How Do You Get It All Done With A Toddler Around?

Housework, a job, playing with the kids, actually showering sometime: how do you get it all done with a toddler around? Check out our parenting tips!

I finally know I am not alone in my struggle of how do you get it all done with a toddler around.  One of our mommy readers reached out asking the age old question of how do you get housework done while your little people seem to be creating a mess right behind you.  You long for nap time, but for what?  Are you going to shower?  Or go back around and pick up the mess you just picked up?  Maybe you will nap yourself?  Then your significant other comes home and boldly asks, ‘What have you been doing all day?’  Kind of makes you want to hook up cameras all around the house so you can record exactly how your days go doesn’t it?  Here are my very amateur suggestions based on my experience.  If nothing else, I hope you feel less alone in this.

Related: 7 Things I Do When the Kids Aren’t Around

How do you get it all done with a toddler around?

Nap time

how do you get around with toddler around nap time

When you have a small child, everyone, and their cousins will tell you that you should get your housework done when the kids are asleep.  Ok sure.  My son naps anywhere between 20 minutes to 2 hours.  When I lay his precious little head down, the only thing I am certain of is that if someone rings the doorbell and the dogs start barking, I am not going to be one happy momma (this has happened, more than once).  So whether my precious little boy will allow me 20 min or 2 hours, sometimes I just need to breathe and sit in the quiet.  Sometimes I get things done.  And sometimes I forget my opportunity to shower.  The truth is, sometimes I take a nap with my son, and sometimes I can’t wait for naptime so I can start cleaning.  Nap time, no matter how short, may be the only break you get today!

Create a schedule

How Do You Get It All Done With A Toddler Aroundcreate a schedule

This might sound a bit crazy but trust me, I have done it, and it totally helps!  It took me a while (like almost an entire year) to understand this concept, but it has saved me.  Being a SAHM or working from home or whatever the case may be that allows you to be at home with your angel, can appear like you have all the time in the world to everything that needs to be done.  I swear SAHM’s are in a time warp where we lose hours.  So you don’t feel like you are doing everything every day, break it up.  Monday, clean bathroom, Tuesday vacuum and mop, Wednesday laundry day, you get the idea, but create one that works for you.  You have to think about how your day runs on its own at the moment.  Things, like wiping down the counters and putting the dishes away still, need to be done daily, and you just have to do it.

Sometimes I  just don’t

 Sometimes I just don’t get any work done, despite every effort made to do so.  My significant other would come home and wonder what I did all day.  Not only did that make me feel like a poor housekeeper and partner, but it also made me feel as if he thought all I did all day was sit around and watch trashy tv, while my mini tornado ran through the house.  On days like this, I like to pride myself that my toddler is still in one piece, fed and partially clothed (probably in something too small, picking my battles here).  That is about the extent of the victory of the day.  And for this day, that is ok.

I think as moms who stay home raising our children, we tend to put high expectations on our home, our parenting, and well, pretty much everything.  Give yourself a break.  You have 24 hours in a day and more jobs than anyone who punches a clock, without the luxury of a bathroom break.  

How do you handle your household duties while you have a toddler running around or hanging from your yoga pants?  Share your secrets with us below in the comments!

 

9 thoughts on “How Do You Get It All Done With A Toddler Around?”

  1. I can totally relate to the last part. I have a baby and she a little tornado. She gets into everything and rarely ever naps during the day. The only time I could get anything do is at night. Not going to happen though because I need all the sleep I can get to handle her during the day lol

  2. I remember those days and how hard it was to get a real moment to do what you need to do. I have a husband that was great with helping out or taking the kids outside so I could get things done. But I also learned what was important and what was not.

  3. I don’t! I keep a weekly to-do list and try to get done what I can. But I don’t stress about it if it doesn’t happen – there are so many things on our list that really isn’t important so you just have to learn to let those things go and enjoy time with the kiddos.

  4. The time with our little ones goes by so fast. My best advice is to be present and let things go. You’ll have your time back before you know it and they won’t need you the same way as they get older.

  5. I am not even going to lie – when all 3 kids were little at the same time,( I was homeschooling a 6 year old while having a 2 year old and newborn), those first few years of the last baby was a blur and I honestly think I was running on autopilot!

    Having some sort of schedule keeps things much easier for you. YES, you will have days where nothing gets done or days where you did do stuff but it doesn’t even look like it. But we will survive, as well as the kids.

    Older kids are a big help, too. Giving them chores can really help you out, as long as you aren’t a control freak lol (which is really hard not to be when a toddler is doing something)

  6. My older two are 10 months 6 days apart, so i know better w them than w my youngest on how to get things done w/ a toddler around + newborn. it was difficult for the first year, but i learned to multi-task. my older two are now 7 1/2 and 8 1/2, and my youngest is 13 months. Now, it’s a bit challenging to keep him entertained but i manage. he usually plays on his toy car and rides by where i am at.

Leave a Reply to Jess Benoit Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *