What are your least favorite child-care tasks?

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by vharrison1969, Jul 7, 2010.

  1. vharrison1969

    vharrison1969 Well-Known Member

    When I first contemplated having children, the thought of changing poopy diapers really grossed me out. I couldn't even imagine doing it on a regular basis, and the few times I changed friends' or relatives' babies I would gag. :bad: But when I had my own kids, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared; maybe because formula/BM poops are really innocuous compared to solid food poops so it eases you into the whole thing. :laughing:

    My least favorite child-care task is brushing teeth. Who knew that this one seemingly simple thing could be a nightly bare-knuckle fight that makes me dread bedtime for hours beforehand? :pardon: We gave them special Elmo brushes that they can practice with, then we finish up with finger brushes. They normally suck the toothpaste off, and throw the brush :gah: so we do most of the brushing with the finger brushes. Last night Nate was having none of it and chomped down on my finger and wouldn't let go! Of course I screamed, then cried because it hurt and set both boys off into a frenzy of crying and running around the room. :wacko: Not my proudest parenting moment. :blush:

    So what do you detest, and what turned out to be not so bad?
     
  2. lawilliams77

    lawilliams77 Well-Known Member

    I dread clipping their nails, they wiggle and squirm and they are much stronger now.
    I never minded diaper changes when they were baby babies but now it is an aligator wrestling match. GRRR!
     
  3. bmatlock

    bmatlock Well-Known Member

    i hate to admit it, but i don't really like bath time...by the end of the day with the boys, i am beat. then daddy gets home and it's a celebration! then we both prepare dinner for them, then bath, then bed...my husband LOVES bath time (probably b/c it's his main time with them) so he draws it out. after playing with them all day, doing laundry, fixing meals, picking up toys, etc., i'm not much in the mood for playing in the bath. i just wanna get 'em clean and get 'em out.

    my favorite is getting them up in the morning. i'm recharged by then and the smiles they give me when i'm the first thing they see in the morning is priceless!
     
  4. nateandbrig

    nateandbrig Well-Known Member

    I thought I would hate the diaper changes too, but I don't mind them.

    I thought I would LOVE to dress them up and change their clothes and always have them in cute things. And most of the time they are wearing very cute clothes but the whole act of changing them is such a workout! By the time I'm done dressing all 3 of them I'm a mess!
    Someone once said that changing a toddlers clothes was like putting an octopus into a shirt-- I totally agree! :laughing:
     
  5. Rollergiraffe

    Rollergiraffe Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I HATE cleaning up high chairs after meals. There is food all over the place and I am usually racing the dogs to get it swept up. Plus I usually want to eat and run so that we can make the most of happy alert babies while we're out and about, and clean up just takes too long. I can't wait until they are sitting in chairs and eating off the table. I know it will still be a mess, but at least I won't ahve to clean up their booster seats. I also don't like dealing with the diaper pail. I don't mind changing diapers, but the diaper pail is gross!

    Everything else, I don't mind at all!
     
  6. aimeemorgan1218

    aimeemorgan1218 Well-Known Member

    I, too, love morning time! I dread bathtime and have since they were a few weeks old. I also hate brusing their teeth. They suck all the paste off before it reaches the first tooth and I feel as if its pointless!!! Dirty diapers don't bother me but they are getting grosser...
     
  7. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    What surprisingly doesn't bother me:
    changing stinky diapers/pull ups/underwear
    throw up
    blood (I used to faint at the sight of blood, go figure)

    What I don't like:
    potty training...if I had J Lo money, I'd pay someone to do it...
    cutting my DS's toenails
    changing their fitted sheets...it's just annoying around those crib mattresses.
     
  8. rubyturquoise

    rubyturquoise Well-Known Member

    Baths. Hate them.
     
  9. 4Wmama

    4Wmama Active Member

    I hate baths as well. It takes so long and well, it just takes a long time! I also hate cleaning up the high chairs. I am really bad I let the dogs get some of the thrown food off the floor then that is less for me to sweep and mop up.
     
  10. MamaKimberlee

    MamaKimberlee Well-Known Member

    I am suprised to say I don't mind changing diapers. But I HATE potty training.

    I also hate teeth brushing. I hate buckling them up in the car. I hate putting on shoes. I hate doing hair (I have 4 daughters).
     
  11. SarahONeill

    SarahONeill Member

    I too, don't hate changing diapers. Sometimes it's like this mini challenge - yes, I will get them cleaned up and keep them from grabbing their privates while messy all within two minutes! (oh heck, that sounds rather pathetic doesn't it?:rolleyes:)

    And my boys are (so far) great in the bath so I really don't mind that. Baths for me are a time filler before bed.

