After work/daycare, we go home and Grace gets right to playing with all her toys; the kitchen, her babies, the mutliple Little People playsets, books...you name it, we have it! By the time bedtime rolls around, the previously clear family room floor is covered in toddler toys. Its not any better in her room either. Stuffed animals, books, Barbie, blankets everywhere. Sure, we ask her to pick up her toys and, most of the time, she is pretty good at it.
My question is this: When is Grace old enough for some regularly scheduled chores?
Hubby started asking her to help feed the dog a month or so ago. For a few days, Grace was really into it. The dog....not so much. You see, when we feed the dog, we take the cup and dump a few cupfuls into his bowl. Grace has a much slower method.....giving the dog 10-20 morsels at a time. Seriously, it takes her about 20 minutes to fill 1/8 of his bowl. But its a good chore for her I think....teaches her to take care of her pets and who cares if she misses the bowl once in awhile...the dog will eat it off the floor! Her other favorite pastime----playing with the Swiffer and/or broom. But honestly, that usually just spreads the mess around more for me to clean later!
What other chores can I give a 2 year old?
My mother swears I was setting the table at 2 (I find that very hard to believe--maybe I was 3 when I started that). Other people have told me to let her be a baby as long as possible; that there are plenty of years of chores ahead of her so dont rush it. I want her to grow up knowing that life takes teamwork and that Mommy and Daddy expect her to help around the house; that when you have pets, you have to take care of them and that if you make a mess, it is your responsibility to clean it up.
Any ideas from the Blog-o-sphere out there? What are you doing at home? What works? What doesnt? Anything!?!?!?!!?!?!?
4 comments:
She does a ton - empty dishwasher silverware (I take out the knives...), fill up the dog bowl with food, clean up her toys.
I always help her if she makes a mess - but even if she draws on the walls, she scrubs them...
OH man - I didn't know you could make kids do that! We're having 6 more so I don't have to do anything!
Seriously - I always - fed the pets, made my bed, and cleaned up my toys and brought my laundry to the laundry room...
Cleaning up toys is a good thing. You would be suprised at how few people do that. We do it at night and generally a few times during the weekend. Hmmm....Maya helps load the dishwasher and fold socks and hangs her own dresses on occasion. They both have to put their plates in the sink after dinner. Setting napkins and silverwear on the table is good. Two is a good time to start on a few things, so it is always a part of life. She looks so cute in that picture.
My two boys help out by cleaning up their room, pick up their toys, our 5 yr old vacuums sometimes and also helps with putting clothes in the dryer. If he spill something he cleans it up but I am there to help too. However, I have also started giving my 5 yr old an allowance in the past week for doing chores.
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