I'd already been teaching Kittyboy how to load silverware in the dishwasher, and put it away when it's clean. He also could gather his laundry, and put away his clean clothes (the putting away, sorta kinda).
Well, now he does a lot more. He can gather his laundry and the bathroom laundry in one hamper, and dump that hamper into the washing machine. He can empty the dryer into a basket and bring me the basket. He can sort out his clothing from everything else. He even can SORT OF can fold his own clothing.
I had been thinking to teach him the microwave. It's on his level, and I could tell him a few minutes before getting up to start dinner, "Please put two potatoes in for so many minutes," that kind of thing - then I thought good and hard about how much easier DON'T TOUCH is than "Touch only when/how I tell you to." Now, I've had him stir at the stove before, but the radiating heat is an un-ignorable reminder to take care, and the microwave would appear deceptively safe by comparison, and that could lead to carelessness. He's good at stirring, and careful. And were I to put a pan on the stove for soup, sit at the table chopping ingrediants, and have him on a chair putting what I chop into the pan, I'm still the one setting up, turning on the stove, and he can't reach the burner controls. Letting him add and stir, that doesn't remove a Flat-Out Prohibition on anything. But the microwave.......... A little knowlege could be a disastrous thing. No microwave yet.
But he could sweep, at least spot-sweep with a dust broom. He's learning how to load dishes other that silverware, and a few days ago, insisted that he could put in the soap - "Oh, let me, let me!" as he ran to get the box. I helped. Had he been a puppy, he would have been wagging his tail!
I'm guessing four is an age where being a Big Helper is REALLY fun, and it's not so much "work". That would make this the perfect age to train!
And he's plenty strong enough to haul a full (and full-size) clothes hamper, lift his half-size one over his head to dump in the washer, and carry garbage bags to the front door. May as well use those muscles to the max!
Well, now he does a lot more. He can gather his laundry and the bathroom laundry in one hamper, and dump that hamper into the washing machine. He can empty the dryer into a basket and bring me the basket. He can sort out his clothing from everything else. He even can SORT OF can fold his own clothing.
I had been thinking to teach him the microwave. It's on his level, and I could tell him a few minutes before getting up to start dinner, "Please put two potatoes in for so many minutes," that kind of thing - then I thought good and hard about how much easier DON'T TOUCH is than "Touch only when/how I tell you to." Now, I've had him stir at the stove before, but the radiating heat is an un-ignorable reminder to take care, and the microwave would appear deceptively safe by comparison, and that could lead to carelessness. He's good at stirring, and careful. And were I to put a pan on the stove for soup, sit at the table chopping ingrediants, and have him on a chair putting what I chop into the pan, I'm still the one setting up, turning on the stove, and he can't reach the burner controls. Letting him add and stir, that doesn't remove a Flat-Out Prohibition on anything. But the microwave.......... A little knowlege could be a disastrous thing. No microwave yet.
But he could sweep, at least spot-sweep with a dust broom. He's learning how to load dishes other that silverware, and a few days ago, insisted that he could put in the soap - "Oh, let me, let me!" as he ran to get the box. I helped. Had he been a puppy, he would have been wagging his tail!
I'm guessing four is an age where being a Big Helper is REALLY fun, and it's not so much "work". That would make this the perfect age to train!
And he's plenty strong enough to haul a full (and full-size) clothes hamper, lift his half-size one over his head to dump in the washer, and carry garbage bags to the front door. May as well use those muscles to the max!
posted from Bloggeroid
1 comment:
My kids are five years apart (I can't remember how old Kittyboy is) and that was one of the things I loved about the spacing. When my hands were full of baby, I could tell him, "get yourself a bowl of cereal" or other simple things like that.
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