Things my 2 year old does herself.
Growing up, I was the oldest of 4 children. Not only the oldest though, but also much older than the other 3 kids. Because of this massive age gap (7 years), I became a built in babysitter; a second mom who was expected to do many extra things for my siblings who were not old enough to do them for themselves. I was also very independent, because from a young age, my mother stopped doing things for me that she used to do before she had other children to tend to. Things like making my own food, keeping my own school work, and entertaining myself were all left up to me. I am thankful for this time because then as an older, college student, I was able and confident in my abilities to be on my own much more that some of the other students who struggled with basic things like dishes and bedtimes.
Now that I am a mom, I realize the value of independence and the extra sanity it gives me to tell my child to go, and do something to take care of themselves. So I have taught and expect my 2 yr to do much more things for herself than some other 2 yr olds that I know.
Here are 8 things that I make my 2 yr old do herself:
1) Get Dressed and Undressed
I have her clothes set up in a low dresser that she can reach. It only took about a week to show her that pants and undies were in one drawer, shirts are in another, and socks in another. Now I can tell her "Please go change your shirt/pants/clothes" and she is able to run to her room and do it herself. She has put together some pretty ... interesting outfits, but I don't make a fuss about what she is wearing. She got dressed herself and that means I didn't have to do it. Plus, fashion these days is pretty eclectic so... I've seen adults wearing similar stuff.
2) Laundry
I involve her in the entire process of laundry, from putting dirty clothes in the hamper, to folding them and putting them away. Like I mentioned before, all her clothes are in a place that is easily accessible to her. If she can open the drawers to take out clothes, then she is able to open them to put clothes away. Her drawers often become messy and sometimes she puts articles away without folding them, but she is 2, so as long as they are in the right drawer, I don't care what her drawers look like. She has her own little basket that she uses to pick out her clothes from the big pile with all our clothes, and then she dumps it out on her bed and gets it all put away while I am still folding mine and my husbands clothes.
3) Pick up and put away toys
This is a common one that lots of parents have their little ones do. I make it a point to make sure my child puts away her toys before bed, and before every time we leave the house. There is nothing worse than waking up to or coming home to a messy and cluttered house.
4) Wipe her own bum
When we first began potty training at 14 months I wiped her bum and helped her with her pants everytime. Occasionally, when necessary, I still do but now that she is 2 she is in charge of all bathroom stuff. Including wiping, changing her clothes after an accident, and cleaning up any mess made from said accident.
5) Feed the cat
This one does require some prompting from me because there is another life at stake here. But everyday I tell my 2 yr old to go make sure the cat has food and water in her bowls. And when they are empty, she gets the food and scoops it into the food bowl and gets a cup of fresh water from the sink for the water dish.
6) Carry her own supply bag
I was never one of those moms who carried every possible necessity with me in the diaper bag for just in case. (See my previous blog post about my minimalist Diaper bag approach) Now that she is bigger, she has her own little backpack with an extra pair of pants, a small snack, and a few toys. The snacks in my purse are for me.
7) Clean up her own messes
Spills happen when you are 2 years old. Heck, spills happen when you are 30 years old. Spills are part of life. And cleaning up your own spills are what makes for responsible adults. When my 2 year old spills her drink or drops her food, we say oops and she gets a towel or a broom to take care of it.
8) Try hard things
When you are 2, things can be hard. Socks don't go on easily, jacket arms can get twisted, and the big mess you made with your toys can sometimes be overwhelming for your little body. When my little 2 yr old runs into trouble with these or other similar things, I expect her to try a few times before I help her. I tell her to "take a breath and try again" or "think for a minute and figure it out". Very often this short little break from the initial frustration allows her to calm down and approach her difficulty logically and successfully. This is probably the most important tool I want her to have as she grows and the hard things become harder.
Of course the 2 year old is not perfect; there are days when she flat out refuses to get on her own stupid shoes, or coat, or pants. But with this foundation, she is on her way to being an independent and capable adult. That is my number one goal and job as her mother.
What things do you teach your small children to do? How do you make the things we have to do daily seem less like "boring chores"?
It's been a while for me... Hope you didn't miss me too much. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fun reads.
