February 24, 2009 12:15 PM
Children helping at home - a beautiful thing!
Dear Barbara,I searched for a post on your blog to comment on but didn't find one right away that seemed suitable, so I thought I'd shoot you a quick email before I get moving on to the rest of the day!
For history sake, my mom gave me Lord, Please Meet Me... as a gift after the birth of my daughter 3 1/2 years ago. The reading of that book had a serious impact on the way I saw so many things. One of the things I took away from the reading of your blog and other books was simply getting my children involved early. I participated in the Laundry Room photo contest with Nicola when she was just 9 months old. Since then we've added Owen and soon another little one will be here.
Recently I was working with my children on our morning routine and realized after I had put the dishes in the dishwasher from breakfast that the laundry was done for me. FOR me. I really didn't do much but sort the clothes and direct the 3 1/2 year old and the nearly 2 year old to load up the washer, and then I added the soap. I think they may have even unloaded the washer before reloading it and loaded the dryer, together. It's been a bit and I just can't recall, but it was amazing. I just sat back in awe. My little ones just did the laundry! I wasn't even standing over their shoulders. I was about 3 feet away, but able to finish the work that they had started before moving on to the laundry. Working together is so rewarding and I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to share with moms how it can be done.
Love,
~Jen
Just running this because it came up at Jonny's IEP meeting yesterday: One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is a love of service. This starts early as you equip them to do many household chores that many parents no longer involve their children in.
Self-esteem, confidence, security, poise - these all come from knowing that we have a purpose in this world and that we matter in the lives of others. Not because the things we do or the things we say are cute.
As moms, you need to always be pusing the envelope, seeing what new skills you can pass on to your children, what work you can delegate or share. This isn't something you do for your benefit, but for theirs.
For ideas, please see
Sharing the Load
and my Mommy, Teach Me! photo-journal:
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| Mommy, Teach Me! |
Posted in Montessori, Mothering, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Permalink
Comments
This is such an inspiring post! I love reading all the Montessori/teaching your kids to love serving posts of late!
Posted by: Dianna | February 24, 2009 2:48 PM
