Housework seems to pile up. But, there is hope. Wouldn’t it be nice to have children that contribute around the house without being hassled? And, wouldn’t it be nice if this started as soon as our children learned to walk?

I recently read an article that highlighted several benefits of getting young children to help with housework. The last reason stated, “Most importantly, the child understands that he is part of a community (your family) and that as a member of the community, he needs to share responsibilities to keep the community going.”

We are a community. And, we do need everyone to contribute. This is exactly what we are striving for at our house.

For example, we have practiced secret submarine missions for months as a fun way to teach our boys how to help with the laundry. Our boys zoom the “secret agents” (a.k.a. dirty clothes) into the laundry room and stuff them into the “submarine” (a.k.a the front loading washing machine). Each time, we tell a different story about what mission the “secret agents” are going on. Our clothes get clean, but more importantly we are making jobs around the house fun!

This laundry game quickly became a fun routine for our boys. Recently, my husband and I watched Jackson and Will move the clothes from the washer to the dryer.  After the mission was complete, they each got a high five and an, “All right!” Both of their faces lit up!  We loved watching our boys have fun while working together to complete a task that helped our family.

The next day Will, 22-months-old, scooted his chair over to the silverware drawer. I watched as he put the silverware into the drawer, but not in the correct spots. After the job was complete, he got another high five and another, “All right!” His face lit up again. Once more, he equated helping with love.

Watching Will work on the silverware reminded me that often we train our children not to help. It was tempting for me to respond with, “No, not like that,” or “Get down from there!” And, suddenly, I would have trained Will not to help. This thought brings me to a blog I recently read. The mom wrote, “Learn to let your partner–and your kids–do their jobs creatively the way they can, not just the way you think they should.”

There is plenty of time for me to teach Will that the forks belong in the fork section. But, at 22-months, he has mastered the first step. He can put the silverware into the drawer. And, in the process, he has an opportunity to feel good about himself and his contribution to our family.

Not only do our children’s contributions reduce our workload (although, in the short term it takes longer when we let our children help!), these contributions are also invaluable for our children’s development.  Our children learn important life lessons, while at the same time they learn how to be an important part of a group.

So, here is to giving up some of the control, to making contributions FUN, and to getting everyone involved! And maybe, just maybe, my grown boys won’t greet me with their dirty laundry when they come home to visit.

Here are several examples of how parents who have taken the Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ course with High Five Parenting are creating little helpers around the house:

Modeling

• One mom modeled by using what Love and Logic calls “eaves drop value setting.” When she knew her child could overhear her, she whispered, “Dad, the kids were so helpful today. They dusted the living room and wiped the windows. The best part was that it didn’t take as long to clean because we worked as a team. We even had extra time to play.”

Choices within Limits

• One dad asked his child, “Are you going to bring the groceries in from the car or put them into the pantry?”

Make The Task Fun!

• Many parents pretend the dust buster or vacuum is a pet, give it a name, and then let their child see how much ‘the pet’ can eat.

Chores aren’t quite as daunting when we slow down and have some fun with our children and with the tasks.

LEARN MORE

High Five Parenting offers the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ course throughout the Austin area, including Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Westlake. The course is a five week program that focuses on children from birth through age six. We explore effective skills to help parents raise respectful, responsible kids and lower parenting stress. Private courses are also available. To view course locations or to learn more about High Five Parenting, please visit www.highfiveparenting.com.

SPECIAL OFFER

Visit www.highfiveparenting.com to register for the course. Use coupon code LHH to receive $10 off course registration. Offer expires 12/31/10.

Article written by Laura Baker, Independent Facilitator, Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™

Date: Saturday, September 18
Location: Partnerships for Children, 14000 Summit Drive, Suite 100, Austin
Description: Help keep the Rainbow Room well-stocked with basic needs items. Volunteer tasks include unpacking and sorting, straightening and stocking shelves, assembling or bundling items/kits, etc.  Partnerships for Children’s Rainbow Room is a 24/7 emergency resource room where Child Protective Services case workers can select new basic needs items for children in their care. We are looking for 3-5 families (12 individuals) to help out.
Time Frame: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

But, how do I create a little contributor?  With a few Love and Logic techniques I will be on my way to creating a contributor within our community.