    I don't like having to get the bag together when we Go Out For The Day. Packing the snack box - am I bringing the right things? Do I have enough of them? Do I have a change of clothes? Am I anticipating every possible unforseen disaster that might occur? And always because I feel like I am doing this in a rush - got to get out the door by a certain time, or before the boys have fed up melt down.

    Do you know what I usually say I hate? Getting up off the floor. Sounds silly I know, maybe it's because I'm in my 40's, but I kneel down on the floor to change a nappy (diaper) and I hate, hate, hate, having to get up again to throw the things away. Using my legs to get back up again seems to exhaust me more than anything.

    And I'm starting to dislike sitting with them when they watch children's programmes on TV. We do In The Night Garden before bed sometimes to chill them out - great programme but it's getting very dull.
     
  12. june07girl

    june07girl Well-Known Member

    What I don't mind

    -Changing Diapers
    -Doing their laundry
    -Bath time (cuz it's so close to bedtime :) )

    What I don't enjoy
    -Cleaning up after meals
    - Meal planning and making sure they get enough of all the food groups
     
  13. kminott

    kminott Member

    Hate bath time. Really I hate getting them out of the tub and fighting with them to change their clothes and diapers.
    Thought I would hate diaper changing, but after awhile I could care less.
    Mealtime has always been rough too.
     
  14. sistersbeall

    sistersbeall Well-Known Member

    Love...
    getting them up in the morning and from most naps. they are aways so sweet and happy.
    putting them to bed for the night.....I am always so tired :)

    Don't mind....
    brushing teeth (they really like it...for now anyway)
    giving medicine
    doing their laundry

    Hate....
    bath time and that is why DH does it
    changing diapers. not because of the smell but because of the fight.
    any and all things related to meal time
     
  15. katzmeaow

    katzmeaow Well-Known Member

    This is an easy one for me! MEAL time. Oh, how I hate meal time. I have 2 LOs that are so unpredictable from one day to the next. My DD likes to play around with the utensils and has marked our dining table from banging it with the end of the spoon or fork. My DS grabs the food and mashes it in his hands and throws it on the floor. It's been so difficult letting them eat on their own because it drives me nuts, although this is the only way they will learn. The cleanup afterwards is annoying too, I just need a couple of chickens to peck away at the crumbs! :escape: I also can't stand getting the diaper beg ready, with 2 LOs it always feels like the bag is full of heavy bricks. Other than that, there's nothing else I mind, they are pretty easy overall!
     
  16. Chicklet

    Chicklet Well-Known Member

    I'm another one who thought I'd hate diaper changes for TWO but don't mind it.. well now they're squirmy worms but I don't dread the diaper change.

    I soooo don't like meal time, especially if dhs not here and I don't really cook dinner, I feel like they're not getting all their food groups.
    Packing to go anywhere overnight, such a pita!
     
  17. silver_stardust

    silver_stardust Well-Known Member

    Can't stand:

    -changing diapers ... not really the diaper itself just the wrestling of the little monkey that's in it.
    -cleaning up after meals ... hate doing the dishes even though there's a dishwasher present

    Don't mind:
    -baths ... in and out around here though as water always seems to find it's way outside the bath tub
    -putting them in their carseats ... really thought that was going to be a PITA but so far, so good
     
  18. miss_bossy18

    miss_bossy18 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    my absolute least favorite child care task is wiping up snotty boogies - i don't mind diapers because at least the mess is (usually) contained, but snotty nosed boogers get EVERYwhere. :bad:

    this isn't really directly child care related, but i hate having to constantly stay on top of dishes & laundry (diapers specifically) - missing one day just seems to throw everything out of whack.

    like most others, i thought i would hate diaper changes, but they aren't as bad as i thought. and now, i'm definitely desensitized completely. :blush:
     
  19. busymomof3

    busymomof3 Well-Known Member

    I am glad that I am not the only one who hates meal time! Absolutely the worst time of the day for me. Sometimes I have to make more than one meal because no one will eat it even though they ate the same thing a few days before. Then I get pelted with food and sippie cups, have to scrub the food out of their hair, ears and nose and then admit total defeat :drown:

    I also strongly dislike taking my kids out anywhere unless it is gated or child proof. I would rather stay home then run around after three children and keep them from breaking everything at someone elses house not to mention the lovely dangers if we happen to be outside and it isn't child proof etc. the lake. I find that by the time we leave all I did was chase them around and had absolutely no time to visit with whom ever we went to see :gah:

    Last but not least I hate poop explosions!!!!!!!! My one DS always seems to explode and then nicely spreads his feces all over the living room. Just last week while I was making suppper he exploded on the floor and then drove through it with his car and left poop tracks all over my living room :bad: Seriously I never thought I would be cleaning poop off the walls, rug, furniture, toys etc.

