Recently my 5-year-old son has become very interested in helping with the dishwashing. Of course I tried to respond very positively to his interest. I offer him a chance to do it whenever possible, especially when we are in no hurry and have few things to wash.
His involvement in this daily chore has made me realize one thing. We can organize the physical features in our home in such a way to enable our children to join such activities without much hassle – for them and for us. I was able to give my son a chance straight away without any worries that he might have broken any dishes. We have a stainless steel sink in our kitchen, and any dishes that may have slipped through his hands and bumped onto it would not be broken. I can recall that in my parents’ home, where they have a ceramic sink, dishwashing had become a difficult chore, full of fears that some dishes might be broken. Even adults may break something at some point.
Following are some other features that may encourage your kids to help with the housework, especially in the kitchen:
-Accessible Countertop
Kitchen countertops are always designed for adults’ height. So we need to provide stools for children to climb in order to join in activities like preparing food. I found that with my 3-year-old a stool wasn’t enough so it was necessary to pull a dining chair next to the counter.
-Accessible Dishes and Silverware
One of the tasks that many children learn to do at an early age is setting the table for dinner. Often we put our dining plates in top cabinets, far from their reach. We might consider moving them to a more accessible place, to encourage them to help in this simple yet interesting task. It might be a good idea to keep silverware separate from sharp utensils, so children can easily collect it to accomplish their task.
-Accessible Ingredients and Utensils
When it comes to preparing food or baking, if we store the ingredients and utensils in easy to reach places, the children will feel more confident. They feel they can do most of the job by themselves – from finding the ingredients and utensils they need to putting them away afterwards.
-Safety Lesson
Of course the most important of all is teaching children how to be safe in the kitchen – knowing which parts are dangerous and should be avoided and which ones are safe.