Five Household Chores To Share With Your Toddler PLUS £150 Wayfair Giveaway

wayfair graphicWhen you spend most days at home alone with young children the twelve hours between wake up and bedtime can sometimes seem impossible to fill. I like to keep things as varied as possible for the sake of my own sanity so I try to mix things up with Caterpillar on my non-working days. We go to a toddler class, visit friends and family or even just break up the day with a trip to the park or the library.

However, you can’t be out all the time, we all need down time at home too. And when we are at home we can’t spend all our time playing with our children, much as they would love us to. There are countless chores and tasks to take care of and my son often gets frustrated when I tell him mummy has to “get on.”

One way I try to dodge a tantrum is to get him involved in the household tasks. I’ve mentioned before, I am not a fan of housework of any kind and I’m pretty lazy, but for some reason kids seem to love being able to help out. Here are a few examples of the chores Caterpillar “helps” me with:

Laundry

This is Caterpillar’s favourite task and we make it into quite an activity. I throw the clothes down the stairs and he helps me put them all in the washing machine, he loves to put the powder in and push the button

Vacuum Cleaning wayfair hoover

This is my husband’s domain but Caterpillar has been joining in with this since he could walk. It’s actually a really cute game between them. Hubs lets Caterpillar pretend to Hoover using one of the extra attachments, let’s him turn the button on and off and makes him laugh with the nozzle

Washing up

Since we don’t have a dishwasher (sob!), washing dishes tends to be what I spend most of my time doing. Obviously, Caterpillar is too young to handle slippery crockery so I sometimes let him wash up his plastic plates and cups. But what he finds most fun is simply putting cutlery away so he often helps with that


wayfair bakingCooking & Baking

All kids seem to adore making cakes and biscuits (this probably has something to do with the end result!) but lately Caterpillar asks to help me make dinner too. I let him do simple tasks like put pasta into a saucepan or stir something and this seems to give him a big thrill. I can’t wait until he’s a little older and I can share more of my passion for cooking with him

Tidying toys

wayfair toybox2I can’t say Caterpillar particularly enjoys this one but it’s certainly something we try to encourage. He helps me put away his toys away before going up for his bath and bedtime, which I think helps him get into the end-of-day mindset. He’s a bit of a nightmare for getting every single toy out throughout the day so recently I’ve also been trying to encourage him to tidy one item away before getting out another

Let’s be honest, none of this “help” makes housework quicker or simpler for us but I think it’s good to get children involved sometimes as it makes them feel important and they get extra time with you. It also helps them to understand that you simply can’t spend all your time with them which is a good thing too.

Before having Caterpillar I worked five days a week with a long commute so one of the many changes that caught me off guard when becoming a parent was suddenly spending a lot of extra time at home. One way to make that transition easier is to make your home as beautiful and comfortable as you can.

The kind folks at Wayfair have offered the chance to win a huge £150 giftcard to spend on their beautiful selection of homewares. There is so much choice from furniture to cookware, lighting, beautiful home furnishings and so much more. Enter below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

426 comments on “Five Household Chores To Share With Your Toddler PLUS £150 Wayfair Giveaway

  1. What a great giveaway. I really need to buy a bunk bed so fingers crossed. Great ideas for chores to shae with your children and I think it is really important that you do this as it encourages them to take responsibility but like you say you have to accept that perhaps they aren’t really going to be much help! #bloggersclubuk
    Emma recently posted…Where to stay in LondonMy Profile

      1. always great to get ideas for the kids have great reading and excellent giveaways always learning somthing new thankyou

  2. I love the idea of getting little one’s to help out with household things. The key is definitely to make it fun. And I also think it’s a good idea to never mention the word chores, like it’s a boring or unlikeable task. I found that out by acting like I enjoyed it, with my nephews. They wanted to do them with me, because I made it sound like it was fun lol 😀

    1. Ha ha, couldn’t agree more! I use the same technique for going to the dentist too – “but the moving chair is so much FUN, baby!” Works like a charm! Thanks for reading x

  3. I think this is a wonderful idea. Both my niece and my nephew live with me an we have always encouraged them to take part in the household chores, firstly by making It a game when they were younger and then later by plain old bribery!!!!

  4. There are some wonderful tips for getting little ones to help. Kids love pushing buttons, bless them. It is hard to pull yourself away from play time to do the dishes instead.
    Thank you for hosting this great giveaway.

  5. My Sister – in – Law always expected her children to put rubbish in the Livingroom litter bin as soon as they were finished, as soon as they could walk. Her own Mother had been a stay at home Mother, and had brought up children to tidy up after themself, clean up after themself, pay a portion of each household bill. They lived in their bedrooms, whilst Parents lived in the Livingroom and retired to their bedroom to sleep. Only Parents guests were brought into Livingroom. Children, even when they became adult whilst living with their Parents took their own guests to their bedroom. This meant the Livingroom was clean, tidy, quiet etc for Parents use. So unlike my own upbringing all guests were brought to the Livingroom, as was seen as visiting the family home and family. We all made guests welcome and interacted together. Meant that family members got to know each others friends etc.

