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Mother's Little Helper
Rated by 1 member
My 2-year-old perches on the dryer, hurtling socks into the tantalizing vortex of the washer while my 4-year-old scratches at the dryer lint screen, proudly pronouncing it "sparkly." It's laundry day again, but with a husband and three sons under age 7, every day is laundry day.
Because I work from home, most household tasks fall to me, which can make it seem like the whole world is out having fun as I trot on my hamster wheel of "same drudgery, different day."
But we need clean clothes, dishes, and woefully, clean toilets, so I keep running despite the sneaking suspicion I'm not getting anywhere. It's a good thing my live-in cleaning crew happily works for free.
When I was a new mom, I read that it's good to let kids — even toddlers — help out around the house to include them in the family's rhythm. Being both parentally untested and domestically disinclined, I shrugged and invited my son to help out instead of playing beside me as I worked.
He loved it. From arranging towels in chaotic humps in the linen closet to wielding the pièce de housework résistance, the Swiffer WetJet, he was happy to contribute. To him, work and play were the same, and I quickly learned he was on to something. I realized I could either view our daily work as drudgery or a game, and playing at work was much more fun.
My kids are thrilled to help me take care of the house, because they're still at the age when there's nothing they'd rather do than hang with me. Friends with older kids scoff, assuring me they'll get over that soon enough, but I'll take it while I've got it.
Even if their enthusiasm and camaraderie does fade over time, right now they're absorbing an important life skill, one I know they've given me: how to fold a little fun into the ordinary.
Easy Ways Kids Can Help Around the House:
Member Comments On…
Mother's Little Helper
Very brilliant, Mom! I will definitely get my kids involved in cleaning the house with me this way.
The only concern I have with the suggested ways kids can help around the house is the suggestion of pouring dishwasher soap. Perhaps not many people know how caustic dishwasher soap is. Even a little "accidentally in the mouth" can literally BURN your child's throat and esophagus. Unless you use a safe, non-toxic alternative to the auto dishwash soaps on the market, I would highly recommend children skip that chore as well. Our children are too precious to harm!
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I think it's great to incorporate the kids into our every day chores. My oldest is 5 and she folds dishrags and kitchen towels, hangs up shower towels (even brings them to me to be put in the wash!) She brings me the laundry baskets and puts away clothes, and even folds hers/sisters/brother's clothes. My middle who is 2 wants to help as well, clearing the table, throwing away napkins, putting socks away. There are lots of little things you can have them help you do all the time. They both LOVE to help bring in the groceries as well. My middle will push the wet laundry into the dryer for me while I drop the next small pile on the lid. It doesn't matter if they lose the interest when they are older, because it's becoming a part of their lives now and it is so important that they do it now to understand how much it is just A PART OF LIFE! Good Job Mom!
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