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How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

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scarlet
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How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby scarlet » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:17 am

Just wondering how you Ladies entertain your LO's when you have cleaning/housework to do? Or do you only do when they are napping?
My house always seems to be a right mess.
When Pearl goes for a nap/if she goes for a nap I run around like a headless chicken trying to do everything. Or il put "shows"/tv on which I feel so :oops: :oops: about.
She will sit and play for a little while if I'm near by but generally likes to be near me. If I go in the kitchen she follows me in and empties all the cupboards and then I quickly have to shove it all back in.
I can get away with about 10mins while she plays with play doh at the table but she gets bored easily with it.
Any tips or suggestions ?

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Cj2011
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby Cj2011 » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:20 am

I've given up trying! I do a big clean at the weekend when DP is here to entertain the smallies and I do a 'maintenance' clean when they go to bed but my house usually looks a right mess :oops: Of course I could probably be cleaning rather than being on here but wheres the fun in that :giggle:

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nappynutter
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby nappynutter » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:23 am

I get littlies to help. Mine love putting washing in the machine and "dusting". :giggle:

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HighlandMum
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby HighlandMum » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:25 am

My two entertain themselves when I'm cleaning. I do a bit every day so I keep on top of it and Sandy is quite happy playing with his toys while I do it. When I go upstairs I take them with me and they play in their room.

Very rarely Sandy will come and see what I'm doing and if he does I get him to "help" by giving him a duster or something harmless. Could you let Pearl "help"?

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megansmummy
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby megansmummy » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:26 am

HighlandMum wrote:My two entertain themselves when I'm cleaning. I do a bit every day so I keep on top of it and Sandy is quite happy playing with his toys while I do it. When I go upstairs I take them with me and they play in their room.

Very rarely Sandy will come and see what I'm doing and if he does I get him to "help" by giving him a duster or something harmless. Could you let Pearl "help"?


This :) My older two will play together (sometimes its a no go and they are at each others throats...I just have to pick my times carefully!) in the living room while i potter about and i will go upstairs and put washing away etc while they are playing/watching TV etc...

With Darcie i tend to try and get it done while she is asleep or take her with me :)

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Woozle35
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby Woozle35 » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:30 am

nappynutter wrote:I get littlies to help. Mine love putting washing in the machine and "dusting". :giggle:


Same here. Oscar dusts. He vacs the carpet with an attachment (not attached to anything), he loves emptying the washer, passes me pegs when we are handing it out, helps preapare tea. I will have him trained for when he is older :giggle:

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tanya
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby tanya » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:34 am

We have a gate in our kitchen doorway (no door), so Jake stands the other side "chatting" to me (mostly shouting, but you get the idea!!).

When hoovering the lounge, he chases the hoover around and tries to work out how it works (such a boy!!). General tidying in there is done around him or when both kids are in bed.

When in our bedroom, he crawls around the bed - I just have to check quite often to check he's not too near the edge. He's fallen off a few times, but there are cushions/pillows round most of the edges, so he doesn't hurt himself.

In their bedroom, he just plays with toys/makes a mess - I have a tendency to hoover in there when DH is around to baby wrangle.

The bathroom is only ever done when he is asleep/DH is around as Jake is not allowed in there unless he's having a bath.

This is all done whilst Bella is at nursery. It's chaos when she's here as she always wants to "help", which makes things take twice as long :giggle:

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knees_on
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby knees_on » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:34 am

Mine always want to help :giggle: So I give them something to 'do' while I'm busy and yes it doesn't distract for long so I have to keep giving new things and making it sound like the most exciting thing in the world!!

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Miss_Purple
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Re: How do you entertain LO's when cleaning ?

Postby Miss_Purple » Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:42 am

I never managed to, DD either wants to help (and by that I mean she wants to hold whatever I have got - not a toy version of it, or one similar - it has to be the exact thing :roll: ) which makes it take 3 times as long, or makes a mess elsewhere which takes longer to tidy up. I work full-time so I gave up and got a cleaner. I still do the laundry and kitchen, but she does hoovering, bathrooms, dusting etc, much easier :giggle:

She does help empty the washing machine and hang out the nappies etc, but she doesn't know when to stop so once it's finished she then starts to take all the wet stuff off the line again and put it back in the washing basket :giggle:
Last edited by Miss_Purple on Wed Jun 15, 2011 3:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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