    Toddlers are part of the family, becoming mobile and more independent, they quickly learn. It is good to safely involve them in everyday tasks. Then they are enabled to be an active family member, know and accept what is allowed, what Parents will allow them to do with Parental assistance etc. Can be good for developing Social Skills, Communication, Respect etc. Children develop, and need practice to improve on skills etc.

    1. Wow, that is very organised! You’re absolutely right though re developing different development areas. Thanks for reading and your comments 🙂

  6. Fab tips for getting little ones involved in household tasks, they are sure to help Caterpillar grow into a beautiful butterfly.

  7. It’s great having ‘little helpers’, but I think it’s equally important for children’s growth and development. Win win for everyone 🙂

  8. Our children loved helping – I think it was the idea that they were doing something “real”. Thank you for a lovely giveaway.

  9. My daughter has always loved helping – at times I have to remind her that I’m the mother! My son’s totally different. The only job he likes doing is taking the bin out!

  10. I think it is important to get your children to help out, it gives them a sense of independence and responsibility, it teaches them life skills while also bonding and spending time with your child, great post!

    Great give away, thank you for the chance to win. Good Luck everyone.

  11. My youngest loves to “help” brush up, she spends ages carefully sweeping up….. only to drop it on the way to the bin!!!! But she loves to help so I let her and then clean up after she has finished!!!

  12. I think kids are never too young to start helping out with chores, it’s good to make it aprt of their routine…and great prize too 🙂

  13. Great Ideas! My little ones love feeling helpful. Another great one is giving them a damp cloth and letting them wipe down the walls to get rid of all those little mucky handprints which I never get around to doing!

  14. Great competition, they do some lovely furniture. I would choose either a sideboard or toddler bed witht he gift card if I won. Thank you.

  15. Thank you for the giveaway. I’d be able to buy some lovely things for my bedroom, living with hubby and two boys it’s the only girly part of the house I have!

  16. Brilliant prize. We bought our new living room wall lights from Wayfair and they are so original and different. Had loads of lovely compliments about them.x

  17. I’m a new follower! Fantastic Blog. I like to get my two boys involved with the cleaning. I find a pack of baby wipes for dusting and cleaning works wonders!

  18. I think they enjoy it. I sometimes have to wash my hair while my niece is with me and she hold the towel for me and picks the shampoo and tells me what it does (cleans hair – conditioner makes it soft but no bubbles)

  19. My little boy used to hate the sound of my hoover starting up – he’d cry and run away. Now he wants to do all the vacuuming himself…which is great, but he doesn’t really get the fact he needs to sweep up crumbs, dirt and dust NOT his Lego men ;(

  20. This is such an informative and entertaining blog and the giveaway is amazing ,SO many lovely things to buy for the home from Wayfair.

  21. What an awesome prize. thanks for the chance, Laura. Love your ideas. My kids normally enjoy helping with the housework. I always set a time limit saying the film (normally Frozen!!) starts in 30 minutes, while we hurriedly finish our chores (dusting,sweeping, washing the dishes)

  22. Thanks for sharing how you get your toddler involved in chores. My little one enjoys ‘tidy up’ times. However, I tend to put him off getting involved with other chores around the house. I think I’m going to relax a bit more about getting him involved with chores. 🙂 #CommentLuv
    aNoviceMum recently posted…WWW 12 | Looking Beyond the BarsMy Profile

    1. Yeah it’s not easy to let them help really because you know it’s going to take so much longer lol! Thanks for reading x

  23. Wow this is such a generous giveaway thank you so much for giving us the chance to win such a wonderful prize

  24. Great giveaway 🙂 would love to win and put the voucher towards a cotbed for my daughter who is due in summer 🙂 xxx

  25. Wayfair have such a large collection of products, it’s hard to choose what to buy! Thanks for the great comp and the opportunity to win.

  26. I totally agree with you. Some solutions such as bribing, threatening are not effective
    Let your kids know that doing chore is a part of their daily routine – like homework time, or bedtime stories.
    Thank you for your helpful post. I really like these articles here

  27. I love Wayfair. Such a great choice of home items.
    My two love helping around the house & I use it as a pocket money incentive (I’m hoping it’ll continue then as they get bigger!). Thanks for the giveaway

  28. Really lovely blog post. I had to get my friend to read it as she has just starting getting her daughter (my goddaughter) to start helping with chores. She’s five.

    Thank you for the competition

  29. Will be trying some of your tips when the grandsons come to nanny’s and thanks for such a fab giveaway x

  30. Thank you for this, some great ideas here!! I’ve been struggling recently to think of ways to get my daughter more involved around the house. Her idea of tidying up usually means picking things up that were chucked on the floor and chucking them into the nearest surface! 🙂

  31. Thanks for the lovely giveaway, I think I’d get some new things for the kitchen if I was lucky enough to win :o)

  32. I get all four of mine helping with the housework. My two toddlers definitely enjoy it more than the older two!

  33. It’s wonderful and frustrating when they are at the age when they want to help with the housework. Not so much fun when they get older and you have to sit through a, Royal Shakespeare Company worthy, tantrum as to why it is “so unfair and slavery” to expect any help.

