16 May 2008
Getting kids involved around the house
Category : Activities for kids, Parenting Permalink
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Now that we have two kids in the house, it’s nearly impossible for us to keep the house nice and tidy.
Look under the sofa, and you’ll find a crayon, a piece of paper or a toy car. Storybooks can sometimes be found in the kitchen, or under the kids’ beds too!
As much as possible though, when it comes to helping out, we always try to get the kids involved around the house.
And some of our reasons for doing so :
> it makes the kids feel involved, recognised and appreciated within the family
> it gives them opportunities to complete a task and enjoy a sense of accomplishment afterwards
> it teaches them to be responsible persons
> it can help us keep our home a little more tidy too
Some of the kids’ contribution so far :
> help clean up the mess and put their toys back after playtime
> help in the making of their snacks (eg. stirring and pouring into jelly molds)
> help in meal preparation (stir the chicken marinade, put pumpkin pieces to a big bowl after they’re cut)
> return her mug and plastic plate to the kitchen after mealtime (Anya)
> prepare her school bag and open the padlock of our gate, as I get ready to send her off to school (Anya)
> wash their bike
They’re of course not always into cleaning up after their mess. They can casually go off after playtime and many times I need to repeat myself in order to get them to do something for me.
Vai for instance, sometimes drops his toy to the floor and casually walks off. When asked to pick it up and put it back properly, he’d run and giggle away. So I’d have to go over to him, talk to him while holding his hand and accompany him to the toy before he actually picks it up and puts it back.
Getting my kids involved sometimes means ‘double-work’ for me too.
I mean, pretty often it’d be faster if I’d just complete the task myself (like when I let them wash my rice grains, most likely they’ll spill some water to the floor too).
But I know I need to learn to be casual about these things and focus more on guiding them and appreciating the actual efforts our little ones are trying to put in.
After all, kids love to be involved and our challenge I guess is in finding age-appropriate tasks where they can contribute, learn along the way and feel our genuine appreciation.
…
Here’re some useful links:
>> Involving kids in tasks and chores
>> Chores for kids
>> How to involve the kids in daily household chores
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Posted by Priscilla
16 May 2008 @ 12:16 pm
Hi Leonny,
Reading your blog is one of my favourite things to do.
I have 2 kids (a 4yr old girl & a 2 yr old boy).
Your blog often reminds me how I should react to my kids, spend time with them and even the activities we could do together. Thanks so much for sharing your expereince and everyday things with us.
God bless!
Posted by Leonny
16 May 2008 @ 7:23 pm
Thanks Priscilla for your encouraging note!
(and hey, your kids are very similar in age and gender to Anya & Vai
Let’s keep in touch, and hope you and your family enjoy a great weekend too!
Cheers!
Posted by Neera
17 May 2008 @ 12:05 am
Hey Leonny!! Cool!! Congratulations on the new site with all the cool features! I am glad the url is still the same
I think the feature of similar posts is a really neat option - more info on the same topic is just a click away. Keep up the great work! Hats off to you for being so dedicated - Anya and Vai are two lucky kids.
Congratulations again
Love
Neera
Posted by Fay
17 May 2008 @ 6:04 am
Hello Leonny,
I’ve always wanted to drop you an email since I chanced upon your blog a while ago, and have been visiting it every now and again, but just never got around to doing it. Now that you have a comment feature, its made it easy!
I just want you to know how much of an encouragement you have been to me. Thank you for sharing your experiences so honestly - the good and the bad. Also, your desire to be a Godly mom really has encouraged me too … ultimately, its the eternal investment we are making in our kids that counts in God’s eyes! Lastly, your blog has also given me ideas of places to go (new places like Vivo City, the new park at the botanic gardens & etc) when we will be in Singapore in Aug / Sep. My husband and I are originally from Singapore, but live in the US currently. We have 2 boys, 4 yrs and 16 mths. We are looking forward to seeing and spending time with family.
Thanks again,
fay
Posted by mc
17 May 2008 @ 5:00 pm
Hello:) i have been one of your readers for awhile now. I have a 9 month old girl and am learning alot about parenting and what to expect from seeing how you care for your children. they’re lovely!
Posted by Leonny
20 May 2008 @ 1:03 am
Neera :
Take care.
Thanks! I’m glad you had a great trip too, getting together with your family and all! Hope you’re well, keeping up with the 2 lovely kids!
………………………………………………………………….
Fay:
Thanks for sharing, Fay! Your encouraging words brighten up my day! And I sure hope you’ll have a GREAT time visiting your family here in SG!
………………………………………………………………….
MC:
I’m learning along the way too … Let’s keep in touch!
Hi MC! Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. Yes, parenting is an interesting journey, isn’t it?
Posted by Priscilla
20 May 2008 @ 5:39 pm
Hi Leonny,
You are right! If I remember correctly, Anya’s birthday is in early March? My girl, Callista was born on 5 March and she is attending Nursery 2 in a full day childcare.
You are very capable - having to do everything and also working from home. Kudos to you!