Believe me when I say, I’m not or at least no longer one of
those parents who think that your kid or toddler should be off screen or that you should be that super parent that always has some cool activity
for your children at all times. One, not all parents can afford to bring their
children out to activities and two, screen time in moderation will not harm your
children in my opinion. What I do love that we do at home with our kids which
helped in both of those departments is actually involving them in our daily chores and activities. From cleaning, to making coffee, or cooking. This is great if you
are in toddler stage right around 15-18months, where they’re always craving for something to touch or do
or see and always are craving for your positive attention as well.
My daughter right when she turned 1yo suddenly showed interest in everything I did. She also
started all sorts of ways to get my attention and was super clingy! I immediately
had to make my adjustments at home or not much will be done. Also, when you’re
a parent who is mostly alone with the kids (Jeb and my schedules are
interchanged, I’m home and he’s not or he’s home and I’m not), you want to be
able to do as much as if there’s someone else home with you. You can certainly find
ways to maximize your time at home with the kids.
We started letting Isla help us out, “play” with what I play
with around 15months, which is my son's current age. He is now helping with closing the dishwasher door for me or opening a drawer if I need something, smaller things for younger ages and grows as they grow older. If I’m cleaning, they're cleaning with me, if I’m washing dishes, my daughter is right there with me too! Even when I’m home working, she’s “working” (playing with
her toy laptop) too. Something so simple as letting her put forks and spoons in
the dishwasher, letting her give me a hand in putting laundry in the basket, or
letting her press the microwave buttons to heat my coffee allows you to have
the following:
1.
Bond- you’re doing it together! What better way
to bond than actually doing an activity together. Not just you and your child
in one room, but you and your child helping each other, learning together,
adjusting to each other. With your every “thank you” and “good job!”, he/she
will feel so good being appreciated.
2.
Teach- you can count spoons and forks while
putting them in the dishwasher; you can teach them open/close, inside/outside,
top/under concepts while doing these too! If you’re doing laundry, colors are there, teach and practice it and again don’t forget to say your thank you’s and remind
them they’re doing a good job! This also teaches you the most difficult thing
to learn specially in parenting…PATIENCE!
3.
Play- keep every activity fun! Laugh, do “spoon
cheers”, fastest one to put the shirt in the bin …everything is play with a
toddler!
4.
Accomplish- yes, you probably could’ve done this
faster if you hadn’t allowed her to play with you but you still got it done and
with all the other 3 benefits mentioned above, you accomplished the chore and
more!
One other minor benefit I also found is that it gave me less
excuses to have the kids use my phone or TV to occupy them when I’m doing
chores since they’re doing it with me. Of course, not to say I don’t take
advantage of that great benefit of gadgets, I still do use them when I want
things done faster due to timing. Those who know
my kids know and will see that they love playing with mops, brooms, they’ll go
to you if you’re washing dishes to help, wipe tables, water the plants, feed the
dog etc. So already now at their young age, they’ve already grabbed the concept
of helping, of being polite and of tidying up. Other things you can do, let
them dust when you’re dusting, allow them to hold the broom after you’re done,
allow them to water the plants, help giving your pet a bath. That’s really play
for them more than it is a chore. You’ll also see that they’ll love the fact that they’re doing
something with mommy or daddy. That’s an accomplishment for me, I taught them something
good, something useful, something they may not necessarily learn from school
but will be useful for them elsewhere. I
couldn’t be prouder that my two-year-old knows how to put her toys back in bins
(most of the time not all times), that if I tell her to put her cup in the
sink, she knows it and does it with no complaints, that she knows to care for
our dog. For how long will she actually enjoy these, well…who knows! But I’m
sure if I keep at it, maybe the fun will end, but the benefits will reap!
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