As parents it is our job to make sure our kids grow up to be responsible citizens of society, part of that is teaching them the value of hard work. One of the best ways to teach this is through giving your child chores during the week. Even your little ones can help around the house. The younger you start, the easier it will be, but don’t worry kids can learn to work at any age, so if you haven’t started yet, it’s ok, they just might fight you a little harder on it at first. Kids don’t want to clean any more than you do, but it is an important thing for them to learn. Try to make it fun along the way. Be sure to keep things age appropriate, your 18 month old can help pick up her toys but don’t expect her to be able to mop the floor right away. Here are some ideas to help get your little one started.
The next time you are doing laundry let your 2 year old match the socks together. It’s great practice in matching and helps prepare them for school. While you’re doing laundry they can practice taking clothes into the right rooms too. The clothes may not stay quite as nicely folded as they were to begin with, but at least they are practicing helping around the house. This is also a great time to teach them to put their clothes in the dirty clothes hamper, a skill you definitely want them to practice now while their little, the older they get, the harder it seems to be to get them to walk across the room to do it.
Your preschooler can easily help you set the dinner table, just be careful not to use your best china, it may end up in pieces before the night is through. They can also help you water the flowers in the summer. You could also have them wipe down the cupboards with a rag or clean the windows with a spray bottle full of water.
As they get a little older you can teach them how to fold their clothes and make their bed. They can even sweep and mop the floor for you. Things likely won’t be as clean as if Mommy did them, but they are learning the value of hard work, which is more important than having a perfectly clean house anyway.