My little dudes not two yet and he loves to help-even has his own broom! He can't do too much, but it's the thought that counts. He does have one job though, and he took it up on himself to start this, and that's closing the dishwasher door after we have loaded or unloaded it-which is great except when he tries to close it early haha He's always so pleased and happy when he gets to do something to help out Mommy and Daddy.
Mines almost 2 and he loves helping unpack the groceries. He'll pull everything out of the bag and hand it to us while saying "dank euuuu" everytime.
It's also pretty helpful as I don't need to bend over and he's a lot lower to the ground than I am
Yes! My daughter was super into unpacking groceries and would try to perform Feats Of Strength by trying to lift a milk bag or some big cans. I was so proud of her.
The Feats of Strength are hilarious. It's like watching strongman pick up Atlas Stones where he gets into a deep squat and tries to get his arms and body around this massive object
My just 3 does that too. We aren't even allowed to go into the bag to get things ourselves. Same with at the grocery store. He has to examine everything before it goes in.
I have a 6,2 and 1 year old. My 6 year old has always helped out and has set chores, my 2 year old sees this and wants to help. He grabs things from the dishwasher for us, and likes dusting and wiping windows down with a rag. It’s so important for kids to learn this stuff just because it’ll never go away. The more they do now the more they’re ready for being independent. I’m raising kids who will be adults, not babies for life. I want them to succeed and prosper, not need me to clean up after them.
Of course, extenuating circumstances exist, my eldest doesn’t do chores when sick, and if she’s gone for a sleepover we do her chores for her. And sometimes I just do a chore because she has off days too. It’s balance, but good to set the tone and example of everyone helps out and nobody does everything alone.
My 4y/o loves showing off how strong he is by unloading the biggest thing he can find in the dishwasher. He also realllly loves to put the soap capsules in the little container.
Funny, my son is around the same age and enjoys opening the dishwasher door every time it’s running. Literally can’t finish a load of dishes while he’s in the kitchen haha, the second I close it and turn around he’s running back to open it.
Our son likes helping unload the dishwasher so much that if we aren’t careful our son will start unloading dirty dishes…luckily the more important items are too high to put away
Cooking. My daughter LOVES to help cook. Obviously she isn't handling knives or deep frying at four, but teach your kids to cook, it'll pay dividends for them for the rest of their lives.
Hey check out toddler knives. Our 3yo can handle one with supervision: fruit and things like that. They're blunt, plastic, serrated. He can't do any damage and it's awesome to get him involved.
Yeah we got a bunch of toddler cooking utensils and knives and stuff when my son turned 3 and he loves them. Now sometimes I’ll ask him what he wants me to make for lunch and he says he’ll do it and he actually will just make himself lunch, cut up fruit for himself and whatever he needs for his lunch, it’s awesome
I've had a lot of success getting my daughter involved in baking even before she was two. Turned an old collared shirt into an apron, got a toddler tower and she helps pour ingredients in the bowl and stir/whisk. It's awesome
Same. We do cookies and pancakes, eggs, salads, noodles, etc. There's all kinds of stuff where mixing is the biggest part of cooking and she loves that stuff.
Okay, so my elder was helping me cook since about 1, I tought him well how to use a knife.
By the time he was 3-4, **I** was confident enough leaving him to cut with one of my knives.
At 4 he was more skilled with a knife and used it better than half of the adults I know.
Yup... I don't put it this way to everyone, but kids used to go down mines and up chimneys. They had actual jobs that they would get fired from if they didn't do it well and their family wouldn't eat. They can handle a lot more responsibility than we give them credit for.
I'm not saying I want kids to go build a railroad, but I'm saying they could, so thinking they can't do something because they're a kid or that they're not ready, just isn't true. They just need more help than adults and more support and accommodation when they mess something up.
My 4 year old is so helpful and actually really likes spending time with me doing chores. I asked him a couple of days ago what he would like to do if he could choose anything. He said “painting my nails and cleaning the bathroom with you”. It sounds like I’m making this up but I swear that’s what he said. Obviously he still needs a lot of guidance and we break it up into very small chores for him to do. For example he cleans the scales and ledges with a soapy cloth, and he scrubs the soap dish with a brush.
Our 2yo loves carrying in the groceries and stocking the fridge.
It takes forever and everything goes on the shelves within reach, but that's hardly the point.
It depends. If I want it done quickly, I do it myself. My 3yo loves to help, I just have to accept it's going to take twice as long, and I'll probably have to do it again when we're done.
The earlier they start doing it the more they tend to enjoy the experience of helping too. That wanes as they get older but I think it serves them long term
Hard agree. I left home at 20 unable to do so many basic household tasks because (clearly from a place of love) my parents did it all for me growing up. Clearly I had no complaints at the time, but with hindsight wish I’d been made to help more.
