Toddler Tips

How to Keep Your House Clean with a Crazy Toddler

Inside: Overwhelmed with household duties and keeping up with a toddler?? I can help! Here are 4 easy ways to keep your house clean with a toddler all day!

Ever finish cleaning your living room and turned your head for 2 seconds to find that it’s apocalyptic again?

Keeping your house clean with a toddler is NOT easy!

You’re probably thinking that having a clean house with a toddler is an impossible oxymoron. But I’m here to tell you that keeping your house clean even with a toddler is totally possible, and can even be easy!

Just because you have a toddler (or several!) doesn’t mean you have to settle for living in messy, unorganized chaos. If you’re overwhelmed with keeping your house tidy, staying on top of your chores AND taking care of your children, this is for you!

The key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely. You may be thinking that I’m crazy because this is impossible to do…

But I’m going to show you 4 different ways HOW you can EASILY keep your house clean with a toddler!

4 Ways to Easily Keep Your House Clean

1. Always clean up before starting a new activity

I personally found that this is CRUCIAL in keeping your house clean.

It’s also the first thing we forget to do as busy moms. But trust me, it will save your sanity!

When you’re finished with an activity, always clean up before moving on to another activity. I love this rule because it applies to every single activity you can possibly do every day.

This rule not only helps you eliminate messes all over the place, but it also helps you manage messes throughout the day.

One thing I know to be true as a busy mom is that messes tend to escalate because you are so busy moving from one place to the next. But taking the time to clean up before moving on your next activity in the day will save you SO. MUCH. TIME.

For example, you can spend well over an hour cleaning up 10 different messes after your kids go to sleep. OR you can spend 2-5 minutes after each activity during the day cleaning up.

By using your time wisely, this gives you a whole extra hour every night!

Side Note: Cleaning can be what YOU want it to be. If you’re perfectly fine with your house being a little unkept but somewhat clean, that’s what you aim for. If you’re fine with toys being messy but all in one place, then that’s what you do.

Don’t try to “clean” and be “perfect” just because you think that’s what people want. Only you know how much you do during the day so you decide how far your cleaning will go!

2. Involve your toddler in chores

Another really smart way to keep your house clean with a toddler is to actually teach your toddler how to clean!

It seems so simple but it’s brilliant.

Teaching your toddler to clean up after themselves is not only beneficial to you but it also begins to teach them responsibility. It also put in place a new routine for them to follow.

When you’re done playing with something, put it away.

You can start to show your toddler how to clean up well before they are 2. They won’t be able to actually DO a lot of it, but they are absorbing what you are doing and learning it.

This doesn’t just apply to toys but can be anything! Teach your toddler to help you fold clothes, dry plastic dishes, sweep and even give them a handheld vacuum.

Teaching your toddler to clean will help you not only keep the house clean but you have a little helper. Use it to your advantage!

3. Have a cleaning system in place

If you read my blog and know anything about me, you know I am all about systems of organization, schedules, and routines. I believe these 3 things are the cogs in a well-functioning household!

I’m not a total neat freak and my house is NOT “spit spot” clean, but having a cleaning system in place helps my family know 1. Where everything goes and 2. How to complete certain house chores.

This system truly keeps my household clean, pretty much by itself. Once you set up the system, all you have to do it follow it and it sort of becomes on autopilot.

And it will save you SO MUCH time and save you some future headaches.

You don’t have to get crazy with a cleaning system. It doesn’t have to be rocket science and perfect. It just needs to work for you and your family.

For example, a simple cleaning system or cleaning routine is to make sure that when you get home, everyone takes off their shoes, puts them in their proper place and hang up their jackets on a hook.

This saves you from cleaning up tons of shoes on the floor and picking up jackets from random places throughout your house.

Another cleaning system is to do the dishes before you go to bed every night. OR have each person wash the dish that they are putting in the sink. This reduces the high pile of dishes you’ll have every night.

See…super easy!

BONUS: Don’t forget to grab your copy of the FREE mini Mommy & Me Tracker! Get the instant download to Plan, Track & Organize you and your toddler’s activities in one easy to use planner! CLICK HERE to get it now!

4. Find ways to do everyday chores in a simpler way

I am a HUGE believer in finding simple ways to do everyday tasks. If it saves me a minute, then I am doing it. Why? Because I’m a busy mom, wearing a million different hats!

