I realized having kids isn’t always cleaning up after a herd of elephants who like to change and/or remove clothes multiple times a day. It can also be training a small, helpful human to do all of my most-hated chores. Or letting me get a moment to myself while someone else cleans up after me.
Everyone needs a moment to themselves…and sometimes that moment is together.
EB loves to help. She can’t help helping. Here are all of the ways I’m breaking child labor laws aka teaching my 2.75 year old toddler to do chores.
EB making Shrinky Dink earrings for Christmas presents.
EB putting her clothes in the washer.
EB vacuuming.
EB putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
EB putting utensils up from the dishwasher.
Soon A2 will be up in there, doing instead of undoing and undoing and undoing all of my hard work. Don’t look so surprised, girl, I’m going to teach you that folding laundry is the new thing all the kids are doing. Oh, you can’t help looking surprised? All the time? You’re amazed by every facet of the world? That’s cool, too.
Mom’s making crazy noises at me!
Laying on dad!
A towel!
Peeky-boos!
Big sisters are amazing!
Sidenote: I know, I’ve been gone for the longest ever. I sent back my computer to get fixed part deux and just couldn’t bring myself to type on a touch-screen and took the opportunity to get un-addicted to WP. I followed so many people (and your amazing stories, DER), felt the need to comment on all of them, and it became homework instead of funtimes. And then there was the little thing of my actual family and how I spent some portion of the day documenting life instead of fully experiencing it, then missing out on more when I spent hours catching up with you wonderful people. So I’ll get back into blogging at a more manageable level.
Bonus sidenote: I will be upping my hours at work starting next week and am loving life, albeit enjoying a decidedly busier schedule. Being gainfully employed is the most delicious challenge to my brain and I’m hoping that this seasonal position goes further than the festival in March eventually. But I’ll take what I can get. Thank goodness Eebs is getting on these chores to take the load of me since I’m finally pulling my weight around here. Should a toddler get an allowance for her hard work? For the college fund, obvs.
Missed yous!
Jefe Jells.
You should be able to lounge on the couch and let EB go with minimal supervision within 8 months at this rate!
And go! Have fun in the real world!
We’ll be here when you pop in.
I like that 8 month time frame! And that you guys are here when I need y’all.
Oh my god those towel photos just made my MONTH.
HA! You’re welcome!
I’m happy as a lark with my fix of adorbs baby photos (which I pointed out to Anne who promptly said, “Ain’t gonna happen soon–get over it.”) and glad to see you’re okay. I believe in child labor. Nothing wrong with learning to sort socks and fold underwear, not that I ever had my kids do something like that. *coughLIARcough*
Missed you ’round the Hood. Kisses to the girls.
Adds
I just saw your email! I have 64 unread messages from my blog so I’m way behind. I could’ve put the last two paragraphs as the response to it! But I know you like those kiddos (me too), so I’m glad the timing worked out like this. Things have been swell, lots of naps and playing. Just enjoying my time with the fam. xoxo
Grrrrl I am scaling back my blogging too. When it feels like work-work to read and comment then it’s time to reassess priorities.
I hope that C eventually wants to be as helpful as EB is! Then she can go as pre-ball Cinderella for Halloween!
PRE. BALL. CINDERELLA. Dude, make it so.
Happy to see you again!
Was hoping it was a happy break rather than a sad break. I fully support child labor, but I also fully support cartoon overkill when I’ve got lots to do that Doodle can’t really help with and I need him to get the eff off my tail! 
Happy break, with random dips in-between. Lots of family health issues coming up and I didn’t feel like writing about them. Just wanted to appreciate everyone and spend time with not staring at my lap when life was going on around me. And can I just say that I FULLY support cartoon overkill. I think that happens way more than sporadic “helping” clean up.
How awesome is that surprised face??? Also, I’m using that pic of EB at the washer to prove to my kids that it CAN be done! Thanks!
Ha! You’re the best.
These pics are great!
And I feel your pain about blogging feeling more like a job than a fun thing to do. For me, it’s all social media and I am hoping when this kid pops out, it brings me back to my senses and I can put my phone down and enjoy the life happening around me…LOL. Maybe.
I also agree with child labor and think it’d be cool if you paid EB! We took a Dave Ramsey course a while back and it changed our whole lives and budget and we found out he has tools for kids of all ages too and basically the premise is that it’s never too early to teach a child the value of hard work, or a dollar. EB may not need a whole dollar, but 25 or 50 cents for helping you with dishes and laundry? Totes cool.
Love your new look BTW!
I love getting your DR tips. I remember reading about it on your blog before and being inspired. I am going to look into it for Eebs! And thanks for noticing the new theme! Trying out some new digs for the new year!
Pure awesomeness. I love your new header and thanks for the smiles.
Thanks, doll! So sweet of you to say.
I was going to leave a comment about how much I love the EB doing laundry pic, but then as I read the rest of your post, I realized I couldn’t even decide which picture I like the best because they all kick so much ass. Hilarious! Love the new header, too!
thanks! I had to mix it up for the new year. Still have some massaging and adjusting to do to make it feel so fresh and so clean. I have been saving up those pics of EB doing chores for several months now. Sometimes there are winners just waiting to be shared with the masses and it feels so right when they do.
Wow, good for you! My 5 yr old still doesn’t do chores like that! Glad you got some away-from-WP perspective, and you sound really happy!
I think if I have a camera out, she’s more likely to attempt the chore. I can’t tell if this is a good or bad thing, her thinking she should have every moment/action documented for posterity. Let’s say for now? Good.
This post made me reconsider procreating so that I have someone to help out with chores…Teddy is such a diva!! Welcome back to blog land!
They definitely make you do MORE chores than they tackle themselves. I think that’s why bribery/allowances come into play. Because, sweet cheesus, I’ll do anything not to pick up a bag of blocks for the 15th time in a day. I’m sure Teddy’s cleanliness cancels out the divatude.
Heard! And yes, since Teddy can take care of his own bathing and on top of that, he chases his toys under the couch where they’re “put away” because I’m too lazy to get up and move the furniture…hence the diva like behavior. Instead of a toy chest, maybe you should just let the girls toss toys under the couch. Just a lazy cat mom thought!
Oooh girl, you don’t want to look under my couch. Mostly cheerios, sippie cups I’ve been looking for for weeks, and socks galore. I’m sure there are toys she lost and we considered “cleaned up” since they weren’t out in the open.