I was so glad I read this article the other day. I’m a very laid back Mama, but lately had been really frustrated by my 2 kiddos wanting to help me do dishes every day. I found myself saying things like “can’t I just do the dishes alone while you 2 play”? It took forever to get them done, they’d get water everywhere, I just wanted the darn dishes done. After reading this article I looked at the situation differently, and switched up our routine. Our sink is in an island, so I switched how we were approaching it & now they both cozy up to the sink on side-by-side chairs on one side, with me on the opposite side. Long story short, I looked at myself, and my frustration & thought “is this the Mom I really want to be?”. Of course I want to encourage them helping with any chores they can, it’s never too early to start. We’ve had similar issues over dinner prep. My Son, who will be turning 4 soon, has ALWAYS wanted to be in the kitchen with me. And some nights I’ve found myself saying the same: “I just want to get dinner ready by myself”. But you know what? At 4, he’s actually able to really, truly help with some things. He peels garlic, tears lettuce, cuts soft things like cucumbers with a butter knife. The other night, he made cucumber salad just about entirely by himself. And he really enjoys it, and even thanks me for letting him help. And he boasts to Dada with pride about the contributions he made. Establishing a love of being in the kitchen is certainly something I want to instill in my Son, so I try really, really hard to get over my desire to just get it done. So what if it takes twice as long? That’s secondary. This article really, really is a wonderful read, and I’m so glad it was shared with me. I hope you’ll take a couple minutes to read it & look at the situations in your family routine that are causing you stress in a new light.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 
Mar 03, 2015 @ 16:48:21
You’re not only instilling a love of being in the kitchen, you’re are instilling confidence in him (them). There’s nothing like a task well done, and kids quickly learn the difference between platitudes and real accomplishment, to make kids feel confident in their abilities, decisions, and it also fosters cooperation and problem solving. Well done, mama!!
LikeLike