For Moms of Toddlers

[Podger1]

Hi all,

I don't remember having this problem with my older two children. Maybe it's because I was working full-time back then and didn't have time to crochet often.

 

Now, I am SAHM to a 1 y/o and 2 y/o and trying to crochet. It seems like the only time I can do it is either during naptime or late after they go to sleep at night. If they both are awake, it is a constant battle to keep them from unraveling skeins of yarn, going through my bag and pulling out things, and constantly stopping in the middle of working on a row or pattern to go break up an argument or get someone a cookie, etc. If only one of them is around, it's not a problem, but when they are both running around, it just seems impossible to sit down for more than 3 minutes and crochet.

 

From reading posts here, it sure does seem like there are lots of you with little kids that find more time during the day than I do to crochet. How do you do it? How do you keep them out of your yarn as it's coming out of the skein? Any tips or suggestions?

[Stephanie]

I don't have any kids, but when I babysit toddlers, I get the same result. You can crochet with one, but two is darn near impossible. My mom had 3 toddlers at the same time (big age difference between them and me) and she had the same experience with them. It really wasn't until the youngest was about 3 or 4 that she actually could accomplish something while they were awake.

 

Some folks don't have problems at all and it really depends on the personality of the kids. So, don't feel badly and just do what you can in the evenings.

 

Stephanie

[Shanae]

I know how you feel! I have twin 2 year old boys that love to get into everything. I don't think they have ever seen me crochet because I know that it would be a waste of time ~ I would constantly be starting over! Naptime and bedtime are my crochet times. Hopefully as they get older I can do more.

[itsbecca1979]

Oh yeah I live for nap and bedtime!

[grrlsmom]

I'm honestly amazed whenever I read of moms w/toddlers getting any thing done! I couldn't do it! I did manage to sew a bit, but that was after they went to bed.

 

All y'all who do manage crocheting, etc. with the little tykes climbing up ya, more power to ya!

[croschet03]

I have a 3 yr old and a almost 2 yr old. Yeah when the youngest is awake, it's impossible. It's not so bad when the older is awake. He wants to help hold the skein or pull the yarn out as I go or occupies himself with toys. So I am kind of in the same boat. Hopefully soon it will be better. Sorry I don't have much advise. When I do crochet with both kids around, I usually only can get a row here and there and I keep the skein in my lap.

Val

[Tapanga]

I am a stay at home mama as well. I have a 3 year old and 20 month old and am about 3 months pregnant with the third.

I manage to get crochet time during the day. I am not to sure why my girls don't seem to bother my yarn. I have a small case for all my hooks with a seperate smaller case inside it for my scissors, stitch markers, ect. I take out the smaller one and let them dig through the hook case. Sometimes I give each them an old skein to "crochet" with.

They are pretty tolerant of my hobbie though. My girls have just never been high maintence. I am very lucky in the sense that they are very laid back and will just sit in my lap and "read" to me while I crochet. By sitting in my lap, I mean I extend the footrest of my recliner and they sit between my legs.

I am one lucky lady and HOPE our next is as easy going!!

[PoisonApple]

I have a just turned 4 and an about to turn 3 year old. Sometimes I can get some crocheting down..but I end up feeling guilty for not spending time with them..so I crochet the most during the night after bed. My boys have given up on naps.

 

But it is when I am not crocheting that they go for my stuff. LOL My eldest really wants to help Momma but he just tangles my yarn, poor little guy. If I do crochet when they are up..they each get a Q hook and some yarn scraps and they "crochet" like momma.

[jessc031778]

I have a 2 yr old and one who will be 6 tomorrow (EEK! When did that happen!!) My 6 yr old will sit and chain away, literally for hours at a clip....she mastered chaining and watching her TV shows within an hour of first learning...still won't let me show her how to do any other stitches, but loves to chain. She's got her own hook and skein, which I had her pick out at the store. My 2 yr old plays all day long with at least one of my hooks in hand...whatever else she's doing, she's got to have a hook in hand as well...I usually give her 2 (the N & P sizes) and she's a happy camper. When she's really insistant on playing with my yarn, I'll pull out a loooong piece (like 6 or 7 feet long) of yarn and cut it off and give it to her. That's usually enough to distract her from my yarn. Or I'll give her my tape measure, which she will unravel and play with it at full length. The only rules with those things is that if the long pieces or tape measure go around her neck, she has to take them off herself, and if any of them go in her mouth, they get taken away for a while.