  34. Thank You so much this is such a fabulous post & competition. It’s always a good idea to get the little one’s helping in the house from a young & safe age.

  35. Would love this so I could buy the AlpenHome stag bedding for my room!

    My boys help with the housework I work full time and am at university so it’s all hands on deck!

  36. I think it’s vital to get your toddler helping with chores, they find it fun & it certainly teaches them responsibility.

  37. When mine was little I used to stand them on a chair in front of the sink fill it with bubbles and plastic cups etc and let them play wash up as I cleaned and tidyed the kitchen…. I left the mopping untill the end though…

  38. Always made sure my son and daughter could manage most household chores before they left home. Interestingly my daughter married someone who does them all for her whereas my son married someone where he does most of them. Both are blissfully happy 🙂

  39. Oh this is fabulous thank you would love ♥ a new chair for my bedroom to sit and read my books, Fingers crossed

  40. Helping with the chores is a real learning expereicne for children, too. Social skills are obvious – learning not to always have someone clear up after them for example – but think of the sorting skills in putting away that cutlery, putting the washing in the machine and so on. With my own children such activities were always followed by some together time such as a game or sharing a book so that it became part of their expectations for the day.

  41. The toy chest is lovely and it’s a simple but terrific idea to be able just to chuck..ahem..tidy stuff away at the end of the day. Great read, thanks 🙂

  42. Just buying a flat and going from a furnished rented flat to an unfurnished one mean we will have to buy everything meaning anything remotely decorative will be at the bottom of the list…unless I win this :p

  43. I think it’s essential that children learn how to take care of themselves and the home. They’ll certainly need to do it when they grow up, so it’s best to instill good habits at an early age.

  44. Many thanks for running this lovely giveaway. And some great ideas to get the kids involved in household chores. My daughter is 4 and she loves to ‘help ‘! Initially I used to distract her as sometimes it would just create more work for me. But I have found it really helps build her confidence and she feels good she has helped and that she can be responsible. Her favourite jobs are setting the dinner table (minus crockery and glass), clearing the table, putting shopping away and getting a damp cloth and wipe cupboards and tables. She actually enjoys it! How long it will it last though? !

    1. It definitely makes more work for us, but when I have the time and patience it’s a nice activity. Thanks for reading x

  45. I LOVE Wayfair. Such a great brand. I’d have so much fun choosing what to buy with this voucher! Thanks for the chance!

  46. This is great although I’ve just spent all naptime looking at the Wayfair site instead of doing chores…oops!

  47. Your housework attitude is like mine. I hate it, wish I lived in a cave so I could hose it down every now and then.

  48. Wonderful prize. I am really needing new cushions for my living room so they would be top of my list if I won

  49. Some fab gadgets to help speed the process along, and some great tips to spread the work around the family!

  50. wonderful prize thanks for the chance my facebook account is jessica a cook and not blondejess1978 as i stated on the form

  51. The Children did enjoy helping with the chores when they were very young, but now the novelty has well and truly warn off lol!
    Fab giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity! : )

  52. Lovely Givaway. My three year old loves to get involved. He likes to help unload the washing machine and helps me make dinner.

  53. I am so lucky, my 5 year old wants to help with everything, it makes her feel really grown up, little does she know yet that it gets very boring as you get older

  54. We used to do some of these things with my son when he was little, now he’s a teenager it’s tough getting him out of bed let alone doing chores! Great prize, thank you.

  55. How lovely that he likes to help with chores! Heres hoping he is enthusiastic about that for years to come 🙂

  56. Some great ideas here for helping spread the workload, whilst instilling some responsibility! Great giveaway

  57. Great ideas! My daughter has a love/hate relationship with the hoover, she wants to help but hates the noise, might have to get her a toy one!!

  58. This would be amazing to buy lots of beautiful things big and small; to make my home the most stylish of all. Thanks xxx

  59. What all parents should do! Getting children to help by having fun is a great way to teach them and they will also learn to respect things more.
    Thanks for the giveaway too.

  60. I love these ideas 🙂 it always amuses me how every young child adores the vacuum cleaner, then by the time they get old enough to use it it’s like the devil incarnate!

    Thanks for the giveaway, too 🙂

  61. Great read, I always get the kids involved if I can, it keeps them entertained and they feel grown up. Thanks for the great competition 🙂

  62. I would love to get my daughter something nice for her rented flat as it’s rather characterless. Thanks for running the giveaway.

  63. Amazing prize! I am in the process of flat hunting so this would be a perfect way to start off my new place. Thank you

  64. The vacuum cleaner is in the same bracket as hand-dryers in public toilets, motorbikes and hairdryers for my toddler – too terrifying for words! The rest she’s on board with.

  65. This is great, it’s definitely encouraged me to get my little man (3 1/2) to “help” more as he does love it when he gets involved. We’ve got a reward chart too and he’s recently been asking me what he can do to get a sticker so I’ve got some more ideas here. Thanks. Wayfair is also a fab company, they have loads of great things so fingers crossed!

  66. Lovely article. My Daughters are 6 and 1 and I am always trying to encourage them to help out around the house. It also makes tasks like food shopping much more bearable if they help to put items in the trolley etc x

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