Educational Learning with Chores

As parents and caregivers, most often we are looking for what are the best products to help our little ones learn, be they books (especially picture books), alphabet or counting toys, toys that allow our children to pretend and use their imagination (important to forming the building blocks of science and math learning) and more.

But what about everyday activities like letting children help with cleanup? Helping children develop their independence is not an easy task, but it is an important learning experience for both adults and children. Our children must be free to come to us and feel safe enough to go from us.

From the time our children take their first steps, the whole world becomes a place to explore. We fear for our chiildren even as we feel pride at their consuming curiosity and desire to learn that underlies their independence. Of course, we childproof the house as best we can and do our homework as parents (made easier by signing up for toy and product recalls via free email alerts from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in choosing safe toys to encourage the confidence they develop from being allowed to explore freely. Noise and touching are good! (Tell yourself that.)

So, where and when do chores come in? As early as age two, learning to participate is another educational experience that leads to new aspects of independence. It may be easier to do things yourself, but your child will become more confident when she or he is allowed to help. For example, when I do the laundry, my two year old helps to carry the lighter things (the fabric softener, an almost empty detergent bottle, a small bag of his clothes) and he loves it. (The added bonus is that it keeps him near me and diverts him from running away when we step outside.)

Our children learn to be part of the family, and later, part of the community, by helping. It is important to show children how much fun these activities are. Just as committed as we are to bringing science activities and teaching math concepts to toddlers and preschoolers, showing and expressing appreciation for a task they have completed and forgiving the occasional mistake are just as critical to education, learning and independence in our children.