Confession: sometimes right after I have cleaned my house, I make sure the next day or two Corbyn and I have lots planned away from the house. I love having a clean home but with a two and a half year old tornado I find myself constantly trying to pick up and maintain my spotless house.
But I've decided it shouldn't be this way, I shouldn't fear his mess but tap into his "I want to be like mommy" attitude. He is more than capable of helping mommy and most of the time is willing, especially when it means turning on the vaccuum or using a spray bottle. Here are a list of Corbyn's chores that help mommy stay sane and teach him how to help around the house.
Pick up toys and books: After playtime we put on some music and put all the toys he was playing with away. He has a place for everything whether it be a box, bin, or parking spot for his tricycle so he knows where everything goes.
Pick up dirty clothes: When we take his clothes off he throws them into his laundry bin and when its time to do the laundry he pushes the bin into the laundry room and tosses them into the washer.
Carry and put away groceries: At the store he helps me pick out all the produce and snacky foods and when we get home he likes to carry them in and can even put them away. I try to always put things in the same places so he knows exactly where mommy wants them.
Feed the dogs: He is bossy so we allow him to be bossy with the dogs. He lets them in, makes them sit, scoops the food and pours it into their bowls. I think it gives him a sense of ownership and respect for the dogs.
Clean up "big" messes: There are certain regular activities that always seem to make a mess at our house, for example: playdoh, painting, baking, even snack time, but instead of just letting him walk away we have been asking him to get out the vaccuum or grab a wet paper towel and help clean up the mess. He is really good at using the vaccuum hose.
Dust: I spray his rag and let him go at the furniture. I will even let him spray the Pledge if I am standing right there, which is by far his favorite part. Warning though, the other day he wanted to help so he went to get a whole glass of water and poured it on the coffee table "cleaning it" when mom wasn't looking. We then had to have a conversation that you only clean when mommy is watching and you have to use special cleaning stuff.
Do the dishes: I give him a couple plastic dishes that I've already sort of cleaned and let him wash and dry them, he is all for doing this because of the water! What is with kids and water obsession?
Corbyn loves being mommy's big helper so I am going to try to teach him and capitalize on his excitement when I can, hopefully establishing some good habits. Happy Cleaning!
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