Brynna is becoming obsessed with helping. It's pretty exciting. I'll admit it, I can't wait for the point where she has real chores, as in things that I don't have to worry about, because she'll do them. Let's face it, I'll do a dance of joy when she's old enough to be in charge of keeping her own room clean.
Tonight she helped me load the dishwasher and mop the kitchen floor. When she was done with that, she cleaned off the kitchen table and wanted another job. I didn't have one for her to do, so I asked her to clean the front of the dishwasher. It really didn't need it, but it was something to do.
I want to encourage her to help. I want her to want to help.
The problem is that a lot of the time, I don't want her to actually help. Tonight, she rinsed dishes in cold water. I had to re-rinse most of them when she was done and she ran about 20 minutes of water to rinse about 5 plates and a bowl. Then she mopped about a third of the floor, making it more obvious that the other two-thirds needed to be done.
Sometimes she helps me fold laundry by unfolding everything that I've already done.
Like I said, I want her to want to help and that means saying thank you, being excited when she pitches in and praising her efforts. Sometimes it's just a whole lotta work fixing everthing she's helped with, though.
2 comments:
Ok, I'm really de-lurking now, but this gets a comment....First, I'm still waiting to do my happy dance when you learn to keep your room clean (LOL!) and secondly, when I was little I watched my mom rewash all the dishes I had just "washed." I figured why bother and I still don't wash dishes (often, anyway). Show her the right way and don't go behind her! Love, Mom
Good advice (as always). I try to not let her see me when I have to re-do something and I really try to show her the right way, but she is soooo stubborn.
I'm waiting to do the happy dance when I learn to keep my own room clean, too. I'm doing better, though. If only I could figure out where laundry is supposed to go...
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