Doing dishes - do you let your toddler help?

DansMom wrote: Daniel throws a fit if he can't help out with the dishes---a total, headbanging tantrum. We don't have a dishwasher, so helping with the dishes is of course a sloppy, soapy mess with the necessity of postponing drinking glasses and knives until he's gone to bed. I have to remove his shirt and he has to stand on a stepstool. Really he just wants to play in the soapy water, but I've been letting him help out because I want him to have a positive association with housework, KWIM? He also wants to help sweep the floors and vacuum, so I want to get him a small broom so that he can help with that---why not encourage it? Does your toddler like to help with housework?

A&A'smommy replied: OH NO that is SO cute! My nephew was/is that way if he sees a pile of dirty dishes he HAD to wash them RIGHT THEN! lol have fun!

amynicole21 replied: Well, Sophia has to be held in our arms when we vacuum because she's such a scardy cat... does that count? She also loves to swiffer, but usually ends up spreading cat hair and dust all over the area rugs.

Jamison'smama replied: Jamison has her own broom but of course she wants to sweep with ours and she has to sweep the pile of junk that has already been swept up. She does not do dishes but she helps me put clothes in the washer (hands them to me) and then she puts them in the dryer, she feeds the cats and LOVES to wipe down surfaces---all the time! She also throws trash away when she feels like it. She is also scared of the vacuum.

kimberley replied: haha cute! Jacob HAD to help with everything! i had a double sink and would stick him in one and let him wash cups while i washed the rest in the other. he had his own broom and dustpan, and always "helped" with laundry. i thought it was a good way to teach him chores could be fun. if only it lasts lol. now i have to ask him a million times to clean his room.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: Claudia loves to put the dishes in the sink and if anything needs to be thrown in the garbage she gladly does that. She also has to clean up her spills and gets so mad if I don't let her. She certainly is a neat freak, she can't stand to have sticky or messy hands. They need to be cleaned immediately!

paradisemommy replied: Oh i have a cleaner too! he used to hate the vacuum when he was younger but now he absolutely loves it. we have a kirby and when he's not trying to grab it from me to do the vacuuming, he's sitting on top of it while i vacuum..LOL he loves to sweep and mop the floor, but it has to be with OUR stuff (not play stuff) and he's always on the ground with a napkin (cause that's how i usually mop the floor when i don't do the whole kitchen). he loves to wipe surfaces too and just recently has become really good at "clean up" as long as you sing the song!!

thankfully he doesn't help with the dishes - but he probably got that from his daddy..

MomToMany replied: All of my kids liked helping with housework, and they still do! I think it's great! We have a dishwasher, but I'll admit I don't like using it. So, whenever I wash by hand, Hannah and Ethan HAVE to help, and that can be a mess, I'm telling you!! But, I think it's great that they want to help out, and it makes sense (like you said) to have a positive attitude toward it.

DH on the other hand, I don't think he knows the meaning of the word housework!!

momof2girls replied: I would let my oldest daughter "help" too she really loved to clean now that she is 8 its a different story!!!
I think its so cute when they wanna be so helpful!

coasterqueen replied: I wish I had a cleaner . Maybe it's because we used to have a cleaning lady and so we never cleaned, lol. But now that I do all the cleaning I usually do ALL of it either on my Friday afternoons that I have off work or when she's asleep.

The only thing that she really sees me doing is some laundry, dishes, picking up here and there. But she doesn't really try to help. She will put garbage in the can but she likes to take it out too. She likes to take laundry out of the dryer and clothes basket, . And she wants to sit on top of the dishwasher lid while I'm trying to fill it and she likes to take the dishes out when I'm filling it, but that's about it.

MommyToAshley replied: I think it is great you let Dan help with the chores. I bet he is just so darn cute!

I hadn't really thought about letting Ashley help with dishes, but we usually jsut rinse and throw them in the dishwasher. Ashley helps with other things... she loves to help with laundry, especially towels. She will fold the wash cloths as I fold the towels. And, she loves to carry the folded laundry to help put it away (it makes it to the final desitnation folded about 50% of the time ) She'll pick up her toys, help vacuum, and help sweep. She also likes to use one of the pledge grabbit dust mits and go around the house dusting. If she finds her wipes, she'll also go around the house "cleaning" all of her toys with them.

jcc64 replied: Corey "helps" with whatever it is I'm doing- laundry, dishes, feeding the animals. Very cute. Of course, my older kids, who are actually capable of doing these things in a productive and helpful way, make sure that every blessed second they are doing chores I know how put out they are about it. Which of course is their way of trying to wear me down, and truth be told, it IS easier to do it myself, but they will help out around here if it kills me, or them, whichever comes first!

lsjulee replied: My two kids love to help too. Tho they will definately make more mess than helping. But I don't stop them too. Let them start than discourage. And I know, the whole enthusiasm will sure turn around when they grow older.