Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Gettin' it done...around the house

This is my "trick" for getting clothes clean and keeping Reese happy at the same time. (Can't you tell how happy she is?!) To get a shower in now, I put her in the jumper that hangs in the door frame of the bathroom and she entertains herself by trying to touch the water drops on the shower door. To get dinner made, Reese goes in her exersaucer with Cheerios all along the sides. She then bounces up and down, tossing the Cheerios all over the floor for Seb to eat....Both kids kept happy at the same time!

So what are your mommy tricks for getting work done around the house while keeping your kiddo or kiddos happy? What tricks do you use once they can move on their own?

8 comments:

Cheri said...

I do the dishes every morning while Micah is in his high chair eating breakfast so he never has the opportunity to climb in the dishwasher. He doesn't really climb in, but he likes to try to help with the detergent or closing it up and pushing buttons. I have tried to teach him, though, not to touch, but if I have to do it while he's around he "helps" by handing me the silverware to put away.

I try to do a lot while he's napping so I can get it done much faster.

Cheri said...

It sounds like I leave the dishes to get crusty and harder to clean overnight. I don't do that. I should have said I empty the dishwasher every morning while he eats because I run it overnight. :)

I let him play at the kitchen table with playdoh while I get dinner ready.

Brooke said...

Congratulations on crawling, Reese! It does get tricky to keep a mobile baby safe and happy. We're in the midst of figuring this out too.

Cheerios and safe non-toy items, such as measuring cups and the metal whisk, seem to keep Zack entertained.

Zack spends time playing in his pack 'n play once or twice a day. I fill it with some of his favorite toys and sit him there to play for 15 minutes or so. We've worked up to this long. I move the pack 'n play around the house so that he always has me close by while he plays. This gives me just enough time to complete a task that I really don't want his "help" with, such as cleaning a bathroom. Sometimes, he gets upset and stands at the edge looking out--he looks pretty darn irrisistable, but I try to help him sit back down and play. So far, this is working out for us.

Good luck! I hope you'll post any tricks you learn.

Unknown said...

Thanks Cheri and Brooke! Both great ideas! And I will pass on any tricks...we should have trick sharing time at Mom's group!

Linnea said...

i put søren in the high chair and give him a bitter biscuit. (i take his shirt off or put a huge bib on, the biscuits are SO messy). i face the high chair towards whatever i am doing so i can keep an eye on him and he can watch me. this gives me a good 15-20 minutes.

The Heitritter Family said...

Hey Kimber! I love that you came by my blog and hope you don't mind if I visit yours too! I can't wait to catch up on all your doings!

Unknown said...

I had forgotten about the biscuits...good tip! :)

Char...please do! :)

Jill said...

You guys are smart mommies!!! I lock Sage in the bathroom with me while I shower and give her tampons to play with...don't tell!!! She loves them. I also used the pack-and-play like Brooke and the johnny jump-up like Kimber...and I do dishes while she is in her high chair. Also, I sometimes put her in the back of the subaru, while I clean out the car. It is like her own little car pack and play.