Finding simple ways to complete everyday chores will take the stress out of actually completing the chore.

For example, do you hate to clean your baseboards? Buy a Swiffer and put a regular paper towel on it and just go up and down your hallways cleaning the baseboards.

Does your toddler love to eat Cheerios? But then you find yourself stepping on random bits of cereal or crackers throughout the day? Instead of bringing out your big vacuum, buy a cheap handheld vacuum! It’ll take 2 seconds to suck up food on the floor!

Do you dread figuring out what you’re going to make for dinner every night or hate going to the store to buy groceries? Start to meal plan!

(I have an awesome post to help you meal plan for the entire week in just 10 minutes. Read it here!)

Finding easier ways to do simple things in your house will not only keep you sane and save you time, but you’ll find that because things are easier to do your house will be better kept up!

Bonus Secret #5

To truly keep your house organized and in tip-top shape (so you don’t go crazy!), you’ll want a cleaning routine in place.

Want to eliminate mom life stress? The ” You Got This, Mama” Organizing System can help!

From cleaning & organizing to meal planning and goal tracking, the You Got This Mama Organizer can help you reduce the everyday stresses of motherhood.

Grab my ultimate organizer at a super SPECIAL one-time offer here!

Free Mommy & Me Mini Planner!

Do you want an easy, stress-free way to plan your daily tasks and be able to track your baby’s schedule, feedings, and naps??

The Mommy & Me Mom Planner is a 10-page, all-in-one resource to help you easily plan your days, weeks, and months all while tracking your baby’s schedule, feedings, naps, and activities!

I designed the planner to help you:

Easily plan your days, weeks, months, and even year so you can clearly see your schedule at a whole!
Focus on your day to day tasks, including to-do lists, appointments, and chores so you never forget to do anything!
Complete your tasks easily and effortlessly and be able to check things off your to-do list!
Create a daily schedule for your baby so you can see your baby’s patterns and allow those patterns to help you anticipate your baby’s needs.

Get it FREE now!

So there you have it! Here are 4 different ways to keep your house clean with a toddler. Remember, no one can define what “clean” means for you, so take these suggestions and create a cleaning system that works for you and your family!

Here’s a recap…

The 4 rules to keep your house clean with a toddler:

Before starting a new activity, clean up after the old one.
Teach your toddler how to clean up and help you complete chores
Create your own system and routines for cleaning
Find ways to do everyday house chores in the easiest way possible

Don’t forget, the key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely.

Say goodbye to the apocalyptic living room and hello to an organized system to make your life easier 🙂

Have any other rules or tips that you do to help you stay on top of your house chores with a toddler?? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!

Check out these other toddler tips posts!

Wait! Do you love free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, FREE, private access to my resource library filled with printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

Simple & Awesome Daily Toddler Schedule

Toddler Routines

Inside: Want the perfect stay at home mom daily toddler schedule? Here are the tips you need to create an awesome and easy everyday toddler schedule!

My toddler had just finished playtime and I was exhausted. I glanced at the clock and rolled my eyes…it read 9:23 am. I wanted to die. It was only 9 in the morning and it felt like 3 in the afternoon!

Finding what to do ALL day with your toddler can be exhausting. The secret to not only getting through the day with a toddler but making each day awesome is to have a daily toddler schedule.

Having a daily toddler schedule will help you have an overall plan for each day so you never have to wonder “what do I do now?”. A daily toddler schedule also improves toddler development because your toddler is learning routines, which is healthy for their growth!

The key is to make a daily toddler schedule that is exciting, structured, attainable, and most of all, flexible. Building these key elements into your daily toddler schedule will help make each day an awesome one!

Having a schedule doesn’t mean you’re tied down to doing the same exact thing every day. It just means you have an overall outline for the day that you can fill with whatever you want!

It’s also important to remember that a daily toddler schedule doesn’t have to be restricted by “time”.

Meaning, your schedule doesn’t have to solely be based on an exact hour. The purpose of a schedule is not to do everything at the same TIME every day. The purpose is to have an overall routine for the day, where your activities are based on what came first and what comes next.

An overall daily toddler schedule at its simplest form looks like this:

Wake
Breakfast
Play
Lunch
Nap
Wake
Snack
Activity
Dinner
Play
Bath
Bedtime

Let’s talk about how you can make your own simple but awesome daily toddler schedule!

How to create a perfect daily toddler schedule

Here are some things to keep in mind to create an amazing schedule…

Routines:

The first thing you want to do is figure out which routines your toddler does each day. It can be morning routines, naptime routines, feeding routines, playtime routines, and bedtime routines. Whichever routines your toddler does, make sure to incorporate it into your overall daily toddler schedule.

The key is to try to do the same activities each day at the same time. This becomes your toddler’s overall routine for an individual activity. When your toddler is accustomed to doing something at a certain time or in a certain order, they eventually learn how to do it themselves.

Independent Play:

Another important element in a daily toddler schedule is independent play. You want to incorporate at least twice a day a time where your toddler is learning how to play independently. This means that your toddler is engaging in an activity by their self.

This teaches your toddler how to play alone and actually helps brain development. it also helps you get things done that you need to, without having to worry about your toddler following your every move.

Some independent play activities include coloring, mat time, block building, table time, etc. Independent play helps your toddler be able to do something alone, which build independence!

Track your toddler’s day

If you have no idea where to start when creating a daily toddler schedule, it’s best to just start by tracking what your child does every day and at what times. By doing this, you are essentially seeing what your toddler’s schedule is already. Each child has a routine or schedule because there are things that they do every day that they are used to. This is their schedule by default!

If you are noticing that your toddler’s day isn’t as productive as you would like it to be, then start changing some activities and routines to create a daily schedule that works for you!

A Daily Toddler Schedule that works!

Now that I’ve given you some tips on how to create your own daily toddler schedule, here’s my sample schedule that I do with my toddler each day. This schedule has helped her thrive day in and day out and has given her the ability to grow leap and bounds!

If you want to download this sample schedule to use or to use as a guide to creating your own, you can download the sample schedule here!

Sample Schedule

7:00am- Wake

Baby L wakes between 7:00-7:30am each day. Some children wake earlier or later depending on what time they go to bed.

7:30am-Breakfast

I usually try to mix things up every other day or so. That way, your toddler isn’t eating the same thing every day. I tend to give my daughter a lighter meal here and she drinks about 3-4 ounces of milk with her meal and I then give her a larger meal for lunch. She just turned 2 so she’s still transitioning out of her “baby daily schedule”.

Some options are yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, fruit, apple sauce, eggs, etc.

8:00-10:00 Activities:

-8:00am Reading Time

Every morning for a half hour or so we read books and go over the alphabet and numbers. Having interactive books helps make reading time fun and exciting!

-9:00am Coloring/Drawing

After reading time, we have some table activities and I give my daughter coloring/drawing time. I put on some music and she colors and plays with stickers while I clean up breakfast and do the dishes.

This is considered the first independent play of the day. I can easily get about 30 minutes of chores done because she is at the table playing and coloring. Sometimes if she’s done coloring I’ll give her blocks or her toys to play with so she can continue her independent play.

-10:00am Chores

After her independent play, I let my daughter help me with chores. This is teaching her to help around the house also allows me to get things done while my toddler is up and with me. She helps me fold, sort laundry, sweep, vacuum, and clean up toys. It also is a great way to show her what happens around the house. If your toddler is still developing speech, this is a great way to interact with your child without it being with toys.

It’s important to show and tell with your toddler. Simple showing your child what you are doing and explaining it them in simple words greatly helps their speech!

Feel free to add more activities during this morning activity hours. Maybe you want to take a walk with your toddler or let them play outside! Shake it up each day!

Remember, having a schedule doesn’t mean that you are tied down to doing the same exact thing each day. It just means that you have an overall outline for the day that you can fill with whatever you want!

10:45am TV Time

Yes, I am one of those moms that let her toddler watch an episode of TV. I don’t believe in mom shaming or parent bashing and I believe that each parent has the right to decide what is best for their child!

Each morning while I am cooking and preparing lunch, I let my daughter watch 20 minute episode of one of her favorite shows.

Having a structured time for TV shows your toddler that they can watch tv but within the time that you allow. I believe it’s the perfect balance of not depriving your toddler but also setting boundaries.

BONUS: Grab the FREE Sample Toddler Schedule that works! Take the guessing out of your routine and use this routine as a template to create your own perfect schedule! CLICK HERE TO GET IT NOW!