 

When the younger one was an infant I would have her on my chest while I crochetted...she's sit there and just watch my hands move, she'd nap, she's do her baby thing....now it's harder to have her on my lap while I hook, because she tries to help, but she still will sit next to me and just watch me work. If a pattern is really complex, lots of counting, I'll wait til nap time or after bedtime. But most things I can work on all day long....both my girls will play on their own..I'm always in the same room with them and ready to drop the crochet for whatever they need, but usually just knowing I'm there is enough for them....

 

I'm sure it will get easier as the munchkins get older...and then they'll start making requests for things they want you to make for them LOL!!!

 

Jessie

[Rapvnzle]

I've always been curious of that myself! My kids aren't really high maintenance (I have one who is 3yrs and one who is 15 mo) they do bicker a lot though. I can't seem to keep count on my crochet pieces and my kids for some reason don't like it when I sit sometimes. They are happier when I'm up and about..isnt that funny (a bit annoying) I do my crocheting at naptimes and in the evenings after they both go to bed.. aaah nice relaxation time!

[momofgmd]

I have three children. They are 6, 4, and 3 right now. When my oldest was born I had three under three, and although I didn't have much time to crochet, crochet was also a sanity check for me. One thing I love about crochet is that I can put it down and pick it up easily. Those many interruptions (that I even get like right now as I type) are just inevitable. As they get older though, it does get better. Some of their tolerance with me now is just what they have gotten used to seeing me crochet. As my children have wathed me crochet, crochet has become a part of who I am and what I do as their mother. As they've gotten older, they don't find it any more distracting to see me crochet than to see me do the dishes. (Isn't that a comforting thought )

 

The suggestions from Jessie are great. Trying that sort of thing with them may help. Anything with children takes time and patience. No matter what they are learning or getting used to, somehow it always takes a little time. Don't give up. Soon they will probably be enjoying your crochet just as much as you do.

[CrochetinClara]

Nap time and Bed time are when I get my crocheting in....and sometimes during the day for about an hour when Caden is in his little stander(for standing time). JJ is older and about the only thing he does to my yarn is sneak in my basket and cut a loooooong piece for something he needs to do! I can't complain, he hasn't cut any actual projects!

[yarnyviolet]

Ds is 3 and dd is 1 and I have a hard time. I do easy projects when they are around like a giant granny afghan I am doing for ds right now. When dd is asleep I sit beside ds and we watch tv together and because the afghan is for him he doesn't mind. Dd has a plastic Q hook that is hers. She is the one who gets into everything. I often have to put a bobby pin in the last loop if I can't keep my project out of her reach or she will frog it. I am on my own so I have to do all the household chores. I do more chores when they are awake and do crocheting when it needs to be quiet. I hope that dd naps until dh moves over here to join me. I am sort of limited to easy projects but at least I get to crochet.

 

Rachel

[Calesmommy]

I use the old lysol wips containers for my yarn. You can close them and they can't get into them I don't have that problem with my son. Its the dogs that run with my yarn.

[StitchLuva]

i watch my grand daughter who is 2 1/2 all day and i do not get anything done while she is here. nap times i try to clean up the mess she makes all over the place, clean up the kitchen from breakfast and try to start dinner. i crochet only at night while watching tv and sometimes she has me so worn out that i just can't do it! she is an only child and requires a lot of attention.

[crochetbycharlene]

Mine youngest 2 are 2 in Dec. and 3.5 and they watch tv and play while I crochet.

[isabelbell]

I have a two year old also. Thank God, he goes to preschool 3 days a week for half a day, so that is my crochet time. Naps and bedtime. It's hard to crochet when he is awake. He wants to play in my yarn, or try to help.

 

I'm going to start watching my friends baby during the day so I'm sure my crochet time will go down.

