This is an older, but still good post I wrote about baby sized chores when my son was about 19 months old. How much time has flown! He'll be three soon. Looking back and reading through this let me see how far he's come in helping to keep the house up, an "everyone" job in our home. Look forward to a follow up!!
Laundry:
1. Sorting colors. Now that DB has his colors down really well, this is a
great one. We also use it as an opportunity to remember types of
clothes.
2. Moving wet clothes to the dryer. We have a top loading washer and a
front loading dryer, I hand him a few pieces at a time and he tosses
them in for me.
3. Handing me Hangers. before putting clothes away, I put a pile of
empty hangers out in the floor, and get the laundry basket a good 8 to
10 feet away so he has to go a little way to get them. He enjoys
bringing me one at a time, and it keeps him busy enough that he's not
unfolding all the folded items. (which was his hobby before I invented
this one)
Floors:
4. Using the vacuum attachment to get under sofas, in the cushions, and
around window sills if they are reachable. My son loves the vacuum, so
this is a big treat for him, but not for all kids, some may not like the
noise.
5. For hard floors, wiping down the baseboards. When in doubt, hand them
a damp washcloth. I show him where I like help cleaning and he cleans
it, mostly, but if it doesn't get done or he gets distracted and starts
wiping down everything else, I don't mind. I got time to get the floor
swept/mopped and a few things got semi wiped down. Win win!
Bathroom:
6. Damp washcloth again, I ask him to wipe down his training potty
(since I've already cleaned it because that's just how I am, he doesn't need to
be thorough), walls, and cabinets. just enough time for me to do a quick
commode scrub, vinegar on the faucets, and a mirror shine. Then he can
help me when I start on the tub, me with a magic eraser or vinegar, him with his
damp cloth. **If I'm using
the magic tub spray, I do this alone, it can stink like crazy and I usually spray quickly and get out to let it work, not hang around in there with a toddler!
Kitchen:
7. Putting away dishes. Nonbreakables, of course. I make sure there's
nothing in the lower level of the dishwasher that's breakable, and I
unlatch all the necessary cabinets and direct him where to place things
like pot lids, tupperware, dish lids, measuring cups, measuring bowls,
silicon baking pans, utensils (I lower the crock for him to put them
into). Usually I can get most of the other things put away while he's
asking questions and organizing bowls.
8. Wiping up spills. DB's learning to drink without a lid on his cup, so
he spills often. I definitely clean them up when I need to, but
usually, I hand him a cloth and ask him to wipe up. It's not a
punishment, it's just what we all have to do when we spill something. He
enjoys it, for now, and not enough to spill on purpose.
9. Simple Food Prep. DB's favorites include: mashing fruit like bananas
and mangoes, snapping fresh green beans for me, I just check for stems
as he hands me the pieces, throwing my chopped ingredients into a
pot/bowl, using a plastic butter knife, "cutting" soft things or scraps I
don't intend to use. Measuring things like rice, flour, grains, etc,
using a spoon to fill a larger measuring cup. Using coconut oil to oil a
cake pan or cookie sheet, coconut oil is perfect because we just rub it
into our hands when we're done, not washing it off like shortening,
which is yucky anyway and a pain to clean up.
Playroom/Play Area:
10. CLEAN UP! Ok, this one has to be turned into a game. When I present
an empty canvas bin, and name a particular toy or colored item, DB gets
really excited to find all of them and place them away. It works nicely.
Just focus on one thing at a time, for example, I say, "Help me stack
all the books right here, please!" and place a book on the sofa. When
all the books are put away, we highfive and start a new project, like
putting all the cars into this box or all the blocks in that bin. If the
toys are not as easily categorized, I put a box out for green toys, and
after he finds them all, I sort them more finely. It's the principal
that matters, learning to clean up our messes.
Remember, plenty of Thank You's, and keep it fun, specific, and simple.
As long as it's a game, it's building positive responses to doing small
housework. It's laying a foundation for the future. They're still
babies, don't sweat it too much. :) Have fun with your new cleaning
buddies!
What chores do your babies, tots, and older kids do around the house?
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