Children are capable of way more than we give them credit for. They also enjoy helping. When we cook or clean it is some times easier to try to get our kids distracted with something we think, that they think, is more fun. However I have found that even young children enjoy chipping in and working along side of us. Offer them a rag and use child friendly cleaners so they can be safe. Let them have a turn with the vacuum. Let them stir the pancake batter. Give them a rag to wipe down the table. Encourage them to enjoy cleaning now. Maybe they will still hate it when they are teenagers, but at least they will know how to do it. The job might have to be done all over again later, but they will have a fulfillment in accomplishing to the best of their abilities. 
What things do you do for your kids to encourage their independence?
4 comments:
I totally agree with this! Allison's favorite thing to do is the dishes! Ashlee, this is a great blog, way to go!
My kids love to have a job that they need to do each day. It helps me because I dont have as much to do when the day is over, and they feel important. At the end of the day I tell them that it is time to do our jobs and they jump to it. It is wonderful.
I finally made Aubrey a chore chart! I few of her chores are putting away the utensils when I unload the dishwasher, help Nate take out the trash on Saturdays, make her bed, clean her room, etc. My favorite thing is to see her bed after it was made :) She gets so proud of herself and her bed looks...well, like a toddler made it!
My kids' favorite thing in the world is to draw the job out of a hat. No matter that I've asked them to do it already and they whined...draw it out of a hat and it's WAY more fun to do! :D My 6 and 4 year olds are such good helpers, but don't tell them that- they think they're playing a game! ;)
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