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mary theresa
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 7:21pm | IP Logged
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All this talk about spring cleaning has me frustrated . . . I can't clean with my 1 yr old around! And she's my only kid so I don't have help. My husband is a construction worker so there is constant dirt!
Vacuuming -- no good, she's either scared when awake, or when asleep our house is only 800 sq. ft and it would wake her.
Sweeping -- she climbs in my pile and claws my legs
Bathroom -- she follows me and tries to get into the toilet
Basically, she follows me everywhere and I can't get it done. Her nap is somewhat useful but it's only 1.5 hrs and it takes me more like 4 to do just the basics in the whole house.
So, I clean maybe every 3 mos! Bathroom gets quick wipe down and sweeping happens at night after she's in bed but that's about it. 
So, how did you do it when you just had one?
Oh, and she HATES restraint of any kind -- playpens, jumpys, etc for any more than about 15 min.
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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Bridget
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 7:33pm | IP Logged
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Playpens and gates. When I only had a couple of tiny kids I could gate off their playroom. Or plop them in a playpen near what I was doing.
They do object at first but give up after a time and settle down to play. Even if they don't stop fussing, it won't hurt them to complain for the time it takes you to clean something. REALLY.
My Dh was gone a lot so confining them was the only way to keep them safe while i cleaned a bathroom, carried in groceries etc. I learned to clean quick. 
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Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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Fuzzy
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I remember those times! My kids are 16 mos apart, and it seemed like I never got to do "deep" cleaning! Still feels that way!
I know she doesn't like the restraints, but that is what I would do for my kids. I would put up a gate at the bathroom door, so she could see me, but not get into any of the harmful stuff. I would sweep while she is still in her highchair for a snack or lunch, or the exersaucer. She may scream for a little while, but if it is needed, she'll be ok. My mother actually purchased a play yard for me, which was a round area, that you can attach toys to, and keep my kids occupied so I could do what I needed.
I know she is still young, but does she watch any baby einstein videos? That is at least enough time to tackle the toilet, or the mirror and sinks.
You also might like to give her something "similar" to what you are doing - clean rag, empty bottle to "be like mommy" or a broom in a small size.
I hope this helps!
Fuzzy
Mom to DS 3 1/2 and DD 2
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 7:48pm | IP Logged
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When mine first ones were too little to help, we only had one car. So, the deal was that my husband would take the little ones out one evening a week. He's pick up my father-in-law and they would take a detailed list and the boys and go grocery shopping. When they were finished, he stopped for a quick visit with grandma. The whole adventure took about 3 hours. I stayed home and power-cleaned. I had a system (see the Clean Team for ideas) for speed cleaning and I loved having the freedom to move efficiently through my house without being slowed by toddlers.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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helene
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 8:02pm | IP Logged
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Yes, definitely have your husband make a "date" with your daughter regularly so you can clean quickly without hassles! It used to take me 2 hours to do the whole house top to bottom while my husband took everybody to "play tennis." What's more, it'll be good for them to spend that time alone together. Win! Win! It doesn't have to be fancy or far. They can even complete a puzzle in a remote part of the house until you chase them elsewhere with the vaccuum.
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
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I totally know the feeling. I kid you not, even as he got older he still hasn't learned that you cannot walk on the wet floor when I'm mopping. Too many times he has done the head over heels cartoon-like fall on the floor. I have to mop when he is away or sleeping.
For the master bath I would do some cleaning when I would get showered in the morning...little by little the bathroom would be cleaned from top to bottom in a week. But quick wipe downs are still the usual tasks.
I do some things at night, things that are just easier without my son, even though he's a better helper. My dh helps so much by doing the usual bedtime routine -- he does bath, we pray together, and if he reads I have almost an hour almost to myself to tackle some vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms. Most of the time lately it's simply decluttering and pick-up time so things look presentable when I wake up in the am.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
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5athome
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 11:33pm | IP Logged
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Do you have a backpack for her? I would use that while you do a quick sweep or vaccuum.
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 13 2007 at 11:52pm | IP Logged
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Not helpful for cleaning, but know it does get easier  Try some of these ideas already mentioned, one will work Or else be like me and say forget it , and only clean for company 
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 12:07am | IP Logged
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As far as the vacuum scaring her.. I'd "give" it to her to "play" with.. let her control it.. turning it on and off and pushing it (with help) That can let her see that it's not a scary thing.
Tell her what you're doing as well.. that will help you remain calm if she's upset. I know the vacuum is loud.. it's working hard to get the dirt off the floor from daddy's boots. I'll turn it off as soon as I'm finished with this (room, pathway, something). And do it for short increments to start.. slowly getting longer periods of time. Another way for her to get used to it.
I used to purposely vacuum under the baby napping in the swing.. let her get used to sleeping through noise. Because there isn't a moment in this house anymore when there's not noise unless everyone is asleep
Get her her own housekeeping "tools".. you could even get carpet sweeper that she could push (also wouldn't scare her with noise).. they have kits with brooms and dustpans and the like.. all in child size and really work.. another fun item is a spray bottle with water.. a glass door or window or mirror down low and a towel to clean with. Dust cloth too.. think table legs, coffee table.. even baseboards all at her levels 
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Matilda
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 5:00am | IP Logged
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My kids were all afraid of the vacuum when they were little, and it took me a while to figure out that they were most afraid of being on the floor when I vacuumed. If I put them up on the couch or a chair and told them I was going to vacuum, they would sit there (watching the beast like a hawk) until I was done.