CREATING HELPERS IN THE COMMUNITY

Love and Logic teaches that, “Learning happens quickly when parents model, offer choices, and make a task fun.”  By doing these three things, we can teach young children the value of helping within the community.

Modeling

• Talking to your spouse when your child can overhear, say something like, “I signed up to volunteer at the soup kitchen today. It makes me feel so good to know that I am helping someone out.”

• Thinking out loud to yourself, say something like, “I am going to go look around my room and find some things that I would like to donate to a family that doesn’t have as much as we do.  It feels so good to give to someone in need.”

Choices within Limits

• Look at the Little Helping Hands event calendar with your child.  Say something like, “Look at all these fun ways to help people in our community.  Would you like to help clean up the park or make sandwiches for other families?”

• Ask your child, “Would you like to donate these blocks or these cars to children?”

Make the Task Fun!

• Sign up for a Little Helping Hands event. Little Helping Hands is an incredible resource, full of fun events for young children.  Children will be eager to lend a hand when they see just how much fun it can be!

These are just a few simple tools we can use to get kids thinking about other people in our community. We cover these techniques in detail in the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! course. We also apply these techniques to help us avoid power struggles such as brushing teeth, mealtime, bedtime, picking up toys and more.

LEARN MORE

High Five Parenting offers the Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™ course throughout the Austin area, including Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Westlake.  The course is a five week program that focuses on children from birth through age six.  We explore effective skills to help parents raise respectful, responsible kids and lower parenting stress.  Private courses are also available.  To view course locations or to learn more about High Five Parenting, please visit www.highfiveparenting.com.

SPECIAL OFFER

Visit www.highfiveparenting.com to register for the course.  Use coupon code LHH to receive $10 off course registration. Offer expires 12/31/10.

Article written by Laura Baker, Independent Facilitator, Love and Logic Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!™

Date: Wednesday,  September 8
Location: Caritas of Austin, 611 Neches St., Austin
Description: You and your child/children will help prepare sandwiches for Caritas clients to be served in the Community Kitchen during lunch the following day. Great volunteer activity for children as young as 3 or 4.  Learn more about Caritas and how they support individuals and families experiencing poverty.  Looking for 3-4 families (10 individuals) to help out.
Time Frame:  4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Date: Friday, September 17
Location: Ronald McDonald House of Austin & Central Texas, 1315 Barbara Jordan Blvd., Austin
Description: Children and their parent(s)/caregivers will make dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Children learn/practice basic cooking skills in a group setting while at the same time supporting a great cause! Optional tour of the facility after the activity. We are looking for 3-5 families (12 individuals) to help out.
Time Frame: 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Date: Thursday, September 16
Location: St. Austin Catholic Parish, 2026 Guadalupe, Austin
Description: You and your child will help serve homemade, nutritious warm meals to street-dependent youth ages 12-22.  Afterward, assist with some light clean-up such as washing dishes and sweeping. The Street Youth Meal Program is a program of Saint Louise House (formerly Vincare Services of Austin) serving more than 9,000 children and young adults since 1997. This ministry provides homeless youth with a compassionate community where they feel welcome and safe and are treated with respect.  We are looking for 2-4 families (8 individuals) to help out.  Great activity for children 5 years of age and up. For children between the ages of 5-12 we recommend one parent/adult accompany each child.
Time Frame: 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Date: Thursday, September 9
Location: University Presbyterian Church, 2203 San Antonio Street, Austin
Description: Support homeless and impoverished individuals and families in the UT campus area by helping bag groceries after they shop for food and other basic needs items in the Micah 6 pantry. All supplies provided. Great activity for children ages 4 and up. For children 4-7 years of age, we recommend that one parent/adult  accompany each child. We are looking for 2-3  families (8 individuals) to join our group.
Time Frame: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm