Santa's Little Helper

Okay, maybe not Santa's, but he's certainly mine. G has always been interested in helping out. I hope to never use chores as a punishment and keep encouraging his behavior, but like all parenting philosophies, I'm sure that will get thrown in the trash with the poopy diapers.

One of the few times G went to Nursery lasts month, thanks to snow cancelling church, I had to go with him since he was too upset after I changed his diaper to let me leave. It sure is hard to get little kids to adjust to Nursery when they don't get to go every week. When the Primary singing time crew came in at the end of Nursery, they started to sing "When We're Helping We're Happy". They asked the children what they did to help out at home. Some could talk, some like G, not so much, but they asked if they made their beds or cleaned up their toys. When they got to G, they asked if he picked up his toys and I said he helps by unloading the dishwasher. Well, needless to say, they were a bit shocked by that, but now I have photographic proof.

I get all the sharp knives out first, then he takes everything else out

and either puts it in the drawer himself

or hands it to me.

Usually he hands it off.

Then we switch for the top rack

and I hand him all the tupperware, which goes in his "playing cupboard" in the kitchen. It's the one place he's allowed to get into.

He has his own system for putting stuff in there, I'm sure, since sometimes he screws all the lids on, and sometimes he takes them all off.

It sure is nice to have good help around. And it's pretty much his favorite thing to do. It becomes hard to convince him when the dishwasher is dirty that it doesn't need to be unloaded yet. This is why I generally keep the dishes in the sink until there's enough to run a cycle. Less tears that way.