring in on his iPad. I now know that I need to be more precise in what I say as it took me 30min to scrub off crayon off the iPad's screen. Now he gets to load the washing machine and do some dusting.

[Sugarhouse]

My 17 mo loves wiping things with baby wipes and will help me scrunch newspapers for the fire

[BeeMyBaby]

My toddler oftens tries to help me make bread dough and I always have to add an extra 100g as so much lands in the floor

[flamingtoaster]

When DD was a toddler she loved bubbles - i.e. foam. I used to mix up a basin full of bubbles (using a mixture of washing up liquid and washing powder). She would play happily making shapes etc. She then added a new activity - cleaning the kitchen with the foam. She would rub it carefully all over the draining board, the sink, and the taps and whatever kitchen surface was clear. We never had a cleaner kitchen than when she was in that phase though the rinsing sometimes took a long time!

[QueenOfPharts]

My dd (when she was younger) and ds love cleaning. When Im dusting or wiping up they love following round with baby wipes. My ds loved watching me and dh painting....then he did it with toothpaste....all over the bathroom

[kateandme]

asked to clear away the plates and put the bits in the bin...whole plates jst dropped into the bin!
washing the dishes...playing in the bubbles.getting bored and leaving half the dirt on them
hoovering but getting twenty trillion tissues and socks stuck.
mopping the floor...wetting the floor.and then think you needed to do the same on the carpet.

[shesthemama]

My two year old loves to help by putting the clean washing that I've taken out of the washing machine into the clothes horse back into the washing machine, then putting the dirty clothes on the clothes horse 🤪

[ItsJuneDad]

My toddler likes to help by putting everything in the kitchen bin, empty packets, toys, clothes, keys!

[SarahET]

My daughter loves to clean the shower screen while she's in the bath. She does the inside while I do the outside. Annoyingly she also points out any bits I've missed.

[BreconBeBuggered]

DS1 decided that a box of Fairy Snow was just the thing for cleaning the kitchen floor. I wish he'd give it a go now that he has his own flat, and his ideas about housework are less enthusiastic than the ones he had at two years old.

[lostmywayrightnow]

Making breakfast was 'helpful' and sweet but messy in the extreme. Think cereal and milk on the floor.

[Parisetoile]

My 7 year old LOVES washing up. This involves using 1/2 a bottle of washing up liquid at a time and water going everywhere. The other day she said 'I'm going to do the washing up' I said ' that is so helpful, but don't worry we can use the dishwasher ' (secretly thinking I can't bear the mess )and she replied, ' no I LOVE doing it !

[Hajra5622]

My toddler (2yr old) she loves to help in the house by removing clothes from the Washing Machine & putting them into the Dryer - she does this every time and even likes to switch it on; she would vacuum if she could but for now this is her chore 😂😂😂

[TimandGinger]

My 2 year old loves to empty the dishwasher even if the dishes are dirty - or put dirty clothes in the tumble dryer! She loves the bin and sweeping up as well. She loves the kitchen sink too and will run the tap for as long as she can.

[wonkylegs]

Our 2yo is quite good at putting his plate in the dishwasher (never the right place or often in the clean dishwasher but at least he tries) and setting the table.
He loves helping put the washing from the washing machine into the dryer and helping pull the dolly maid up after I've hung everything up. He also likes to sweep and vacuum but always goes to his little wooden kitchen afterwards and makes us a cup of tea with his teaset.
If only he would rub off on his big brother....

[Summerdays2014]

Loading and unloading the washing machine. He also gets his toy hoover out when get the real one out and follows me around!

[janekirk]

Since my toddler reached the grand age of 5 he lost all interest in dusting and cleaning, it was good whilst it lasted!

[OneStepMoreFun]

I was painting a bookcase in the garden when the phone rang. Was gone for the time it takes to say "I'll call you back, can't leave DC alone with paint." Came back. DS1 had helpfully painted himself with bright blue oil paint from head to toe and started on his brother. I had to scrub them with turps and then bathe them three times to get the turps off. They had blue hair for weeks.

[GenericHamster]

My daughter is obsessed with 'helping' me bake, but she won't listen to instructions, can't stir without getting half of it on the floor, etc. I try to start without her noticing but she always does :D

[WishUponAStar88]

Both my toddlers love to ‘help’ clean. I give them damp clothes and they do a pretty good job of cleaning the skirting boards and radiators

[BBell2]

DD watered the TV from the top - a very expensive "helping experience". She is really vocal about helping clean waving her arms around shouting "I cleaned all of this the other day" not sure where she gets it from

[ginpink]

DD 'helped' me put the clothes in the machine. We left the room during the cycle to play outside (it was summer). Came back and the kitchen was. FLOODED with water and detergent bubbles.

First thought: oh fuck how can I afford a new machine now?

What actually happened: DD had put about 3 bottles of bubbles into the machine so it overflowed.

[robyn297]

My son loved cleaning when he was a toddler, he would watch me, then a while later I'd see him copying me. He had been watching me clean a stain from the carpet one morning. Later that day, I was cooking, he was pottering about, he asked for a cleaning cloth, I got him one then carried on cooking, I realised he had been quiet for a few minutes. So I went looking for him, he had poured a whole bottle of fabric softner on the carpet and was dabbing it with the cloth. I still don't know how he snuck it out of the kitchen. It was a nightmare to clean up, it did smell nice though for weeks afterwards.

[Beginner2017]

My daughter (17 months) loves to help me around the house. She puts on my rubber gloves and walks around with the sponge it’s adorable. I even found she had somehow taken the sponge to bed tonight