Having a large family is a lot of work. I don’t even really
consider our family to be that big yet, but currently we have 21 mouths to feed
in a day (7 people x 3 meals), 14 shoes to find when it’s time to go, 140
nails to clip, 1-2 daily baskets of laundry to wash and fold, and at least 14
diapers/pull-ups to change every day (and that’s about to increase by a LOT
with Baby due in February).
Not so very long ago we were exhausted just trying to care
for the basic needs of 5 very young children. To give you an idea of how well I
was keeping up, after a visit one day a friend commented that the state of my
house inspired her to go home and clean her own LOL! It was bad. As soon as I
got one room clean I turned around to find the babies had destroyed another. It
felt like shoveling the sidewalk in the middle of a blizzard – futile and
pretty ridiculous to even attempt.
Over the last few months, things have gotten MUCH easier. The
older the kids get the more they are able to help. There are still lots of
times when I feel like I’m in that blizzard shoveling snow again, but we have a
pretty good routine down these days and most
of the time it feels like we’re at least treading water.
Training kids from a young age to help with housework is so
important. Not only is it a necessary part of teaching them to be independent
adults, but it’s the only practical way of keeping a large family going. In the
beginning, teaching them to do chores is more work for us, but by the time they
are 4-5 years old they start to become true assets in keeping the house running
smoothly.
You cannot do everything, nor should you. Kids enjoy helping
and are capable of a lot more than most people give them credit for. Take
advantage of their eager hands and willing hearts!
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| Not perfect, but still helpful! |
1-2 Year Olds
At this stage most of their “chores” are about learning
self-care and independence. As soon as our babies can crawl we start teaching
them to put their toys away. When they start walking, they love to throw their
own diapers in the garbage and their dirty clothes in the hamper.
Toddlers follow me around all day with their own little broom and dust cloth. They thrive off of “helping” and think they’re pretty big stuff when they do things like throw silverware in the drawer (I go behind them and straighten the drawer later).
Toddlers follow me around all day with their own little broom and dust cloth. They thrive off of “helping” and think they’re pretty big stuff when they do things like throw silverware in the drawer (I go behind them and straighten the drawer later).
For babies and toddlers, play is their work. We encourage lots of free play and provide toys that look like real work – play kitchens, toolboxes, and baby dolls. They LOVE to imitate adults at work, and that is great training for doing “real” chores.
3-4 Year Olds
By the time our kids are 3 years old they are doing regularly assigned chores like:
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| Even Baby can help |
- Fold towels and washcloths
- Unload the dryer
- Help unload the dishwasher
- Pick up and tidy the main rooms
- Empty small trash cans
- Strip bedding and drag it to the laundry room
- Set the table
- Wipe the table/highchairs
- Bring me diapers and wipes/fresh clothes for the baby
Our kids still need a lot of supervision at this age. They
need to be taught and retaught and REtaught how to do their tasks completely
and efficiently. But this age is also a lot of fun because they are so very
proud of themselves when they are able to accomplish a “big kid” chore.
5-6 Year Olds
At 5-6 years old, kids start to become incredibly helpful. We no longer have to follow them around correcting every chore they do. We can send them to fold a basket of laundry and have confidence that it will be folded and put away properly. No, they aren’t able to complete tasks to the same standard as an adult. Some of our towels turn out looking more like chewed up gumballs than freshly folded laundry, but when I get over my OCD tendencies I really appreciate that I have WAY less work to do now that Monkey1 and Monkey2 are older. They are able to:
- Unload the whole dishwasher except for things that belong out of their reach (I unload the knives before they start)
- Fold and put away 1-2 baskets of laundry
- Load the washer
- Make beds
- Vacuum carpets and rugs
- Do a better job of wiping the table
- Sweep the kitchen, bathrooms, and under the dining room table
- Clean the tub, sinks, and bathroom mirrors (with a vinegar/water solution or just Norwex rags I can let them loose in the bathroom and not worry about them getting hurt)
- Fill water cups
- Help cook dinner once a week
- Help get the littles dressed and ready to go
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| A definite work in progress... |
I hope these suggestions gave you some inspiration for how your littles can help around the house. Most importantly, teach your children: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord not for men" (Colossians 3:23)
By the way! Have you heard of www.education.com? They have some really great resources for teachers that I just discovered. If you're a homeschooler, you'll definitely want to check out their plethora of material.
Warm up your child's subtraction facts with this squirrel themed worksheet! Be sure to check out Education.com for more subtraction practice.
By the way! Have you heard of www.education.com? They have some really great resources for teachers that I just discovered. If you're a homeschooler, you'll definitely want to check out their plethora of material.
Warm up your child's subtraction facts with this squirrel themed worksheet! Be sure to check out Education.com for more subtraction practice.
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