| The other day was a busy one at our house. | | | | and put his pajamas away.He is not fully |
| Several rooms needed tidying, vacuuming, and | | | | independent and certainly requires |
| dusting. Several errands needed to be run. | | | | supervision, but he can take care of himself |
| Food needed to be prepared. My 4-year-old and | | | | in many ways. I am proud as he masters each |
| I got through it all as a team. I | | | | new skill because I know I am raising a |
| straightened while he returned items to the | | | | person, not a child, who will eventually need |
| proper place. We both dusted, vacuumed, and | | | | to take care of himself.4. It teaches |
| loaded the dishwasher. He tidied his arts and | | | | important lessons. Our various tasks during |
| crafts and wiped down the table and counters | | | | the day involve reading, counting, math, and |
| while I handwashed the remaining dishes. At | | | | shapes, to name just a few essential skills. |
| the post office Noah mailed our package off. | | | | In addition, my son is learning to listen and |
| At the pharmacy he collected a prescription. | | | | follow instructions. The acquisition of all |
| At the grocery store he helped locate various | | | | these skills will help in school and in |
| items on our list and transfer our intended | | | | life.5. It is more fun. I loathe cleaning, |
| purchases from the cart onto the conveyor | | | | but when I clean with my son wemake it more |
| belt. When we returned home he helped measure | | | | fun with games, songs, dances, and jokes. |
| ingredients for spaghetti sauce and then add | | | | Just about everything is more fun with help |
| them to the crockpot. Then he helped mix and | | | | and the only thing more depressing than |
| shape cookie dough.How much does your child | | | | cleaning (to me anyway) is cleaning alone.6. |
| help at home? If the answer is "not much" | | | | The TV is off. We all know our children watch |
| then you might want to rethink that choice. | | | | too much TV and we are all the more likely to |
| Children as young as 2 can be a help and | | | | let them watch when we are focused on |
| certainly by the age of 4 can take on many | | | | sometask. If they are involved with helping |
| simple tasks. There are several reasons why | | | | then that is that much less TV watching they |
| you should enlist your little helpers.1. It | | | | will do that day.7. You are creating a good |
| gives you more time together. The one regret | | | | habit. As children grow older they are much |
| every parent expresses is the wish for more | | | | more able to help, but they are also much |
| time with their children. Why not make the | | | | less likely to want to help -- especially if |
| most of all those taks you have to do and | | | | they haven't been required to before. If you |
| share them.2. It teaches your child to be a | | | | get your children started young when they |
| good citizen. Most of the time my son is | | | | want to help then you can make helping a good |
| eager to help, but sometimes he'd rather do | | | | habit.There are a number of advantages to |
| something else. However I remind him that | | | | encouraging your children to help. Sure in |
| being a part of our family brings | | | | the early years it will take more time to |
| responsibilities as well as privileges.3. It | | | | accomplish tasks with help than it would if |
| teaches life skills. My child can prepare his | | | | you did them alone, but in the end the |
| own breakfast, load the dishes into the | | | | long-term benefits will make it well |
| dishwasher, and then clear the table and | | | | worthwhile. |
| floor when he is done. He can dress himself | | | | |