Chores

It may seem silly to have a 2 year old, with Ds, who just started walking, to help with chores and work around the house, but I did it for my other kids and why should she get off the hook!

Of course, Aubrey's chores are modified, but we remind the kids frequently that this family that we are in is a TEAM and that we all pitch in to do things and not just mom and dad doing everything...which means that to make it FAIR (because we all know that everything in life is fair:), Aubrey has to help out too!

Dishes:  Aubrey helps me empty the dishwasher when she is around and I'm doing it.  I take all the heavy or breakables out of the bottom rack and then she hands the rest of it to me one by one and I stack them on the counter.  She also helps me with the silverware, taking it out of the basket and handing each piece to me one by one.

We have a rolling cart with three drawers for the kid cups, bowls and plates.  Sometimes I will hand Aubrey one cup/bowl/plate at a time and she will put them into the drawers for me.  I haven't started leaving the drawers closed to see if she can "match" yet, but hope to soon in the future.  They are just a little sticky and she has troubles opening them.

Laundry:  She loves the laundry room and frequently shuts herself in there:)  When I've sorted clothes into piles, I put one in front of the washer (we have front loaders) and Aubrey puts all the clothes into the washing machine.  She is pretty good and only needs a little help sometimes.  She is also very good at taking the wet stuff out and handing it to me, so that I can put it into the dryer.

Folding, she isn't so good at, but she loves to have a whole pile of dish towels or wash clothes to "try" and fold.  Soon...very soon...she'll get the hang of the half fold and then I've really got a helper:)  But for now she just enjoys jumping in the piles (think pile of fall leaves and you'll see the enjoyment:).

Clothes:  She is better at taking things OUT of drawers and piling them up on the floor, but we are working on the putting things INTO the drawers...unfolded yes, but the smile she gets from having actually put it into the drawer and slammed it shut is priceless.

I do let her help me fill the diaper basket when it is empty, and she loves that.

Do these chores take me three times as long when she is helping?  ABSOLUTELY!  Can she do the chores? ABSOLUTELY!  Are we proud of her and she of herself?  ABSOLUTELY!

I've learned that I can't underestimate her, just because she is smaller or is taking longer in some developmental areas...I just need to adjust things to her level and continue to push her to new levels.  I'm sure that my other girls were doing much more at 2, but she'll get there and I do believe that she is working harder at 2 than they ever did!