Suggestions for LO OUT of the dishwasher when I'm doing dishes?

[nellonello]

DS started to be helpful around that age unloading the dishwasher. I opened and got sharp stuff out, and then let him hand me stuff from the DW as I put it away. He's terrible when I try to load it (because he unloads what I put in), so I do that when he's in bed.

This is us with our 2.5 yo.

[LMPC]

DS started to be helpful around that age unloading the dishwasher. I opened and got sharp stuff out, and then let him hand me stuff from the DW as I put it away. He's terrible when I try to load it (because he unloads what I put in), so I do that when he's in bed.

Yep, all of that.... I have one cabinet with tupperware in it...that's DD's "cabinet" -- so after I unload the knives, I give her the plastic to put away...piece by piece. I make it sound like it's HUGE deal that she is helping me with lots of "thank yous." She loves it! And it takes her a little while to walk over to her space and put the things away...in the meantime, I hurry and put other things in their place. She also helps by handing me the silverware. It's slow-going....fork....fork...spoon... but it's fun!

FWIW, I really had to let go of the fact that my tupperware cabinet is a mess...really, a mess! This all started when DD began to walk, BTW.

[alexmommy]

Me too! Sometimes I do this during naptime. Or as DS (16 mo) is finishing a meal/snack. Sometimes I save out the spoons and have him help me put them in the dishwasher. He typically loses interest after about 5 and then goes off to play. We also have a DS cabinet with safe things.

[larig]

Added benefit of getting them to help you--NO bending over!

[BayGirl2]

I have the same issue. Bean follows us all around the kitchen. We just got a Learning Tower and now we keep that at the counter with a container of homemade play dough, a bunch of his plastic bowls from Cost Plus and an Ikea baking set. He loves to stand there and play. For now he's too small to climb up and down, so its also a containment device. But even when he learns to climb down I think it will still trump the dishwasher for entertainment value, and he's near us.