Parenting the Toddler

Parenting the Toddler with A Toddler's Chore List

1) Sorting the laundry - what toddler doesn't enjoy tossing things around? Line up three hampers or make three piles of clothes, sorting out darks, colors, and whites/lights. Show your toddler how to sort by color or item and then let her toss the items into the proper hamper/pile. She can also help fold socks.

2) Dusting - give him a micro fiber cloth or feather duster and allow your toddler to dust the furniture on her level - chair legs, bookshelves, the entertainment center, and end tables.

3) Put Away Toys - it's never too early to teach your toddler how to put away what she gets out, which includes her toys. Label bins with photographs of the type of item that goes into each one and show them how to put their toys away. Give her specific instructions and she will respond even better.

4) Water the flowers and plants - parenting toddlers means that you will have to "stretch" a bit as a parent, right? Yes, you can allow her to help with the water! She will be helping and feel important when you give her a spray bottle with water. She can mist the plants while you handle the water can.

5) Kitchen duty - kids inherently love working in the kitchen, so give your toddler her very own chores in the area of food preparation. She can toss a salad, add ingredients, wash vegetables, ripping lettuce for salads, spreading mustard on a sandwich or helping to decorate cookies.

6) Setting the family dinner table - she will love setting the dishes, spoons (nothing sharp), and napkins on the table for you. By doing this chore, she will not only get a sense of accomplishment, but also belonging because she helped bring the family together at dinner time.

7) Put away the groceries - it's easy for your child to help put away fruits, vegetables, and small packages of refrigerated foods. She can also help put cereals, coffee, or packages of gelatin into the cupboards. Allow her to help you in this way now and she will naturally do it later (we hope!).

8) Feed Fido or Morris - family pets are a fantastic way of parenting toddlers in the way of caring for others. By learning how to feed a family pet, they learn that there are others in the world that require love and attention.

9) Sweeping or using the vacuum - get your toddler her very own dustpan and broom and include her when you sweep the patio. She will love just being with you and she will learn something new at the same time. Vacuuming is easy if you have a hand-held size unit, so let her help with stairs or small areas first.

10) Clearing the table - she can put away the ketchup and mustard for you, as well as putting the salt and pepper on to the shelf. Parenting the toddler is not only a challenging job; it,s an extremely rewarding one! Remember, you will always love your children, but don't you want to like them too? Teaching them how to do chores early in life will empower them and give them a sense of duty and accomplishment and help them to be responsible teens and adults.

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