I don't think anyone really enjoys cleaning, but it is something that we have to do. Or at least it's socially expected that we do. I've never been a fan of cleaning, which my mother will attest to, and it's something I have to force myself to do. When I first started staying home full time I found myself this pretty schedule on Pinterest that told you what to clean on what days to "make your life easier". Perfect I thought, this is exactly what I need! Well that schedule lasted about a week because I got sick of having to clean when this bully of a paper told me I had to. I also found that I was spending my Mommy Hour scrubbing toilets, not my idea of a break. I promptly threw that schedule in the garbage and started my own schedule of sorts.
Vacuuming
After Roman and I have breakfast and get dressed each morning, we pick up all the toys from the floor so we can vacuum. John and I pick up all the toys every night but it always looks like a tornado hit the house after I've been in the bathroom for 20 minutes getting ready. I also think it's important that Roman learns how to help early. I'm lucky in that he truly loves helping me and I can get him to do pretty much anything if I put "Do you want to help Mom" in front of it. Now granted Roman isn't much help at actually vacuuming, but he will wander around and play with the dogs while I vacuum. This means the floors are dog/human hair free and I didn't have to listen to Roman scream through the entire thing!
Dishes
One of Roman's favorite chores is dishes. I can see the Moms cringing already at the thought of a toddler near a sink full of water. Yes he does make a bit of a mess but there are some sacrifices that we have to make to get things done. To help cut down on the mess I make sure to remove all clothing from Roman except his diaper. Even with only a inch of water in the sink this child will somehow soak everything on him, so why even bother with clothes? Roman is in charge of the rinsing half of the sink, so to help keep the water off the floor I only let him play with objects that don't scoop. Spatulas, spoons, forks and whisks are all fair game. The measuring cups, bowls, glasses, those bad boys are quickly rinsed and placed in the disk rack. This way he still gets to play in the water and overflow should be limited. When he does decide the counter or chair needs a good washing and starts sudsing them up, I try to let him be for the most part, even complimenting him on what a great job he's doing. At the end of the day it's just water and it can be wiped up. I'll only step in if we start to get a large puddle on the floor.
Ugh! I HATE cleaning the bathroom. There is nothing fun about cleaning a bathroom because there is nothing fun about the business that is taken care of in the bathroom. I often wish that someone would invent a Jetson's bathroom that magically cleans itself when you close the door. Until that wonderful day happens I guess we're stuck cleaning the bathroom. The bathroom can also be tricky to clean when you have a busy toddler because the bathroom is the equivalent to Disney World at this age, but there are still ways the little ones can help. Roman loves to carry the sponges, paper towel, and spray bottle to the bathroom. We use a mixture of water, vinegar and peroxide to clean so if I'm able to tear him away from the sink and the taps long enough he'll often help wipe the counter. Roman is also pretty good with a mop so he'll often push it around the floor for me.
Roman has been in the kitchen with me since he was only a few months old. Granted it's a little different now since he loves food and loves to help me. He obviously can't help much yet but I usually let him dump ingredients into bowls and stir things. Sure it can take twice as long, things get spilled, including blood, but I think it's important for kids to learn how to cook early. Helping in the kitchen is also a great opportunity for kids to try new foods! Roman will often munch on a slice of raw onion or snack on some minced garlic. Not typical snacks but who am I to say no? Plus it can be pretty funny to see his reaction to these snacks.
There are some things that just can't be done while Roman is running loose through the house. Blogging and crafting are activities that I now reserve for Mom time while Roman is napping or after he goes to bed for the night. Hopefully soon Roman will be able to sit still long enough to work on a craft project, but I'm not holding my breath. As far as the computer goes, if you bring it out when Roman is awake, you're just asking for the black screen of death.
I'm not going to lie and say that I can do things just as fast with Roman's help as I can on my own. Anyone that has kids knows that isn't true. I do however find these tasks more enjoyable (for the most part) when I have Roman's help. There is nothing worse than trying to do something with a kids screaming blue murder because they want you to pay attention to them. So why not involve them?
I think the hardest part of having kids help you is learning to accept that there will likely be a mess made in the process of cleaning the original mess. This used to drive me nuts but I've learnt to pick my battles and let the added hassle roll off my back in the interest of learning. Once you get into a bit of a routine it will get better I promise! Now that Roman knows when we normally clean he knows what to expect and is ready to help. If he doesn't feel like helping he seems to be content with me cleaning while he plays, maybe because he knows what I'm doing? I really have no idea what he's thinking so I can only guess, but this is what I'm going with.
Chores with a toddler are only what you make of it! Focus on the fun parts, the giggles and the smiles. Look past the extra mess and if you don't get everything accomplished in one day, oh well. The world will not end just because you haven't seen your counter in a few days!
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