11:00/11:30am Lunch

Lunchtime is between 11-11:30, depending on what time she woke up that day and what activities she did before lunch. Sometimes I give my daughter “breakfast for lunch” and make banana pancakes or something fun!

11:30/12:00pm Nap

It’s naptime! Be sure to have a consistent nap routine that you are doing with your toddler each day! (Read more about nap routines here.)

1:00pm Wake

Depending on what time your child fell asleep, your wake time will be different. Nap times usually last around 1.5 – 2hours.

1:30pm Snack

It’s snack time! This snack should hold your child over until dinner. I usually give my daughter fruit, apple sauce, yogurt, a small sandwich, etc.

2:00- 4:00pm Activities

This is another time slot for activities! Every afternoon I try to take my daughter out (weather permitting) so she can have some outside time. We’ll run errands, go to stores, or go for a walk. I try to especially get out of the house once a day when it is Spring and Summer.

We live on the beach so I walk the boardwalk every day and take her to the park 3 times a week. Try to think of fun ways you can take your toddler out!

4:30/5:00pm Dinner

Depending on what our afternoon activities looked like, I’ll start making dinner. If I was out of the house that afternoon and it’s a day that we have budgeted to eat out, I’ll pick up some take out or wait until my husband gets home to go out for dinner as a family.

Want to read some tips for eating out with your toddler? Read my article here!

5:30-6:30 Family Play

I think it’s so important to spend time with your children as a family. Every night we dedicate an hour after dinner for family time. Maybe we’ll watch a special show or start a movie or go out for an early evening stroll or just camp out in our living room playing games.

Of course, our schedule doesn’t ALWAYS let us have this time together, but I like to have family time at least 3 times a week!

6:30pm Bath

We start our daughter’s bedtime routine around 6:30 every night. It’s actually funny because when I lose track of time my daughter will run to the bathroom door and start knocking asking saying “bath, bath”. So children definitely love routines!

Our bedtime routine starts with her bath. If you want to read more about the awesome benefits and importance of a bedtime routine, read my article here!

7:15/7:30pm Bedtime

After bath time, I get my daughter dressed in her pajamas, give her a little lotion massage, have some extra snuggles and cuddle with her in our bed and then take her to her room for bedtime.

She is still in the “baby to toddler” transition phase so she has been drinking a 7 ounces of milk before bed. After her milk, she goes right into her crib/toddler bed and falls asleep. She usually sleeps 12 hours and wakes up at 7 the next morning where it all begins again.

>>And that’s a simple and easy daily toddler schedule! See, not so bad!

Free Sample Toddler Schedule

Remember, if you want to steal this schedule (THAT WORKS!) be sure to get the printable download of this daily toddler schedule!

You can use the schedule as is or change it to fit your needs and your toddler’s activities. I’ve been doing this schedule for months now and my daughter is thriving every single day.

This schedule is so structured yet FLEXIBLE that it allows me to drop my daughter off at her grandparent’s house or even go away on vacation and she doesn’t fall out of schedule!

It’s seriously a miracle!

Download your copy of the daily toddler schedule here

So there you have it! Remember, you can easily create your own simple and awesome daily toddler schedule by using these tips and taking my schedule as a template and changing it to fit your home. It’s reeaalllyyy easy!

Here’s a recap:

Wake
Breakfast
Play
Lunch
Nap
Wake
Snack
Activity
Dinner
Play
Bath
Bedtime

Remember, having a daily toddler schedule helps you know your overall plans for the day and also improves toddler development because your toddler is learning routines, which is very healthy for their growth!

Keep in mind, having a schedule doesn’t mean that you are tied down to doing the same exact thing each day. It just means that you have an overall outline for the day that you can fill with whatever you want!

Having a predictable routine will help your toddler learn independence and even help you anticipate your toddler’s needs. It’s a win-win.

Now when you glance at the clock and think it’s 9 in the morning, it’s really 3 in the afternoon because the day flew by! Score.

Happy toddler days!

Wait?! Do you love free printables??

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, FREE, private access to my resource library filled with printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!

3 Toddler Routines Your Child Needs for an Easy Day

Toddler Routines

Inside: Want each day with your toddler to be a breeze? Find out the 3 toddler routines to help you prevent meltdowns!

