Little ones love to be near you and be involved in whatever you are doing, as I'm sure you've noticed. Instead of waiting until nap time to get something done, why not ask your toddler for some help? You can get check something off your To Do List and your child will be learning about real life activities, engaging in meaningful conversations (verbal or not), and making important observations and connections that will benefit them throughout their development.
Chores Your Toddler Can Help You With
* Unloading Dishwasher
* Laundry
* Gardening
* Putting groceries away
* Cooking
* Dusting
* Washing dishes
* Rinsing fruits and vegetables
* Watering plants
* Sweeping
To help with these important jobs, you need to rethink they way you go about them. Instead of trying to quickly wash the dishes and do the laundry while your little one naps, relax and have a cup of coffee. Think of your chores as activities to do and a means of entertainment, not something you need to rush through.
I'll use laundry as an example. I have a bench near the washer where O stands and I hand him pieces of clothing and he drops them inside. The first time he helped, he almost instinctively knew that they had to be all the way in and if there was a pant leg sticking out, he would make sure to shove every last piece. When it comes to the dryer I put the basket of wet clothes in front of the dryer and he takes them out, one by one, and puts them inside. Its a great time for conversation about colors and how things feel, their weights, and labeling articles of clothing.
Normally, you'd be shoving the clothes in as fast as possible to get on to the next thing but take it slow and realize what an opportunity is to share this meaningful time.
Here are some pictures of O helping with the laundry on vacation. (The set up is different then our house so I was handing him the laundry piece by piece).
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