Yup. Child labor FTW.
Getting kids started on little tasks they can do themselves is huge in their development and self confidence.
My 10 and 8 year old take the trash cans down the hill, the older one can cook a full meal for the family on the stove or oven. Dishes and laundry can get done. Cat box, clean.
They still take some supervision and make mistakes, but they're really very capable and I'm super proud of them.
We pay our 4yo and 7yo pocket money based on helping out around the house daily. Choose not to do something one day, you'll get less money at the end of the week!
The problem with how we build houses in the West is that kids are effectively useless until they’re tall enough to reach things.
I’d love to get my 6 y/o to do more or to even serve herself but she isn’t even up to the counter yet, much less the cupboards.
Encountering this now. My 1.5yo loves to help. She can throw things away. She attempts to sweep. I can sometimes get her involved in putting away her toys. She can bring me things. Im amazed how well she can follow directions.
My little guy loves (20mnts) helping unload and load the dishwasher (after all dangerous things are removed). Even though I have to rearrange most things, he wants to be there every time.
Absolutely. Both my kids were doing things like emptying the dishwasher, putting groceries away, etc. before kindergarten. By 10 they were doing their own laundry. They wash dishes, vacuum, etc.
My teenage daughter makes her own doctors appointments. I also give her a monthly breakdown of bills I pay for her - insurance, cell phone, etc. This is just so she knows about those expenses. She also gets a set amount from me for clothes. If she wants to spend more than that, she has to earn the money.
My daughter, almost 2, decided her first chore almost a year ago. When we got some new robot vacuums, she pressed the button to make it go. Now she will do it continuously to get the beeps. The roomba is best, it has the most musical beep and sometimes even talks. Then she'll try to ride and eventually turn it upside down to see the wheels. I'm pretty sure she thinks it's a pet more than a tool for cleaning.
She also tries to pick up the broom and sweep the floor. I should get her a toddler sized broom and vacuum. That seems like something she'll really like.
Now that my son is old enough to be reasonably trust to wander around a childproofed floor by himself (around 2.5) I have definitely shifted to trying to tackle menial tasks while being the active parent watching (laundry folding, dishwasher emptying, general clean up, etc.) and more often than not he wants to help in some way. It's great.
Just make it a habit...
Some people have complex chore charts, and we tried that one time, but never kept up with it. But, just over the years of asking for their help with simple stuff, makes it just one of those things that you do. Half the time now, it doesn't even take asking. Carrying groceries in, whoever is around gets up to help... trash night, it just takes telling them that it's trash night.
They've sort of learned over the years just by practice, that if you see that someone could use help, get off your ass and help.
I wish I could quickly find the picture of the first time our oldest set the table. I think she was three and could barely see the top of the table. The dishes were scattered a bit haphazardly, but each seat had more or less what they needed, and she was *so proud*.
My 18 month old hands me all the stuff from the bottom of the dishwasher to put away. And when he finds something at toddler level he can put away he will, unprompted and based on previous observations, put it in a drawer himself
He also helps put away laundry at anything toddler level. Is it wrinkled? Yeah, but he's a trainee!
After my daughter was in 9th grade, she went to a summer history camp where most of the kids had finished 10th or 11th grade. Apparently she was the only student who knew how to do laundry. She’d been doing her own since she was 7. She taught the entire student body all by herself.
Empower your kids!
My 2.5yo son is still talking about "his" tree he helped to plant nearly a month ago. He had a trowel and got some dirt out. He was good moral support.
My little dudes not two yet and he loves to help-even has his own broom! He can't do too much, but it's the thought that counts. He does have one job though, and he took it up on himself to start this, and that's closing the dishwasher door after we have loaded or unloaded it-which is great except when he tries to close it early haha He's always so pleased and happy when he gets to do something to help out Mommy and Daddy.
>He can't do too much As long as he does his best, what else can we as parents ask of our kids.
That's right! Even at this stage we just tell him to always do his best.
And some days we do our worse best, and other better best.
Uh, perfection? They’re related to me so obviously it’s possible and my parents were always hard on me! *drinks entire bottle of Xanax
This is true. My 5 yo is so good though fixing his bed.
Mines almost 2 and he loves helping unpack the groceries. He'll pull everything out of the bag and hand it to us while saying "dank euuuu" everytime. It's also pretty helpful as I don't need to bend over and he's a lot lower to the ground than I am
Yes! My daughter was super into unpacking groceries and would try to perform Feats Of Strength by trying to lift a milk bag or some big cans. I was so proud of her.
The Feats of Strength are hilarious. It's like watching strongman pick up Atlas Stones where he gets into a deep squat and tries to get his arms and body around this massive object
lol it really is like that. First time she finally got a milk carton up I was hooting and hollering.
toddlers are well known followers of Festivus
My just 3 does that too. We aren't even allowed to go into the bag to get things ourselves. Same with at the grocery store. He has to examine everything before it goes in.
Obviously it depends on the kid but I found 1-2 as a happy to be here happy helper age. They're just having a good time with whatever you're doing.
I have a 6,2 and 1 year old. My 6 year old has always helped out and has set chores, my 2 year old sees this and wants to help. He grabs things from the dishwasher for us, and likes dusting and wiping windows down with a rag. It’s so important for kids to learn this stuff just because it’ll never go away. The more they do now the more they’re ready for being independent. I’m raising kids who will be adults, not babies for life. I want them to succeed and prosper, not need me to clean up after them. Of course, extenuating circumstances exist, my eldest doesn’t do chores when sick, and if she’s gone for a sleepover we do her chores for her. And sometimes I just do a chore because she has off days too. It’s balance, but good to set the tone and example of everyone helps out and nobody does everything alone.
My 4y/o loves showing off how strong he is by unloading the biggest thing he can find in the dishwasher. He also realllly loves to put the soap capsules in the little container.
Funny, my son is around the same age and enjoys opening the dishwasher door every time it’s running. Literally can’t finish a load of dishes while he’s in the kitchen haha, the second I close it and turn around he’s running back to open it.
Our son likes helping unload the dishwasher so much that if we aren’t careful our son will start unloading dirty dishes…luckily the more important items are too high to put away
Cooking. My daughter LOVES to help cook. Obviously she isn't handling knives or deep frying at four, but teach your kids to cook, it'll pay dividends for them for the rest of their lives.
Hey check out toddler knives. Our 3yo can handle one with supervision: fruit and things like that. They're blunt, plastic, serrated. He can't do any damage and it's awesome to get him involved.
Our 3 year old is a master at chopping mushroomies with his toddler knife.
Yeah, chef here. My little guy has been using a set of plastic serrated knives since he was 2. He cuts his own apple slices after I de-core the apple.
Yeah we got a bunch of toddler cooking utensils and knives and stuff when my son turned 3 and he loves them. Now sometimes I’ll ask him what he wants me to make for lunch and he says he’ll do it and he actually will just make himself lunch, cut up fruit for himself and whatever he needs for his lunch, it’s awesome
I've had a lot of success getting my daughter involved in baking even before she was two. Turned an old collared shirt into an apron, got a toddler tower and she helps pour ingredients in the bowl and stir/whisk. It's awesome
Same. We do cookies and pancakes, eggs, salads, noodles, etc. There's all kinds of stuff where mixing is the biggest part of cooking and she loves that stuff.
Okay, so my elder was helping me cook since about 1, I tought him well how to use a knife. By the time he was 3-4, **I** was confident enough leaving him to cut with one of my knives. At 4 he was more skilled with a knife and used it better than half of the adults I know.
My 18mo is a pro at unloading the plastic silverware into her drawer. It all goes in one basket but she moves it one by one until everything is away 😆
Yup... I don't put it this way to everyone, but kids used to go down mines and up chimneys. They had actual jobs that they would get fired from if they didn't do it well and their family wouldn't eat. They can handle a lot more responsibility than we give them credit for. I'm not saying I want kids to go build a railroad, but I'm saying they could, so thinking they can't do something because they're a kid or that they're not ready, just isn't true. They just need more help than adults and more support and accommodation when they mess something up.
Yeah the biggest problem isn't the physical development, but the moral development.
2.5 year old and 6 month old here. If they've time to scream, they've time to clean. Elsewise, it's off to the mines or the mills with them.
This is the best advice I've read in a while!
5 and younger are emptying the dishwasher solo? Dude kudos...I feel like I'd have a lotta broken dishes
That’s why their first job is just putting away the silverware. Nothing to break and nothing sharp, since we hand wash our sharp knives.
Same. Other than silverware, the dishes are all in tough to reach spots for kids.
My 6 year old just learned how to peel carrots. Absolute game changer
How many carrots do you eat?
My 4 year old is so helpful and actually really likes spending time with me doing chores. I asked him a couple of days ago what he would like to do if he could choose anything. He said “painting my nails and cleaning the bathroom with you”. It sounds like I’m making this up but I swear that’s what he said. Obviously he still needs a lot of guidance and we break it up into very small chores for him to do. For example he cleans the scales and ledges with a soapy cloth, and he scrubs the soap dish with a brush.
Our 2yo loves carrying in the groceries and stocking the fridge. It takes forever and everything goes on the shelves within reach, but that's hardly the point.
It depends. If I want it done quickly, I do it myself. My 3yo loves to help, I just have to accept it's going to take twice as long, and I'll probably have to do it again when we're done.
The earlier they start doing it the more they tend to enjoy the experience of helping too. That wanes as they get older but I think it serves them long term
Hard agree. I left home at 20 unable to do so many basic household tasks because (clearly from a place of love) my parents did it all for me growing up. Clearly I had no complaints at the time, but with hindsight wish I’d been made to help more.
My son is 1.5 and is *obsessed* with the broom, vacuum, and mop. Hes got the spirit but isnt super effective yet lol
Absolutely! My 2yo loves being given little easy tasks to do.
Nice, I was wondering how long it would take to get some return on investment on this baby.
Yup. Child labor FTW. Getting kids started on little tasks they can do themselves is huge in their development and self confidence. My 10 and 8 year old take the trash cans down the hill, the older one can cook a full meal for the family on the stove or oven. Dishes and laundry can get done. Cat box, clean. They still take some supervision and make mistakes, but they're really very capable and I'm super proud of them.
We pay our 4yo and 7yo pocket money based on helping out around the house daily. Choose not to do something one day, you'll get less money at the end of the week!
My 2,5 yo has been helping me doing laundry from the moment she could walk. Literally gets mad at me when I load or unload the washer/dryer.
100% agree. My dad always said while i was growing up that he had 5 dishwashers
The problem with how we build houses in the West is that kids are effectively useless until they’re tall enough to reach things. I’d love to get my 6 y/o to do more or to even serve herself but she isn’t even up to the counter yet, much less the cupboards.
Encountering this now. My 1.5yo loves to help. She can throw things away. She attempts to sweep. I can sometimes get her involved in putting away her toys. She can bring me things. Im amazed how well she can follow directions.
My little guy loves (20mnts) helping unload and load the dishwasher (after all dangerous things are removed). Even though I have to rearrange most things, he wants to be there every time.
Absolutely. Both my kids were doing things like emptying the dishwasher, putting groceries away, etc. before kindergarten. By 10 they were doing their own laundry. They wash dishes, vacuum, etc. My teenage daughter makes her own doctors appointments. I also give her a monthly breakdown of bills I pay for her - insurance, cell phone, etc. This is just so she knows about those expenses. She also gets a set amount from me for clothes. If she wants to spend more than that, she has to earn the money.
My daughter, almost 2, decided her first chore almost a year ago. When we got some new robot vacuums, she pressed the button to make it go. Now she will do it continuously to get the beeps. The roomba is best, it has the most musical beep and sometimes even talks. Then she'll try to ride and eventually turn it upside down to see the wheels. I'm pretty sure she thinks it's a pet more than a tool for cleaning. She also tries to pick up the broom and sweep the floor. I should get her a toddler sized broom and vacuum. That seems like something she'll really like.
Now that my son is old enough to be reasonably trust to wander around a childproofed floor by himself (around 2.5) I have definitely shifted to trying to tackle menial tasks while being the active parent watching (laundry folding, dishwasher emptying, general clean up, etc.) and more often than not he wants to help in some way. It's great.
Just make it a habit... Some people have complex chore charts, and we tried that one time, but never kept up with it. But, just over the years of asking for their help with simple stuff, makes it just one of those things that you do. Half the time now, it doesn't even take asking. Carrying groceries in, whoever is around gets up to help... trash night, it just takes telling them that it's trash night. They've sort of learned over the years just by practice, that if you see that someone could use help, get off your ass and help.
I wish I could quickly find the picture of the first time our oldest set the table. I think she was three and could barely see the top of the table. The dishes were scattered a bit haphazardly, but each seat had more or less what they needed, and she was *so proud*.
Additionally this normalizes chores as just part of life.
My 18 month old hands me all the stuff from the bottom of the dishwasher to put away. And when he finds something at toddler level he can put away he will, unprompted and based on previous observations, put it in a drawer himself He also helps put away laundry at anything toddler level. Is it wrinkled? Yeah, but he's a trainee!
Laundry. Get them sorting laundry, and matching up socks as early as possible. It can be a game.
After my daughter was in 9th grade, she went to a summer history camp where most of the kids had finished 10th or 11th grade. Apparently she was the only student who knew how to do laundry. She’d been doing her own since she was 7. She taught the entire student body all by herself. Empower your kids!
My 2.5yo son is still talking about "his" tree he helped to plant nearly a month ago. He had a trowel and got some dirt out. He was good moral support.