Monday, June 23, 2008 Cayading: Toddlers can learn to work, too! By Trinidad Cayading Parenting Pinoy
WHEN we were stricken by the killer-earthquake in 1990, I thought life would never be the same again. And it's true! Businesses were affected. Others have to close shop. My family had to give up the businesses we put up. This was also the time I gave up maintaining a house helper for I couldn't generate enough extra money to pay for the salary.
Well, life will go on… and never in my wildest dreams to give in. So with this, I have to explain to my five kids, all boys what happened and I requested them to help me with the household chores and with the laundry. During weekends somebody had to help me in the small store which we started to re-establish and my other two sons love to help me with the laundry.
They fight for the best spot on their bar-stools and then peer into the water as if searching struck for treasures. I hand them items of clothing one at a time and they proudly hold each item up and exclaim who it belongs to as they drop it in the water: "This is Mommy's shirt! These are my pants!" You can imagine how long it takes to do this simple task with their "help!"
True, I can do the work faster myself, but letting my children help taught them how to work and also shows them that everyone needs to pitch in, in order to help a family run more smoothly. When we do laundry together, I exclaim, "Wow! You are so good at putting the clothes in the washer!" What a good little helper you are! Thank you so much for helping me do the laundry!"
Of course they absolutely beam at the praise and it also gives us a chance to spend time together in a positive way. When I wash the counters, I give each of them a little wet wash cloth and they go around washing everything in sight!
Toddlers are not too young to start helping with simple tasks around the house. They can do things like: pick up their toys when they are done playing with them, put their dirty clothes in the laundry, put their dishes in the sink (with help) and so forth.
Children should learn that work is not only necessary, but can also be fun! At this age, parents can work along with their children and can make the jobs fun by singing or playing little "clean-up" games. This can be as simple as singing fun little songs, like one from Barney: "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!"
Sometimes we have a "60-second pick up" where we set the timer and scurry around to see how many toys we can get picked up in 60 seconds. Or I will count and see how long it takes them to pick up their toy.
There is always so much work to be done around the house and sometimes it is tempting just to do the work ourselves, since we can usually do it faster and better, but it is so important to teach children the important skills of learning how to work.
It will help us in the long run and children can gain confidence in a job well done and build a strong work ethics that they can carry with them throughout their lives.
True, my children's "help" with the laundry slows me down before, but in a few short years (and everyone keeps reminding me how fast the years go) they will be able to do their own laundry!
A few years after that, they will move and I won't have any giggling mouths or chubby little fingers dropping dirty socks one by one into the washing machine. So for now I will embrace the help and today, my little grandchild will sit perched on a bar-stool nearby and ask the beloved question, "Can I help?"
Have a blessed Sunday, to parents and grandparents out there!