I might also add that while they sat there, they really couldn't make any new messes! 
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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Angel
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 2:51pm | IP Logged
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I tended to do things like vacuuming at night, when my husband was home, until my oldest was toddler-aged. I did laundry during naptime because it was easy to throw something in the wash then. (My oldest took really negligible naps around that age. In fact, sleep was pretty negligible in general then.) We had our kitchen gated off; it was about the size of a postage stamp, so when it did need mopped, it was easy to get it done fast. The bathroom (there was only 1) was done on the weekend, when there were two adults around.
When my son was about 16 months old, I know that we had fallen into a pretty good routine of cleaning right after breakfast. He wasn't scared of the vacuum cleaner, so I would pretty much vacuum the entire house then (2 bedrooms, around 1000 sq.ft). If he had been scared of the vacuum cleaner, I would have done it at night when my husband could hold him. Or I would have put him in a high chair and talked to him the whole time. Then I would wash the dishes by hand, because we didn't have a dishwasher. Then we would go on a walk. When you do the same thing, day after day, kids learn to expect it.
Don't get me wrong -- the house was still often a wreck, because I couldn't figure out what to do with clutter and I wasn't very good at getting *everything* picked up -- but I did find ways to do some essential things. Even now some things remain the same: we do deep-cleaning of the bathrooms on the weekends, so an adult will be around to watch the babies, and the other adult (currently my husband) can *shut the door*. Mopping is a little more difficult, because we can't gate all our wood floors in this house, and if the babies are down, I need to rest myself. But after seeing our routine done so many times, our babies have started actually picking things up when it is pick-up time!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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TracyFD
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 9:24pm | IP Logged
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For the bathrooms - I keep 7th Generation supplies in the cabinets under each bathroom sink. I am known to go to the bathroom, lock the door, and clean it really quick before coming out.
For vacuuming and sweeping - I wonder if she would like her own dustbuster?
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Angie Mc
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| Posted: March 14 2007 at 11:42pm | IP Logged
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Hi Mary Theresa,
Wow, was I there with my first! She was a high need baby/toddler and I felt she really needed my attention and closeness throughout the day. Playpens and such didn't work well for us and we didn't have a TV at the time so I figured out a few things that did work. She loved being in the backpack or sling while I cleaned. She also loved her own little cleaning tools (broom, squirt bottles with water, rags, toothbrushes, etc.) She loved being in the tub so I would put her in and clean the bathroom. When her dad was available (which wasn't much during that time) he would entertain her while I cleaned uninterrupted...but to be honest, when he was home I would rather spend my time with him and baby:). She would play in the kitchen sink while I cleaned the kitchen....things like that!
I learned how to Speed Clean (see Elizabeth's Clean Team link) with her and would also take advantage of the times when she was already preoccupied (playing, napping, etc.) to do a little here and a little there. The cool thing about Speed Cleaning is that it gave me a code on how to clean well and fast so even if I had to stop to meet her needs, I knew where to pick up again!
I really had to change my expectations...of having undivided time to leisurely clean my home which I did before she was born. I actually had to learn how to clean differently...now I wouldn't go back to my old ways. Looking back on it, I was learning so much about mothering and keeping a home...what a lot of work! Yet, so much of what I learned serves me well to this day.
Oooo...one more tip I picked up from a more experienced mother at the time. She encouraged me to keep one place neat and clean in my home so that I would have a refuge of sorts when the rest of the home was not up to par (can you say, "chaos?) So I had a corner in my room with a chair and table where I could sit quietly (and nurse) and be in a peace. I still do this!
Enjoy your baby and go easy on yourself as you learn how to best integrate baby and cleaning. As my mother would remind me, "The messes will always be there, but baby is only baby for a short time." Mom is right again .
Love,
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Angie Mc
Maimeo to Henry! Dave's wife, mom to Mrs. Devin+Michael Pope, Aiden 20,Ian 17,John Paul 11,Catherine (heaven 6/07)
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mary theresa
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| Posted: March 15 2007 at 11:48am | IP Logged
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Thanks so all the great ideas! I appreciate this forum so much and you all who take the time to be so generous and write these great posts to help lil' ol' me out over here in new-mother-ville.
Jodie and Matilda - good ideas on helping her not be scared of the vacuum.
Elizabeth, thanks SO much for the speed cleaning link! And for the thought of a date with Daddy out of the house from you and Helene. I will try that some evening.
Bridget, its getting easier for me slowly but surely to listen to her cry. I was SO bad at it, even when I KNEW she really was fine and just being demanding. But I'm learning how to block out the ornery crying sometimes.
And Angie thanks for the reminder to lower my expectations of what I can do! I like your mom's wisdom. I need to remember that in many areas of her babyhood.
Fuzzy, Tracy, and Jodie, I like the idea of her "helping" She can't walk quite yet, but i def. will try that in another couple months!
Angel, 5athome and Jenn, thank you also for the thoughts. This morning I did some cleaning while she was in her high chair. I guess i need to look for the opportunities more.
Molly, I have been saying "forget it!" these past 3 months. I'm glad someone else does it too. I hate cleaning so much and only like the feeling after its done
But its spring and almost Easter so I'm working on the motivation!
Thank you all so much! I knew I'd get great ideas asking here!
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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Topic: cleaning with a baby
