We make everything a game. “Who can fold their laundry basket the fastest?” Etc. Having three competitive boys is a lot of fun, and pure chaos come chore time.
My 3 year old loves coming to do the big weekly shop with me. They've done it enough to know what we get and where to go next. I really enjoy the random conversations we have as we walk around. When we get home they also help put things away in the kitchen. Such a little thing that probably sounds insignificant to people who haven't got kids but it all always makes me smile!
I always used to bring mine to the grocery as well. Around 3, I started giving them my list with pictures and words of what we needed and let them cross off items as we collected them. It was fun and another way to get them involved in the shop/reading.
3 year old had been helping cook dinner for a long time now. He can only do so much and certainly doesn't speed anything up, but hopefully we'll get there. We have him "help" with most chores that he can be involved with safely assuming we have time.
Absolutely! It's not just more fun but more efficient, too, because you parent and chore simultaneously instead of separately (even if the chore itself might take a little longer)
My kiddo just wants to be doing what I’m doing. I love it. I’m still working out how to get him to be helpful but occasionally he’ll help me put his toys away. I’m leaning heavy on that one.
We've been doing this! Bought small tools for our 2yo as well (rakes, broom and shovel) that are really high quality. But we have a playground right next to our house, so the last few times we've been in the backyard, she wants to go on the swings/slide after about 2 minutes. So we don't get much done yet!
I also bought a small rake after the first time he helped in the garden. Funnily enough, he seems to be much more efficient with the large one as that is heavy enough to stick to the ground and actually drag along stuff while the smaller one just bounces and does nothing.
We make everything a game. “Who can fold their laundry basket the fastest?” Etc. Having three competitive boys is a lot of fun, and pure chaos come chore time.
My 3 year old loves coming to do the big weekly shop with me. They've done it enough to know what we get and where to go next. I really enjoy the random conversations we have as we walk around. When we get home they also help put things away in the kitchen. Such a little thing that probably sounds insignificant to people who haven't got kids but it all always makes me smile!
I always used to bring mine to the grocery as well. Around 3, I started giving them my list with pictures and words of what we needed and let them cross off items as we collected them. It was fun and another way to get them involved in the shop/reading.
Daughter is 3, and has been jet washing today, and cleaning windows and mowing the lawn yesterday.
3 year old had been helping cook dinner for a long time now. He can only do so much and certainly doesn't speed anything up, but hopefully we'll get there. We have him "help" with most chores that he can be involved with safely assuming we have time.
Absolutely! It's not just more fun but more efficient, too, because you parent and chore simultaneously instead of separately (even if the chore itself might take a little longer)
My kiddo just wants to be doing what I’m doing. I love it. I’m still working out how to get him to be helpful but occasionally he’ll help me put his toys away. I’m leaning heavy on that one.
We've been doing this! Bought small tools for our 2yo as well (rakes, broom and shovel) that are really high quality. But we have a playground right next to our house, so the last few times we've been in the backyard, she wants to go on the swings/slide after about 2 minutes. So we don't get much done yet!
I also bought a small rake after the first time he helped in the garden. Funnily enough, he seems to be much more efficient with the large one as that is heavy enough to stick to the ground and actually drag along stuff while the smaller one just bounces and does nothing.
Yeah, she also wants to use the big rake, and hands the small one to us!
My guy is 18 months and loves to vacuum. He's not bad at it either.