If you ever wondered if our children play quietly in the corner of the garage when we do DIY projects, the answer is no. They have never. ever. played. quietly. I think they were born without that gene. They enter a room and I faintly sing “And they came in like a wreeeeeecking balllllllll……” behind them. So what the heck do they do when we work on DIY projects? And how the hammer drill do we find the time to DIY when kids are around? Because they are. Always. Around.
Well, I thought it would be an interesting subject to not only share some tips on how to DIY with kiddos in the mix but also how to find the TIME to diy with kids in general. Am I qualified to share these tips? I don’t know….I’m too busy chasing four kids ages six and under to figure that out….which probably makes me immediately qualified. Ha! Here are my best tips when it comes to the task of DIYing with Kids….
Containment in Key
Hanging a gallery wall? Set up a pack-n-play in your space and let your little ones play inside with new-to-them toys. Or if they are a little bigger, let them pretend that it is a tent. Let them eat a snack in there, put on a puppet show or read books. No Pack-n-play? Get a giant fridge box from your local Walmart or Best Buy. Let them color the walls! KEEP THEM CONTAINED AT ALL COSTS. And then mom & dad, realize that kids have a time limit. Twenty minutes is all you get out of a containment situation. TOPS. A exersaucer is the same idea. As is a playroom. You get to do your DIY within eye shot and they aren’t smashing your glass picture frames.
Work Near Play
Sometimes the best solution is to create a workshop near a place of play (or vice versa). In our situation, we have a garage that we do the majority of building and crafts in…..at the end of the driveway we put the trampoline and it’s visible (to referree those sibling spats) or we have ‘chalk day’ or ‘tape out roads day’ (where the kids get to use tape to make matchbox roads on the floor) or we allow the kids to play with our pile of scrap wood. They make amazing crashing towers and imaginary boats from 2×4 pieces!
Wait for a Rainy Day
I kinda hate rainy days….stuck inside…no sunshine….everything that gets tracked inside is wet and muddy and a general mess. But last year I realized that rainy days are perfect for DIYs….the kids can do a slip-n-slide outside if it’s warm enough or just be a puddle jumper for twenty minutes…and if it’s cold, then they are eager to bundle up and watch a movie. Make it fun with popcorn or treats like hot cocoa….and you can Netflix something vintage like Wizard of Oz or Singing In the Rain. I know. I said MOVIES. But let’s face it, most kids get more tv time when the weather is crummy….might as well make the most of it!
Do a Trade Off
Have another mom friend that you know that is looking for a day break to tackle her own DIY projects? Trade afternoons for the kids to be together and you two to get things done. Maybe you watch ALL the kiddos on Tuesday and then hand them off on Wednesday to tackle painting the nursery! Make sure you set yourself some rules up front – NO CLEANING OR LAUNDRY….ONLY DIY. Also, dropping the kids off with extra special snacks is a sure fire way to win the kids over. Or plan for an afternoon of bowling where the kids all do a scheduled activity and the other mom can run home for a couple hours while you do the activity and lunch.
Make a List
One of the biggest ways Jeremy and I get things done is to make a list of a particular project. It can be labeled “BATHROOM” and then each item is segmented into task and who does it and how long it should take. This to-do timeline helps us know exactly what the next step is and how we can tag-team the process. We actually own and use this to-do-list to help….just hang it on the fridge for a central location.
Work at Night
You can probably already tell from our crappy nighttime photos but we do a lot of DIY at night. One night a week we try to put the kids down and change into ‘work’ clothes to tackle a project while the kids are catching some zzzz’s. We find that just being together to do the project (even if I am just sitting there replacing batteries in kids toys while he paints), it is much more enjoyable. Also 80’s music is a must 🙂
Schedule a Party
A few of our friends are big believers in the idea of DIY parties. They have a giant to-do list and so they invite a bunch of people over via Facebook for free pizza and beer to do a couple hours of painting, demo or landscaping. Usually one mom is in charge of all the kiddos and they watch the little ones in the play room while the masses get moving. Many hands make light work!
