He can't do it? Yes, he can!

Years ago, I was at a friend's home visiting. I picked up some garbage on the floor and asked their 2 year old to throw it in the trash can. My friend's response startled me.. "Oh, he doesn't know how to do that." Why doesn't he know? It's simple...he's never been taught.

Children are like sponges; they quickly soak up the information around them. They're eager to learn but we have to teach them the things we want them to know.

There are so many things that little ones can do. Here's an example:

Our little sweetheart likes to push the start button on the dishwasher after we load the dirty dishes. It's a simple thing, but she feels like she's helping and it's a start towards responsibility.

Other job ideas: Clean the doorknobs (sticky and greasy doorknobs are a no-no at our house), empty the trash cans, learn to replace the toilet paper in the bathrooms, replace the kitchen and bathroom towels with fresh ones, bring in the newspaper, be the family messenger, help watch a younger sibling, set the table, or make a bed (even if it's wrinkled and uneven). Young kids are so good at pushing the wet clothes into the dryer or give them a spray bottle and a rag and have them go to town on a dirty floor, appliances or kitchen cupboards.

Our three year old loves to help vacuum with the canister vac and the hose attachment. With supervision of course, he vacuums the stairs and along the baseboards. It keeps him happy, content and BUSY.  I love that!

At a young age, children can fold clothes and put them away. Kitchen towels and washcloths are the best thing to start with!

It may seem like it doesn't matter much if your four year old doesn't have any responsibility, but it will pay off for them and for you when they're older and they really know how to work.

More to come, but until then...Stick-to-it!