I was cleaning all wrong with my one year old. It was always "Don't touch that!" "Put that down," "Please don't eat that," and "I can only clean when you're asleep!" Obviously I wasn't getting much done around my house. I knew that eventually I would need to teach my little boy to work and help around the house but it didn't seem like that would happen any time soon. My son is a year old and he so smart so capable like all other normal children! So I started small-
Task 1: Picking up toys
This one is still a work in progress. But before his naps, we put away all the toys he was playing with. He mimics what mom is doing for the most part.
Task 2: Washing windows
My kid has slimy gooey hands most of the time from saliva to snacks. We wash his hands of course by they are always grimy. And that grime ends up on my cupboards and windows. Yuck! So out of the blue I decided he could help clean it up. I had the window cleaner and I did not let him anywhere near it. But I did give him a rag. I went ahead of him, sprayed and washed the window. Then followed my actions and "cleaned" the window again with his own rag. It was cute! He was learning! And I got my windows cleaned!
Task 3: Dishwasher
I started emptying the dishwasher with him awake and by my side. He loved to already pull everything out so it was just a matter of taking them from him, putting them away before he dropped them on the floor. Easy. With time and practice he now takes the silverware out and hands them to me! Success! (Now, I just need to teach to keep the dirty dishes IN the dishwasher! That will come later).
What I've learned from this is that being a good mom and homemaker can be one in the same. My son can have quality time with his mom and learn who to do small cleaning tasks at the same time! He also sees that his mom is a hard worker and I hope that stays with him as he grows. #mother #cleaningwithababy #parenthood
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