Here is a pic of my almost 3-year-old folding laundry. Yes, I’m actually letting her do it, even with her clumsy motor skills. To her, it’s still a privilege and not a chore, so why not? This, of course, means that I must drop my standard DRASTICALLY in order to benefit from her effort, but seriously, why not?
Does my perfection in chores help her more than allowing her hand to practice? I, honestly, don’t care to spend time redoing all her work.
So I don’t.
Her daddy knows that when the towels lay wompy-jawed crammed into the cabinets that she took towel duty, and he LOVES it!
He loves that she is being trained to care for her home.
He loves that she works beside mama.
He loves that her soul is nourished with hard work at an early age.
Perspective is everything. I’m thankful she loves to help and I’m THRILLED that the older kids and I are freed from this particular chore at this particular moment. Including the little ones in daily chores will pay you back a hundred fold if you will let it.
Love those tots by valuing their help.
Give them a head start in life by allowing them to work along side you. If you catch yourself saying, “No!” when they ask to help. Stop and ask yourself, “Why?” And then answer with a resounding, “Why not?”