Can’t Beat Em Join Em
There are TONS of DIY activities that kids are great at and we believe that kids should learn how to do things safely and well! We aren’t teaching our kids how to handle a miter saw (yet!) but a drill and a paint brush are easy and fun tools that kids can use. I spray paint a lot of things and I have a ‘spray paint pot’ for the boys (it was free and plastic)….they spray the pot while I spray my project. They get all my old cans of spray paint – the ones that barely have any in it and usually use a spray handle to help but it’s one small way they can learn how to do this DIY task. Or when I am building a piece of furniture, they get to sand. If I am painting a room, they get their own brush. Just remember that drop clothes are your best friend 🙂
Add to the Bunch
I know this sounds counterproductive but sometimes adding MORE kids to the brood actually helps keep the masses more entertained. We have a neighbor that is a couple years older and loves playing with the kids and we can invite him over to play hide-n-seek with the boys and it buys us a little time to fix the pantry shelves or hang a light fixture. Or my sister will come over with her group so we can craft together. The kids get to play with cousins and we are in mommy-crafting heaven on a high (VERY HIGH) countertop 🙂
Hire a Mommy’s Helper
There are little girls in the neighborhood that are GREAT with kids….their energy levels are high, their knees are supple and they love earning a couple dollars to play with your little ones. Arrange with their moms to have them over to help play with the toddlers while you tackle an hour-long task. You can give the tween a few dollars to pay for her time and it will be well-worth the assistance she gave you. This is most helpful if you have activities already ready….like puzzles, magnets, playdoh (make sure she knows they shouldn’t eat it!) and coloring books.
Keep it in the Family
Save those giant projects for when you have a big chunk of help from your family members. A lot of projects only take 30 mins to an hour and can be cut into manageable chunks but some are much bigger….like tiling a floor or painting large rooms or are time sensitive. Arrange for grandparents to come over and watch for those bigger tasks. You can hand over the keys to take the kids bowling or to get slushies or to take them to a local playground and it allows you to really make some headway!
Set A Deadline
This might be the craziest suggestion on this list but it is HIGHLY effective. Start demo of a room and then schedule a party in that space. Give yourself just enough time to finish the project and you will be amazed at the motivation that ensues. You will realize that deadline is LOOMING and you will kick it into high gear to get things in order before your big shindig. I know. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen but you will be shocked at how much you actually get done.
Make It Happen
Sometimes you just have to work with the kids in tow. Babywearing. Constant interruptions. Wasted materials. It’s all part of parenting while DIYing. Allow yourself to realize that doing things yourself does cost something….patience, energy, and sometimes a slice of your sanity. BUT you also get a giant fat reward out of it….you can save some money, create a beautiful space or have a much used project completed and you can celebrate that WITH your kids. Allowing them to see the reward is important (just as it is for you!) and even if that means a special donut run, make sure you and your kids get to do that together. Making it happen sometimes is the result of just saying to yourself “I’M DOING THIS TODAY RAIN OR SHINE, CRYING OR FITS, HELL OR HIGHWATER.” And then you put on your superman cape and just DO IT.
Hope you guys all get a little nugget of hope from this post and I really would love to hear your best solutions to the age old question of HOW THE HECK DO YOU DO IT WITH KIDS?!
I am so glad you posted about this! It’s something I’ve always wondered about as long as I’ve been reading your blog! We only have one kid (1yr), so the only way to get anything done around the house is to wait until he naps and work very quietly, or split up and have one of us watch the kiddo while the other gets to work – but when you need two pairs of hands it gets tricky!
Yes! You guys are super parents for getting so much done with 4 little ones.
I only have 1 so far… but my husband and I love to DIY. All our friends can’t believe what we can get done with the little guy around but we just make it happen. A few weeks ago we wanted to build an extension to our deck and we found out that my parents would be out of town and not able to babysit! So we did it anyway. We just brought out toys and snacks and let him ‘help’ when he could. It was such a great experience.
My son loved tying the drill and I would help him line up the screws. He was so proud every time they went in. The whole thing took much longer than if we had a sitter – but we were super productive during nap time and tag teamed keeping the little guy entertained when he was up.
This is great! I loved hearing your methods. I have one little guy at home and while I’m not a DIY-er, playing nearby with something new-to-him is my current method of choice while I’m cooking/blogging. Containment lately has meant crayons & paper taped to the high-chair tray and rolled over into the kitchen means fun & productivity for all!
So I am dying to know about the life size Spider Man…is there a person in that suit?
The baby wearing photo–seriously the cutest thing ever! Love your tips and ideas. Now that my boys are older–they are my very best helpers!
Oh my gosh. Is that Spider-Man in the family pic real?! I seriously cannot tell if someone is dressed up or if it’s a life size toy.
It’s a toy and yes I hate it 🙂
xo kb
It is a life sized toy from my mom and it’s crazy huge.
xo kb
Thank you for the tips and unknowingly the encouragement! I’m constantly using my 2 year old as an excuse to not tackle a project.. This is a good reminder that there are ways to get things done.
My kids are a little bit older – ages 4 and 6. The good news is they are old enough that they can do a lot for themselves – use the bathroom, get their own snacks, etc. Getting projects done is hit or miss, though. Some days they play really well together and I can get a lot done. But other days they fight constantly and need me for every little thing and it’s really difficult to get anything done. I try to just be flexible and not get too frustrated with them when things are going slow.
