Any parent of any unruly youngster that resents doing just about any chores can confirm how frustrating it is usually in an attempt to convince a stubborn youngster to try and do what they are told. A particular preventative answer to this problem is fairly simple – begin handing children chores years earlier! Small children, most notably toddlers, usually do not see chores as work rather as helpful play. By having toddlers get into a habit of performing chores, it is possible to foster a feeling of expectation that will grow along with them as they get older. Understanding that, here I will discuss 5 simple chores which will not only aid with your child’s development and often will assist you in 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 they their room is their responsibility, the better! An untidy room leads to dirty clothes being worn twice, clean clothes being unnecessarily washed and important items going missing just when you need them! Toddlers should know that their shoes go in one place, their clean clothes stay in their wardrobe and their dirty clothes go in the laundry basket.
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.
Help with the Laundry
The number of young adults that end up moving out of home for the first time without the first clue about how to wash their clothes is truly frightening! 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 garden, or perhaps even an indoor plant, charging your toddler with the responsibility of watering a section of plants is a fantastic way of keeping them active and encouraging an interest in science! Toddlers who learn that plants need to be watered regularly to keep them alive quickly learn about the responsibilities of care and this lesson works well with toddlers who will eventually go on to look after pets.