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Pregnancy > Parenthood

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Get your toddler cleaning up pronto

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I wish this picture of the OXO tot mini dustpan and hand broom showed a toddler or banana for scale instead of a full-grown mom looking for a kid helper to clean up around the highchair. But I am glad they cut her face off because you know she’s sick of crawling around down there. Or stepping on questionable bits of detritus as she moves UP and DOWN from her seat refilling and answering special requests during every meal.

 

OXO tot sweeping up broom for messy toddlers

So, here’s the tip: Get your little one to start helping around the house while he still thinks it is an amazing display of big kid power and before he starts to resent your intrusion onto his well-deserved free time.

Stock up on adorable kid-sized cleaning supplies or hack the ones you have and let him go to town!

1. Kid-sized hand broom. This one by OXO is cute, mod, and does the job for about $5.OXO tot sweeping up broom for messy toddlers

 

2. Hacked Swiffer. Take out the middle segment(s) of your swiffer to make it child-sized. Don’t lose them. A Swiffer Sweeper is about $23 to get started. You can buy a gajillion cloth refills for about $10.

See Audrey’s sons take toddler sweeping to the next level with Swiffer Hockey. And you know your little one wants to be like the big kids, so you might need to show this video for next level cooperation.

3. Dust Busting. Once my toddler got over the sound of the dust buster, he loved the feeling of power of cleaning up ALL the playground sand from his shoes. I won’t say that he fills his shoes on purpose to make a mess and clean it up, but I also wouldn’t put it past him.

Dustbuster to get your messy kid to clean up

This cordless Dustbuster with a charging dock is the one we bought; is the best-selling one from Black & Decker and costs about $50. I’d say its been worth it for us.

When my eldest son turned two, all he wanted was a kid-sized broom, shovel, and rake. I only wish we had thrown a mini vacuum into the mix instead of waiting a few more years! Carpe Diem.

What are your best tips to get toddlers to clean up and pitch in?

Related

April 17, 2015 3:30 pm RookieMom Heather 5 Comments Filed Under: How to, Lists and numbers, Toddler, We Love It (For Mom)

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Comments

  1. Sally Mason says

    April 17, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    I’ve got that little Oxo Tot dustpan and broom and my kids love cleaning with it. I actually bought it because I didn’t have storage space for a regular sized one but the fact that the kids love using it is a bonus!
    My toddler is terrified of the vacuum cleaner. I wonder if a handheld one would be less scary. At the very least I could get my older kids to vacuum the floor with it while I keep her occupied. They’d think it was fun and I wouldn’t have to do the vacuum myself. Win-win!

    Reply
  2. Heather Flett says

    April 20, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Sally, that’s funny. My little guy is terrified of the blender but he loves the power of the mini vac. And my children used to treat the roomba like a housepet!

    Reply
  3. Jennifer (aka Hint Mama) says

    May 6, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    My tip – have a clean-up song. My 2.5-year-old daughter learned that song “Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Everywhere….” at her preschool and singing with her somehow seems to encourage her to clean up. Thanks preschool teachers:)

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Rookie Moms – Put your toddler to work says:
    June 9, 2015 at 12:01 pm

    […] you Google, “Teaching Your Toddler Chores” you get a zillion Pinterest posts about the various ways to implement chores in your toddler’s […]

    Reply
  2. Things to do with toddlers before they turn two - Rookie Moms says:
    November 20, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    […] Helping sweep up with a little dust pan. […]

    Reply

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