As a parent I believe responsibility is important from a young age. Young children, and in particular toddlers, tend not to see chores as work but as helpful play.By getting toddlers into the habit of performing chores, you can foster a sense of responsibility that will grow with them as they get older.
Here are 5 simple chores that will not only help with your child’s development but will help you around the house too!
Tidy Away Toys
How often do children start playing with a number of their toys, create an almighty mess and then leave that mess behind them when they get distracted or drawn to other activities? By encouraging children to clean away their toys when they are finished playing with them, you will not only have a much tidier house, but you are teaching your toddlers an important lesson about their responsibilities.
Tidy Up Their Room
The sooner that children understand their bedroom is their responsibility, the better! Toddlers can learn that their shoes go in one place, toy and books in another, their clean clothes stay in their wardrobe and their dirty clothes go in the laundry basket.
For an added bonus this cute Toy Dyson Ball Vacuum actually picks up some debris from the floor! It will make your toddler feel like they are really cleaning their room.
Help with the Dishes
One brilliant way of introducing chores to toddlers is by giving them their own cupboard space in the kitchen where they can keep their own plates, cups and cutlery. This not only allows children to help put away their own dishes when they are cleaned, but can lead to children learning to set their own place at the table for meals.
My kids also love to clear the table when they're finished eating, it gives them a sense of being helpful and being proud of their accomplishments.
Help with the Laundry
Most of my friends can't believe that the kids know how to do their own laundry. They don't always do it on their own but when they have to they know how to do it.Teach your toddlers the basics about how to wash clothes (note that they should never have access to any cleaning products directly), how to hang them up to dry and how to fold them and put them away in a wardrobe.
Teach your toddlers the basics about how to wash clothes (note that they should never have access to any cleaning products directly), how to hang them up to dry and how to fold them and put them away in a wardrobe.
Gardening
For those parents who have a vegetable garden, or perhaps even an indoor plant, put your toddler in charge of watering a section of plants! Not only does it enable them to take responsibility but they will how their vegetables grow and they can eventually eat them. This is an excellent way to introduce science to them and encourage a life-long love of learning.
The kids have both used a [easyazon_link keywords=”responsibility chart” locale=”US” tag=”reamom0b-20″]responsibility chart[/easyazon_link] to remember their chores and keep on track. They love how they can track their progress and get excited when they have a successful week.
What chores do your toddlers do around the house?