Preschoolers And Chores

If you have ever tried to clean up around your house with a preschooler in tow you probably know how eager they are to "help". Often their version of helping means getting in the way, but their desire to do what the grown-ups are doing, including cleaning, is quite endearing. With a little gentle guidance and help you can let your preschooler step up without worrying too much about the mess they are making in the process.

Simple chores that do not require much are good tasks to begin with. Wiping down tables, dusting low furniture, and putting toys away are easy tasks that can make your preschooler feel like a big help without you needing to worry about what they are doing. You can also show your preschooler how to remake their bed in the morning, put away clothes in a dresser drawer, and place plates and silverware at the table for meal times. In my house we bought a Bissel Perfect Sweep Dual Brush Sweeper  that both the toddler and the preschooler can push around to pick up crumbs from the floor. It does a great job of keeping the floor clean and putting a huge smile on my helper's face.

With a little help you can also recruit your preschooler into helping with bigger chores. Invest in a sturdy, safe step stool and your preschooler can help wash dirty plates and cups, put dirty clothes into the washing machine, or even help with some food preparation. Use your own judgment about what your young child is ready for or not, however do not be afraid to let your preschooler try something new if they are eager to help. You may be surprised by how much a preschooler really can do. Letting your preschooler help out more and more will increase their sense of independence that they will need as they grow older.

For parents with preschoolers ready to begin helping out more around the house there are two notes of caution that they should know.

• You will have to lower your expectations of how well some things are done. A sticky spot may be left behind on the table, socks may be put into the wrong drawer, and they may become distracted by a toy while put away their things. If you want your preschooler to continue to help you should be very careful about correcting their cleaning. If they are beaming with pride about the job they have done simply smile. You can finish the cleaning or correct their mistakes when they are no longer around. Preschoolers can be very emotional and crushing their pride may only result in making them never want to help again. If you do need to correct them on their task do so in a way that lets them know you are proud of what they have done and the effort they made.
• Some parents may feel tempted to begin assigning their preschoolers chores based on what is traditional for their gender. Young children should be given a broad range of activities and experiences as they grow. If your son wants to help with dishes or cooking or your daughters wants to help carry out trash and help in the yard there is no reason why they should not be allowed to.