Help! I Need Somebody, Help! Not Just Anybody ...

A VERY SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY (AUGUST 10TH) TO MY FAVORITEST AUNT EVER, AUNT MELANIE!!! SHE ALWAYS MAKES ME GIGGLE! LOVE YOU AUNT MEL!!




Just a little Beatles flashback in the title there for those of you who might be too young to catch it (And lord knows I never thought I'd be old enough to say that, especially since I was at one point considered "too young" to catch it myself). August has brought all sorts of interesting things to our neck of the woods. First and most important perhaps, is the fact that Alex has gotten to a point where he's starting to understand simple directions and requests for help. This is uber-exciting for me, as a few months from now I'm likely to need all the help I can get!! We've recently started helping mommy put away toys, putting dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket, and even throwing away certain things in the trashcan. For those of you who might currently be in the "wish I could get some help around here" mindset (otherwise known as any day that ends in Y for a wife and mother), here are some tips to get your little one to start pitching in.

1. Believe it or not, most toddlers love to help. Doing "big kid" tasks helps them feel grown up and helpful.

2. Keep the tasks simple. Don't ask your 2 year old to wash a sink full of dishes. It's just not going to happen. Instead, choose simple tasks like putting things into a pile (books or videos for example), handing Mommy the laundry peice by peice to put in the washer, or putting toys away in the toybox.

3. Give very easy, step by step instruction. Let's face it, with toddlers, repetition is EVERYTHING. The first 15 or so times, you'll need to give directions step by step. "Pick up the t-shirt. Pick it up. GOOD JOB!" "Now bring it in your room. Follow Mommy. That's right." "Put the t-shirt here. In the dirty clothes basket. Great Job!! What a big help you are!!" Don't get discouraged if you have to repeat this step by step process for a while. Next time you turn around, your little one will be handling the task all by themselves, and you'll wonder where the time went!!

4. Be LAVISH in your praise. Toddlers love feeling like they're helping out. Use phrases like 'what a great helper!' 'you're such a big help to Mommy!' and even just 'way to go!' At this stage, every toddler is looking for a return on their investment of taking the time to pay attention to what you asked them to do in the first place!

5. Just enjoy. Expect to find the dirty clothes in the dishwasher occasionally, or the trash stuck in the drawer. The important thing is that they're trying. And sooner or later, they really will get there.