Laundry and shapes - I have been teaching Lilly to fold washcloths and along with that we talk about squares and rectangles. She actually likes to fold clothes but she doesn't like to leave them folded. :)
Dishes and sorting - My daughter helps me wash the dishes as well as put the dishes away. When we are washing, I will fill up the sink beside be and put some bubbles and a rag in there. She loves to fill up cups and pour them out (I suppose I could incorporate a lesson on more and less here as well). When we are putting dishes away, I give her the silverware and let her sort them into the right spots on the tray. The spoons and forks may be upside down but at least they are in the right section and she is helping me out. Her dishes are in an easy to reach cabinet and she knows where to put the cups and where to put the plates and bowls.
Cooking and counting - I haven't done this one too much because my daughter just can't keep from eating the food, but I will sometimes let her line chicken nuggets on a pan to go into the oven or stir a bowl of muffin mix. We count the number of items on the pan or we count the number of times we stir the bowl. She is also helpful at putting things in the trash and that leads into a lesson on recycling because we have 2 trashcans - one for "trash" and one for things that can be recycled.
Windows - She loves to help wipe things, so I will give her a rag with "spray cleaner" already on it and let her wipe away. I'm not sure what other lesson goes along with this but just the fact that she is helping mommy and helping to keep the house clean is enough.
Are there are other things you do with your children? I would like to hear about them.
I think you're doing great with the things you do with your daughter! My children are a little older, but here are the things we do together:
ReplyDeleteThey dry all the dishes (except sharp things, obviously), and help me put them away. They tidy up their toys and straighten the family room for me (which doubles as a school room). They help me hang the washing when we hang it inside if the weather is bad out (we don't have a drier). They also help sweep the floor (they have a child-sized broom and dustpan), and they help vaccuum the floor too. They help to set the table before a meal, and clear it off after the meal. They also make their beds and straighten their stuffed animals that sit at the end of their beds. :)
What a great job you're doing! These are the same types of things I did with my girls when they were younger. At nine and seven, it's amazing how much help they are around the house - and how much fun we have working together!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily - thank you for the post on my blog! I really enjoy your blog, and I'm glad my comments have been encouraging. I actually have 3 blogs - one is where I post recipes - http://recipesfromclara.blogspot.com/ (I try to post one recipe each week). One is our family journey - this is the one you posted a comment on - http://aussievannattans.blogspot.com/ And the last one is the one I post on most frequently (nearly every day), which is a "ladies only" blog - http://danielandclara.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI hope that helps! Feel free to visit any of them! :)
The Lord bless you!
Hi Emily (I have wandered over from Clara's blog)- I have no daughters but I taught my sons (who are now 22 and 17) to help around the house and to cook. They are very good cooks but still need more educating when it comes to housecleaning. May the Lord find them wives that can do this for them:)
ReplyDeleteI did teach them to make their beds, but this is one lesson that I have completely failed in as they NEVER make their beds now.
God Bless
Jo
You're doing great! Kids love to help, especially toddlers! If you don't tell them they're "supposed to" resist helping and working then they will keep right on naturally thinking it's fun for quite a while. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love when they want to help! You are doing a great job :) You are training up a wonderful little helper!
ReplyDeleteChristi
You're a wise mommy to start including your little one now in the house keeping!
ReplyDeleteI also think you are so wise to use the simple tasks that you have to do around the house to teach her fun things like sorting and shapes:)
I enjoyed your blog:)
Michelle
I have a little girl who turned 2 in April, and she loves to help mama empty the dishwasher. I let her put away the silverware too, but she isn't quite to sorting, so it's all in the wrong places in the drawer :) But I like to have her help even though she is little... I hope it's getting her in the mode of helping, at least! I like your other ideas!! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDelete