teaching your children responsibility at a young age is important. i am a firm believer that we should let them help whenever they ask, even if it means that it will take twice as long or create a bigger mess than if we did it ourselves. kids love to watch and mimic what they see. when they see us cooking, folding the laundry, sweeping the floor, making a bed, etc... they will usually ask "can i help?" let the answer be "yes." it teaches them to contribute and responsibility.
all of my kids contribute in their own way, even sailor who is just thirteen months old. birdie likes to wash windows, wipe down the counters and clean the bathroom mirrors. using the spray bottle is definitely her favorite part. she gets to spray three times and then clean it off with a rag. this is so much fun for her.
she also likes to walk frances, our pug. every morning as soon as she wakes up, she zooms downstairs and pulls on her sweater, hat and boots so she can take frances outside to potty. she has declared it "her job" and gets excited every single time.
sailor loves to sweep. sure, he isn't actually sweeping the dirt off the floor, but he is still contributing in his own way. once he's a little bigger we will teach him how to sweep properly, but he sees us sweep and is doing his best to help out.
the big kids are big contributors because they are older. they switch off with kitchen duty every other day. kitchen duty includes loading and unloading the dishwasher and wiping down the counters. milla feeds and waters frances and waters the plants. julian takes out the garbage and breaks down boxes for recycling. they also switch off cleaning the living room and family room each day including sweeping the floor and vacuuming the rugs. i've got some good little helpers around here.
when kids feel like they are contributing and doing their part, they are happier, feel confident and learn responsibility. here are some good age appropriate ways for kids to contribute around the house.
1-3 years old
pick up toys and put them where they go.
help sort laundry into piles by color.
organize shoes.
hanging clothes on hooks.
putting plastic and paper into the recycling bin.
3-6 years old
set the table.
help with preparing meals.
help with grocery shopping and putting groceries away.
help folding jeans and matching socks.
walking the dog.
washing windows and mirrors.
7 years old and up
water the plants.
load and unload the dishwasher.
take out the trash.
folding laundry.
sweeping and mopping.
vacuuming rugs.
cleaning bathrooms.
pulling weeds in the yard and raking leaves.
the most important part of teaching our children to contribute and responsibility is to give them praise. make sure to say "good job" after they complete a task. they will feel so good and proud of themselves!
we use a lot of honest products in our household. the multi-surface cleaner, the bathroom cleaner, the dishwasher pods and laundry pods, the hand soap and hand sanitizer. all of these products are non-toxic and kid friendly, so you don't have to worry about harsh chemicals. of course supervision with small children is a must when using any cleaning agent.
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p.s. i want to add that birdie LOVES the honest kid's toothpaste. this girl would seriously brush her teeth all day long if she could and she's picky with her toothpaste. we'll be stocking up over here.
*this post was sponsored by honest co. thank you for supporting the sponsors that make bleubird possible.
