Hey Friends,

Today’s post is written from one mama to another… but I am not writing with the perspective of someone with lots of experience (I’m the first-time mama of one little boy). My goal with this post is to share some tips I’ve learned about getting things done with a toddler – and hopefully you will find some helpful takeaways and encouragement that you can apply to your home as well!

My little boy is one year old and while he’s generally very well behaved, he still toddles/runs all over the house, loves getting into things, and has a great amount of curiosity. Getting things done was a lot easier when he was in the infant stage – he slept so often and when he was awake, I could just lay him on a blanket with toys. Well, not anymore! We are officially down to one 2-3 hour nap which means he’s awake for much of the day. As a stay at home mom, I still need to clean the house, make 3 meals a day, help my husband with ministry obligations, and see to my own needs and responsibilities. It takes some juggling on the average day, but I would say we have fallen into a nice system of getting things done with a toddler in the house. 

Before we begin, I want to mention that I am incredibly blessed to have my husband working from home. His ministry obligations take him out of the house some afternoons, but most mornings, he’s studying or working in his office at home. Having a second person around the house to help corral a busy toddler is a huge blessing. However, the following tips will work well when it’s just you at home. When my husband is away I really rely on some of these tips to get things done with a toddler!

Please know that it IS possibly take care of a toddler and still get things done around the house. It just takes some creativity, a lot of patience, and some help from time to time!

The following tips have helped me and I hope they will be blessing to you as well!

Disclaimer: This post does contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase I will receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog in this way!

How to Get Things Done with a Toddler

1. Start with a List

It pretty much goes without saying, that it’s incredibly helpful to start your day with a to-do list. I like to write out my list the night before – I check to see what meal I have planned for the next day, then I take note of any appointments or scheduled obligations. Top priority items get written down first, then I add extra things I would like to get done if time allows. Seeing my list written out the night before helps me figure out a mental game-plan for the next day. If I have to go somewhere, I decide ahead of time if Daniel will need to go with me, or if I can leave him at home with my husband. If I know I have a lot of kitchen tasks, I will try to think of ways ahead of time that I can keep Daniel occupied so I can get it all done.

(It’s also wise to review your list and see which items can wait for another day so you aren’t starting out with an overwhelming list of things to do.)

A little bit of planning and forethought goes along way – especially when you need to consider the needs of your little one! Go ahead, make that list!

2. Make Friends with Your Pack n’ Play

Goodness, I don’t know what I would do without a pack n’ play! Some wise mamas (and this book) recommended the pack n’ play idea to me and I was pretty skeptical at first. As an older baby (8 -12 months) Daniel really hated his pack n’ play! Every time I put him inside he would just cry. However, we stuck with it and I soon learned that he would fuss for a couple minutes and then decide to play with his toys. Now, the pack n’ play is one of my best friends. Danial happily plays on his own, looking at books or playing with his toys for a solid 30 minutes or more. I typically make use of the pack n’ play 1-2 times a day – once in the morning and once in the late afternoon (it’s super helpful when I am getting dinner ready). 

The Why’s and How’s: The pack n’ play truly is a wonderful tool for when your baby/toddler becomes mobile. It provides a safe boundary for your child and allows them to spend some time playing independently away from you. If you’re just starting out, your child may fuss in the beginning but don’t give up! Watch the clock or set a timer and start with just 5-10 minutes at a time. Place a handful of age appropriate toys and books for your child to play with inside the pack n’ play. It’s best if your chid can’t see you – but it’s wise for you to be able to see and hear them.  

As long as you are nearby and within hearing distance, don’t be afraid to let your child play by himself in the pack n’ play. He or she will soon learn how to get creative and play by themself with mom nearby. 

3. Involve Your Little One

When your child is small, it can be hard to involve them in your activities but if you get creative, they will have a blast “helping” with your tasks.

Here are some ways I have involved my toddler in my work:

Vacuuming: Daniel loves to watch me vacuum the floors. Sometimes he will just sit and watch, other times I will pretend to chase him with our vacuum or he tries to chase me. Either way, he has fun and the floors get vacuumed. (Be sure to teach your child not to play with the vacuum cord and plug.)

Dusting: Daniel gets a dry dusting rag and I get a damp one. As I go about the room dusting furniture, I show him how to dust as well. Our coffee table is the perfect height for him, so I typically direct him there and show him how to wipe the empty surface. Eventually, he gets tired of “dusting” and will go play with a toy or look at a book, but for the time being, he feels as though he’s involved and I make headway with the dusting in at least one room of the house! 😉

Cleaning Up Toys: I like to make sure Daniel is watching me when I clean up his toys. Many times, I will hand him a book or toy and encourage him to help me put it away. He thinks it’s great fun when I give him a high-five or praise him for a job well done. 

Working in the Kitchen: While most of my kitchen cabinets and drawers are “off limits” for Daniel, he does have a few pre-determined drawers and cabinets he’s allowed to get into. One cabinet has a few toys inside for him, and two drawers have some un-breakable kitchen items that he has fun playing with while I cook or cleanup from dinner. Sometimes, he’s a little under-foot, and even though he’s not as involved in my activities, he still has fun playing near mommy and I get to work while he happily plays at my feet. (You could also put your child in the highchair or booster seat and give them a set of measuring cups and spoons, and some bowls to play with – just be prepared for the extra dishes that will need washed as a result).

Washing the Floors –I don’t always wash the floors with Daniel nearby, but when I do, I usually give him a rag or a dust brush. He goes around playing with it and I wipe down the floors as best as I can with him nearby. (Be sure to keep your child away from the bucket of water and never leave them with water unattended.) It may not be a perfect cleaning job, but it will certainly look better than before!

Those are just some simple ways I have involved Daniel in my activities. A little bit of creativity can go a long way! 

4. Clean Up Before Nap Time and Bedtime 

It may be tempting to put your toddler to bed and then tackle any remaining cleanup, but I’ve learned it’s much more time efficient to get these things out of the way while he is still awake! When you clean up before nap time or bedtime, you can come back to a clean room and some free time for other important things that need to be done while your toddler is sleeping. For instance…

• Have your toddler help you clean up their toys before moving to the next room. Have a regular cleanup time before their next meal and/or nap. 

• Wash the dishes and clean up after each meal. Teach your toddler to play nearby while you do this. 

• Clean off the high chair immediately after your child is done eating. Better yet, teach your child to wipe down his highchair with a wet dishcloth… they’ll think it’s great fun! Don’t leave a mess that you’ll need to clean up later. You have more important things to work on while they sleep! 😉

• Clean up after bath time while you are still in the bathroom. Show your child where their bath toys belong and put them away before you leave. Dump/drain leftover bath water, put clothes in the hamper, and leave the bathroom clean when you are done. Again, you have more important things to do when you’re child is asleep – don’t leave a mess that you’ll have to clean up later. 

I’ve learned all these things the hard way. It’s frustrating when you’re child is finally asleep but you need to go through the house and clean up all the messes they left behind. Discipline yourself to clean up these messes as soon as possible and involve your child when you can.

Note: Obvisouly, there will be some days when messes get out of control. It happens. Your toddler may be grumpy and the #1 most important thing on the agenda is their next nap and NOT cleanup. This is okay! I would just encourage you not to make it a daily occurrance. If your toddler goes down for a nap and you are left with a messy house, set a timer for 15-20 minutes and clean up as much as you can in that amount of time. Take a break. Then, begin again until everything is cleanup. Take a rest, you deserved it, mama!

5. Supervised Playtime in the Crib

While the crib is for sleeping, it can also be used for playtime in a pinch. Much like the pack n’ play, the crib can offer boundaries – it will just be in a different room with different toys. Occasionally, I will place Daniel in the crib with a stack of books and some toys he hasn’t played with in awhile. Then, I will turn on our video monitor and take it with me wherever I need to go inside the house. This way, I can watch Daniel while he plays but still get some things done in another room of the house if needed. This is especially helpful for when my husband is away and I need to get something done!

This is the video monitor we use. The battery life isn’t the greatest, but it has worked well for us.

6. Go Outside!

Toddlers (including mine!) love to go outside and roam in the yard. Fill a bag with toys and head outside for some supervised outdoor time. You can always sit and read a book while your toddler roams around and has fun getting dirty. This isn’t something we do too often, but if we’ve been stuck in the house for too long, it’s a nice change of scenery and usually gives me a chance to sit and read/relax while Daniel plays. It just might be the thing you need to reset a crazy day!

Bonus: Ask for Help!

If you have a busy day and to-do list that’s a mile long, you can do two things: 1) adjust your expectations (do all these things really need to get done?) 2) go ahead and ask for help! (and don’t feel bad if you do!). Have a list of go-to people that can jump in and help in a pinch. Here are some suggestions:

• Hire a babysitter
• Ask your husband to help
• Call a relative

I don’t recommend using the TV or your phone as a babysitter, but on very, very rare occasions, when I need to get something done and Daniel is underfoot, I will turn on a show and stick him in the highchair with a snack (Daniel still loves these snacks!). For me, this is a last resort option (I don’t want technology to become the babysitter in my house) but if I desperately need to get something done, it’s at least an option.

A Friendly Reminder

If you’ve had a busy day getting things done and your child has been occupied in other ways, be sure to set aside some time to play and interact with your child one on one! Toddlers need playtime with mommy and daddy! We love to read and look at books… and Daniel always loves it when we get down on his level to play with some of his favorite toys. Getting things done can be important, but being present for your child is even more important! It definitely takes balance to learn how to get things done while still making our little ones a priority. I often find myself praying or wisdom as I go about my days. I would encourage you to do the same.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

More Helpful Resources

• On Becoming Pre-Toddlerwise (Book) – This book has been so helpful for me! The pre-toddler/toddler stage is so very different from babyhood and this book laid out some very helpful advice for navigating these changes. The author covers dietary changes, schedule changes (since toddlers need less sleep during the day), and guidance for handling your child’s new found independence and curiosity! This book showed me what I needed to work on and also provided the encouragement I needed to do so!
• My Favorite Baby Items (Amazon List) – Here is a compilation of some of my favorite baby items, things I’ve used in pregnancy and since Daniel was an infant. Some of his favorite toys and books are on the list as well.
• Advice and Tips for Moms of Young Children (Youtube Video) – This a compilation of motherhood tips from a fellow blogger and mom of two, Hannah Olson. I have found her tips to be incredibly helpful and I think you will too!

I hope this post has been a help and a blessing to you! If you have any suggestions you would like to add – feel free to leave them in the comments!

Until Next Time,