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

[Elllicam]

I give my toddler wipes to wash the leather couches. He’s actually quite good.

[agent9t9]

My toddler loves to help unpack the dishwasher. Takes out all the plastic plates and bowls and hands the to me. Then steals the spoons from the cutlery section to use as drumsticks!

[sarat1]

My 15 month old sometimes likes to help sort the laundry... out of the basket onto the floor and back in again... and onto the floor and back in again...

[del2929]

at the mo my ds aged 8 loves sorting the washing into coloured piles and loading the machine. he also loves helping throw in a liquitab and pour in fabric softner. all good fun

[parapluiepliant]

My 3 year old is a third child. I'm a single working mum so my time is tight and we never get to the bottom of the laundry basket! But we are happy and have fun in our own indomitable way. My little girl basically rules the roost. Whoever told you toddlers need everything doing for them are wrong when it gets to no 3 and beyond...
I often am greeted with her brandishing ice cubes (which she gets from the freezer) and offering me a breakfast drink (to be helpful...) There then ensues a trail snail like of discarded ice cubes on the floor. She knows that a mop is needed and trots off to manhandle a huge mop - narrowly missing pictures on the walls and smashing the TV.

My little missy also takes her own boots/shoes off and religiously puts them away where they belong. She's recently started trying to lessen my load of making lunch and instead of saying "mummy I'm hungry" appears with a whole loaf of bread and bites into it viking style announcing "I've made my lunch" It's all beautifully planned out, she refuses help, grabs a chair, stands on it - opens the bread bin, takes what she needs... This is usually whilst I'm sorting the older two kids out (10 and 11 who need much more direction than my 3 year old!!)

[welshmardymum]

My daughter helped me unpack the loo rolls - we have one of those stack them up things and she managed t stack all 16 one on top of the other - she had to sand on the loo to do it - still one of my fave things she has ever done and she is 7 now!

[Kirstiesmith1234]

Very proud of himself, helping to 'tidy up' the mortgage documents 🙄🙄🙄😂

[chilledteacher]

Oldest DS is 14 now but when he was toddling at around 16 months he loved running a feather duster around the skirting, dado rails and radiators. Wish he still would as a teenager

[Jeffjefftyjeff]

When mine was 3 he helped his dad by cleaning the car. With a large rock. Lots of round circles of scratched paint!

[janney3]

My daughter used to love washing up, always with so much washing up liquid that it took ages to rinse off.

[smchadwick]

My toddler loved helping put washing in the machine.Unfotunately he added dog biscuits as a pretend washing powder!

[barbsbarbs]

my little girl loves to hoover, although she also loves to hoover socks and other large objects. She also helps me dust as Im going around the house

[scarlettlylah]

My two loved my hetty hoover,so everytime I’d get it out the we’re both super helpful. I even bought them a little Henry hoover to match.

[ThemisA]

He loves to use the hand held hoover and says 'hoov, hoov' ad he cleans the stairs for me

[compy99]

The one that sticks in my mind is our Daughter putting some plates and cups in the washing machine instead of the dishwasher.

[Clairecricket1]

My girls love to help me when we wash our little dog

[frances93]

If my DD see's the polish bottle and duster cloth, she proceeds to throw everything off my tv unit and anything else in sight. Then smiles at me, knowing I was going to move the stuff anyway. Im not sure if this is helping or just an excuse for her to throw things around the room

[Ganne1]

We always tried to get the children involved in cooking, initially with a toy kitchen. Then we were served inedible plastic food, which we had to pretend to enjoy eating. But our son had wanted a carpenter's workbench complete with drill, saw, et cetera. This we bought him, but he was bitterly disappointed, because he wanted to help Dad with his DIY, et cetera, and this toy only gave him the chance to split pre-cut wood, and pretend to make holes in plastic. He hardly ever used it, and we sold it on much earlier than the kitchen.

[glenka]

They were more of a hindrance than a help when it came to putting the shopping away they would always take the packets back out of the cupboards and put them back in the shopping bags.

[tallandlong]

my toddler only helps to make the mess!!!!

[becky004]

DS has always loved the vacuum cleaner, he has a light weight real one and he loves doing the stairs which is a god send for my back as he does it several times a day!

[nicmac0708]

My toddler loves standing on his stool at the kitchen sink elbow deep in bubbles helping me to wash my plastic clothes pegs 😉

[roggy45]

My kids used to like wrapping tea towels round their feet and skating across the floor to polish it.

[AR2012]

Wiping the hard wood floors down. My little assistant mucking in.

[phillie1]

washing up provides houses of fun for them and more cleaning up for me - the floor always got a good clean though!