Say goodbye to tantrums! ….and….it’s not as hard as you may think either 🙂

One of the best ways to ensure that every day is a great day for your toddler is to make sure you have these 3 routines!

Routines are amazing because it gives your baby stability, predictability, comfort, and also helps your child have an overall schedule for their day. This will help your baby not only have an overall schedule for their day but also help them anticipate and expect each day’s activities!

Don’t be discouraged by the word “routine”. A routine can be as simple or as complicated as YOU want it to be. But simply, a routine is a series of actions that are performed consistently and daily. See- that doesn’t sound hard at all!

Here are the 3 toddler routines your child needs:

Feeding Routine
Nap Routine
Bedtime Routine

So let’s get down to the details of these routines!

The 3 Toddler Routines

1. Feeding Routine

The first toddler routine that you should start is a feeding routine. A feeding routine is the easiest routine to start and implement because feedings are more consistent than any other daily activity.

A toddler feeding routine can be super simple! All you have to do is before each feeding, start a consistent action to signal to your toddler that they are about to eat.

The goal of this routine is to help your toddler know that when they start to see you do this action, or when you tell them to do a specific action, that it is time to eat.

This routine can be as simple as you setting up the high chair and telling your toddler to jump in, put on their bib, and give them a spoon. Or you can add more steps to the routine, like your toddler stepping on a stool to help you prepare the meal. This can all be a part of a routine!

Your toddler needs this feeding routine because it will help them know that it is time to eat. Not only will they know that it’s food time, but it will also help them mature and develop patience and understanding.

Having a feeding routine also helps with the flexibility of your toddler schedule.

If you are able to do the feeding routine anywhere you go, to visit a family member’s house, to eat out at a restaurant, or even to go on vacation- when you start the routine, your toddler will know it’s food time!

2. Nap routine

A nap routine, in my opinion, is the most important toddler routine. Why? Because it not only affects their naps but can also affect their bedtime sleep. Making sure your toddler naps consistently and the correct length for their age is SO important.

A nap routine can help your toddler be able to nap longer and at consistent times each day. When your toddler is napping, it benefits their whole day!

Just like with the feeding routine, a nap routine will enable your toddler to sleep anywhere, as long as that routine is in place!

If you’re convinced of the importance of a nap routine, you might be wondering “ok so what does a nap routine look like?”.

I worked really hard on my daughter’s nap routine and tried what felt like a million different trial and errors to get it right. But once I FINALLY found the perfect nap routine, she not only began to take long naps but also started taking consistent naps and started sleeping better during the night within ONE week!

I wanted to share my nap routine with you! Because it is detailed, I decided to write it in the form of a PDF download for you to download and print and make your own! This nap routine is so flexible and can be adjusted to your family.

Because of the miracle of a nap routine, I can take my daughter on road trips, vacations, to spend the night at family’s homes, and she STILL naps like if she is at home because of the nap routine that we have in place. Be sure to get your copy of the nap routine below!

3. Bedtime routine

The third toddler routine that you need is a bedtime routine. I love bedtime routines because they can be comforting and truly individualized for each of your children.

One of my favorite times during my day is when I am snuggling and cuddling with my daughter before bedtime. I enjoy making her smile and laugh each night!

As your toddler develops and grows he/she will begin to remember those warm and happy moments before bedtime. I always love to end the day with a smile!

A bedtime routine is not only fun and can be a fantastic daily family bonding time, but it also helps your toddler sleep better!

Bedtime routines are so crucial because it helps your baby know it is bedtime, helps them fall asleep faster, and ultimately stay asleep longer!

Having a consistent bedtime routine will improve your toddler’s nighttime sleep and even improve their days. Because when your child is well-rested, they are happier!

I also created a sample bedtime routine to help you start your own routine! Grab a copy of it now!

>> Well there you have it! Now you know the 3 toddler routines that are super important and that can make every day an awesome day for your child. Remember, routines are amazing because it gives your baby stability, predictability, comfort, and also helps your child have an overall schedule for their day.

Don’t forget the 3 routines:

feeding routine
nap routine
bedtime routine

If you need help starting these routines feel free to access my free resource library and get your very own sample routines so you can start them with your toddler. Access my the free routines in my resource library by filling out the form below!

Become part of the Mastering Mom Life Insider tribe and get instant, FREE, private access to my resource library filled with printables + worksheets to make mom life easier!