Busy? Need some help around the house? Ask a toddler:
When you’re leading such a busy life, it’s easy to just do everything yourself sometimes. It’s quicker and it gets done just the way you like. But what is that really teaching your toddler? Even allowing just the smallest tasks our toddlers are capable of helps build their self-esteem, teaches self-help skills and encourages their independence.
Stephanie Brown lists some household chores even your two-year old (and older) may be able to do:
For every task listed here, remember to start with many examples of how to perform the chore before you allow your child to participate. Don’t expect perfection either and resist the urge to scold your child or correct the work that he did. There’s plenty of time for that later when your child is more competent at the task and has more confidence. What you want to focus on now is rewarding your child’s effort.
Remember: safety first!
Read Brown’s list of chores at About.com here. This is a good one:
Toddlers are beginning to show their love of classification and categorization. Start with just whites and colors and later work up to other variations like dark colors and light colors. You can make it a little easier with laundry baskets that are also white or colored.