[grrlsmom]

Love hearing about the kids who have their own hooks! Too cool! Mine would have stabbed each other with them! No lie - and they are girls! That's why my screen name is 'grrlsmom' - I went around around growling, 'grrrrlllllsssss!' all the time!

[Podger1]

I am so glad that I'm not the only one having these problems! My oldest two sons are 14 and 16. We went through years of trying and trying for a third with no results. We started paperwork on an adoption and lo and behold, I ended up preggers in the middle of the process. So, I haven't done this toddler thing in a LONG time, and my two toddlers are essentially like twins b/c so they are so close in age. Either my memory is going or maybe it is b/c I wasn't a SAHM with the older two...I just don't remember being this frazzled with them. For me at least, being a SAHM is a lot more stressful and more work than it was when I worked full-time and used daycare all day. What's up with that?

 

Thanks for some great ideas and suggestions. This morning, they both wanted to color (scribble) and sat at their Little Tikes table for probably half an hour talking (their own little language, nothing I could understand) and coloring and occupying themselves. Of course, did I pick up crochet? No! Instead I unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned up breakfast, switched out laundry, and ran the vacuum. I guess I am my own worst enemy at times.

 

However, before lunch they were watching a DVD (Elmo's Potty Time...still hasn't worked on them though ) and I picked up my project and when my youngest came over to start pulling yarn out everywhere, I was ready with a Q hook and a 3-4 ft. piece of yarn. He was so fascinated and happy with it and went and sat down and played with it for the rest of the video. Thanks for such a great tip!

 

And the empty wipes containers...gonna have to try that one for sure.

[esmy27]

Most of my crocheting is also done during naps and after my 2 year old son goes to bed. If he see's my crocheting he will usually grab a hook and start stabbing whatever I am working on. (He thinks he's crocheting too:hook ) It's really cute, but it ruins my stitches and wonks them all out. So sometimes I just give him a partial skein I am not using and a hook and let him have at it. It works for about 20 mins. I can't imagine crocheting with 2 around.

 

Esmeralda

[belle7171]

Mine crocheting is when my 3 yr old daughter goes to bed at night (no more naps). I can't do anything for myself when she's around - although she's a great help with cleaning and doing laundry. When I sit down, she just wants me to play with her. When she draws (a lot) there's a constant dialouge - so even if I wanted to crochet then, I'd lose my concentration!

[Stacy25]

I have an almost-4 year old and a 18 month old. My secret (when I really need to get something done) is to put in a video. And, believe it or not, the younger one is more forgiving with my crochet than the older one is. My older daughter is constantly asking for water or juice, or a cookie, etc, but only when I am crocheting. When I am not, she will play in her room quietly for hours.

[PoisonApple]

LOL...your oldest sounds just like my just turned 4 year old, Stacy! I can clean do whatever and he is just happy to play. But let the phone ring or I pick up my yarn and he will not have it.

 

Unless he gets a hook and some yarn too. LOL

[gridley13]

I didn't read the replies yet so I hope I don't repeat too much. First off, a 1 yo and a 2 yo... I have 2 little ones but mine are 2.5 and 4 now, so I am starting to be able to do stuff again FINALLY. My first advice is to realize that for a little while, it IS going to be difficult to do stuff, no matter what. Those are hard ages, especially having 2 of them.

 

The second piece of advice is this: hoodie sweatshirts. The whole reason I got into crochet was because I had to surrender sewing. It was just a joke with these 2 around! But I discovered I could put a ball of yarn and a hook into the pocket of a hoodie sweatshirt (or any shirt with that front pocket) and walk around crocheting! Mostly this is outside, but you can do it around the house as well. You might just have to stick to some smaller projects (small meaning not large to carry) and do the bigger parts when you do get some time to yourself. Not a perfect solution, but give it a try. If you limit your crocheting to only when you can sit for an extended time, you will most likely be frustrated. If you can walk around the house and do it, you have just expanded your crochet time! Good luck!

[fortunatelygone]

I also crochet when the tots are in bed. very rarely I can crochet when one is awake (never with both!).

 

 

The majority of my crocheting gets done in the car (when I'm the passenger, of course!)

 

But it's real nice to know that I'm not the only person who has this same balance!