For big jobs we try to arrange for them to go to their grandparents’ house for the weekend.
What brand is this baby carrier on the last photo, please?
Thanks so much for this. Managing baby and DIY has been my biggest struggle lately.
It’s a Moby. They make wraps but I wear this one backwards when they hit toddler sized (Max is a 2T and fits great!). Here is the link to it.
xo – kb
with a second on the way, this is GREAT info. thanks 🙂
Me too!!! Haha I did a double take.
4th picture from the bottom. Did you make the magnets or whatever they are? Please explain how.
Thanks.
This is a constant dilemma in our house since i’m on daddy duty (with a 2 year old!) immediately after work, mom works late (she’s a veterinarian!) and I keep getting more and more commissioned builds (hooray!) as a part-time job/hobby. I used to try and work around nap times on weekends or after the kiddo went to bed, but her nursery is directly above my basement work space so power tools weren’t ideal at those times… because well… saws and air compressors are loud… So I ended up converting (ongoing) a dilapidated garage space into a workshop that sits away from the house, but is close enough for a baby monitor to be in range! I do almost all of my work at night now. Which is why I look so tired…
A few more years and I can put her to work during daylight hours! Ha.
Love this!! I’ve always wondered how you guys did it. These are great tips, thank you for sharing! I laughed out loud at the pictures with your kids and parents when I spied the Spider-Man. It looks like a perfect family photo, with Spider-Man, haha. Love it!
I was wondering how you and Jer got it all done with 4 kiddos. (I wondered about Spiderman too! HA!)
Yup! They are personalized magnets! Here is the how-to post 🙂
xo – kb
Hooray for more commissioned builds! That’s awesome! And you are in the rough of it at 2….soon it will be a lot easier!
xo – kb
This couldn’t be more timely. I read this as I was in bed yesterday. Yesterday I had a mini melt down because we had a very abbreviated nap time which ended in lots of crying from my 1 yr old. He normally gives me a 2-3 hr nap midday, but I’m not sure what happened. I had all these things I wanted to do that I didn’t get to do. My melt down was more about the future than it was about that one day. I was frustrated with myself because I couldn’t deal with it, when all these other moms seem to do great. How am I supposed to have my outlet (my me time) once he outgrows naps? How am I supposed to feel like myself (like a person) when there is a second baby around? Hubby gets so much alone time and outlet time (driving to work, driving tractors, riding bikes, riding dirt bikes…driving is his thing). He’s so busy that he’s never around to take the kid off my hands for daddy-son time. I love your suggestions, but they seem to be more geared toward older kids who don’t need constant supervision. My son is 14 month and still tries to eat everything (pea gravel everywhere outside!!!). What do you do when they are mobile, but not independent? Just wait for nap time like I have been?
Well, if your oldest is 14 months, then you are definitely still in the thick of it! I have a 2 year old and an almost one year old and those guys are the hardest. They don’t play WITH people yet! Maybe there is a little girl at church or in the neighborhood that would like entertaining him. Sometimes a big box of new-to-him toys are ways to do containment best and also, there is a lot to be said for a cardboard box and a little tub of yogurt. I know that sounds messy (it is!) but it’s like thirty minutes of entertainment that is safe to eat 🙂
xo – kb
Such a well detailed post. Love it all! Thanks for caring to share.
This is probably one of the most helpful posts ever. I’m going to try some of these ideas… gotta finish my kitchen remodel by the end of the decade. It’s been a 2 year saga so far. Hubby helped with demolition one night for about an hour. Thank goodness for my mom, friends, and our handyman who have all pitched in on various occasions, but I still need to paint and finish the trim and do several other small tasks.
Thank you for this post and your great suggestions! My husband and I both work full time outside the home, I have a LONG commute (2.5 hours round trip), and we have a very high energy 3 year old boy (aren’t they all!) and 9 week old. The biggest challenge for us is that we are so exhausted at night during the week that we can’t get much done then and weekends must be spent doing traditional “chores” like laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc because there is no time during the week to get that stuff done. The tip that works best for us it to simply accept the fact that we do not have enough time to get all of the DIY projects done as quickly as we may like. It is difficult when there is so much we want to do, but we were making ourselves crazy trying to fit too much in. We are much happier now that we are taking time to spend with our boys and if we get a project done, that is just icing on the cake 🙂
Oh Lindsay, I feel ya! For a few years Jeremy had a 3-4 hr round trip and it was SO hard to get things done. I think your perspective is just so great because they will be little only once!
xo – kb
We only have one…a 15 month old…and struggle with getting things done projectwise. This post is so helpful. We have done at least all of these, except adding to the bunch 🙂 Very success with each. The last one is the most important.