My Toddler’s “Chores”
While I love my child and would do anything for him, I love teaching him to do these small things around the house. I strongly believe that chores teach discipline and will help him build a sense of responsibility. With that being said, I am aware that he is only two years old. This list is just what we are doing to help him learn as he grows. He got a play vacuum for his birthday and he LOVES to get it out and follow me around as I vacuum!
Lets break these down…
Make the bed - I do not expect my 2 year old to make sure the covers are neatly pulled up and the pillows exactly how they go. When he makes his bed it usually just means he is making sure all of his pillows and stuffed animals are out of the floor and laying at the top or against the part that sits up against his wall. Does this happen every day? No. Does he get in trouble if he does not complete this task? No. He does it because he loves to help and he loves to be praised for doing a good job!
Put away dirty clothes and shoes - His dirty clothes basket is at the bottom of his closet so he can access it easily. His closet door has a shoe organizer hanging over it with his casual shoes where he can reach them so he can get them out and put them away. He enjoys doing this because he is independent and he loves that they are his things to take care of.
Help mom unload the dishwasher- I make sure knives and anything heavy are removed first, and then he proceeds to hand me everything out of the dishwasher. He loves doing this! It’s never something I have ask him to do. He walked up to the dishwasher while I was unloading it one morning and loved handing me everything so he has done it ever since!
Clean up toys- 60 percent of the time, this is something that gets done after he goes to bed, while he’s napping, or if we are in a hurry. However, since he likes to jump from one toy to the next we are trying to teach him to clean up one area before moving on to get other toys out. I try to keep his toys organized, mostly for my benefit but also because it makes it easy for him when he helps put away his toys.
Brush your teeth- We have made this an important task for him so that it’s not something we have to fight him on! He especially likes brushing his teeth at the same time as his dad and I do.
All that to say, your child doesn’t have to be older to start teaching them responsibility. It will look different at every age. I expect this list to change over the next few years, but I am thankful that we have started here and that he is learning and growing confident in his ability to complete these tasks! Let me know below what things you have your children help with at home!