    I can handle the rest but could really do with out these
     
  20. mummy2two

    mummy2two Well-Known Member

    I hate picking them from daycare! If I take them to the car, one at a time, the one who gets left behind (with their teacher who has been with them all day) screams and cries and the one who is left in the car while I go get the other one, screams and cries. If I bring them both to the car, their sole goal is to get away from me and they run in opposite directions. Aaargh!
     
  21. LMW1015

    LMW1015 Well-Known Member

    Well my super least favorite is going anywhere with all 3 of them. I seriously feel like crying every time I have to do it. I hate DR appointments because that means going out with them all. LOL I am so thankful I'm a SAHM but beginning to feel like a hermit! LOL I keep reminding myself it will get better with time. (My DH does the grocery shopping...will cry when he's training for more than a week and definitely when he deploys!)

    The normal tasks I am not fond of:

    - Cutting DS fingernails but especially his toenails. I have to about sit on him to get that accomplished.
    - Bathtime - I'm exhausted by the end of the day so I try the mornings sometimes but it's still a rush to get them washed, dried, and dressed before lil baby starts getting upset
    - I have a feeling potty training will be at the top of the list but I haven't gotten the guts to start yet

    Alot of these will improve with time but right now - it's a lot of work to get anything done LOL

    Forgot the ones I don't mind LOL

    - Poopy diapers and diaper changes are like an assembly line so I just go auto-pilot and learned how not to breathe through my nose during those times LOL = not so bad
    - Mealtime isn't bad - they're locked in their booster seats and can't escape LOL
    - Bedtime or naps - when they were little I struggled so much with this (and kind of struggling with different aspects with the new baby...twins won't let him sleep...bang on door, scream, etc... so he only sleeps on me most of the time...grrrr) but now bedtime for the twins is SO easy and it's my semi break time LOL
     
  22. lizgoh1

    lizgoh1 Member

    I love this topic. It's so great to hear that we're all going through the same things with twins.

    I don't mind diapers - I'm happy when they poop because I remember those early days of waiting days for them to have a bm!
    I like bathtime - time to get all the mess from the day off. Dislike rinsing their hair though - I know it's tearfree shampoo but I wouldn't want all that water in my eyes either.

    I don't like going to peoples houses where I can't set up my portable highchairs so the kids can eat lunch/dinner. My kids cannot walk around and nibble - it will go everywhere but in their tummies!
    I hate taking the kids anywhere by myself that isn't fenced. It isn't physically possible to keep your eyes on two toddlers at the same time.
    Mealtimes are my least favourite times - trying to get the kids to eat, then clean up after. There are so many nooks and crannies on their highchairs that are difficult to clean.
     
  23. Lorem Ipsum

    Lorem Ipsum Well-Known Member

    My least favorite is cleaning up after any feeding involving oatmeal.
     
  24. jjzollman

    jjzollman Well-Known Member

    Meal time...planning, preparing, feeding, and cleaning-up (all while watching them refuse this or that, yell at the table, be silly, try to put their feet on the table, and so on). I really could do without mealtimes right now! :lol:
     
  25. lovemytwinsx2

    lovemytwinsx2 Well-Known Member

    right now it's MEAL TIMES.

    I HATE cooking as it is, so it's even more so now with children, I am not creative, I never know what to fix, and right now, it's a "will I eat it or not" stage!

    Changing diapers is a struggle with them now, they wiggle all over the place and throw fits b/c they are taken away from play time to change stinky diapers...but I dont mind changing them, like other posts, thought I would, but I dont..LOL...Bath time - they LOVE bath time, so no problem in that dept.

    Just MEAL times for me!!!
     
  26. AmberG

    AmberG Well-Known Member

    Don't Mind:
    Changing diapers
    Dressing them

    Don't Like:
    Cleaning up after mealtime (especially the highchairs and the floor)
    Bath time (DH usually does it because I'm tired by then)
     
  27. LeeandJenn15

    LeeandJenn15 Well-Known Member

    I could have written this post!! Not only is it a mess to clean-up, deciding what to fix that's healthy, cheap, and easy constantly stresses me out!!!
     
  28. nycmomma

    nycmomma Well-Known Member

    I hate mealtimes too. I have almost given up on veggies because no matter what I serve or how I serve it they won't touch them. I also hate reading the same book, playing the same game, etc... 100 times in a row. If I have to do the shape sorter one more time I might lose it. It's at the point where I've hidden books and toys when I'm sick of them.

    I was afraid of taking a rectal temp at first, but that wasn't so bad (for me).
    []\
     
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