Since every member of the family needs to feel like he or she is an indispensable part of the family unit, each person should help keep the family functioning smoothly. This is accomplished by caring for each other and by taking an active role in maintaining the home.
Small children seem to sense this more than anyone else does. They want to help, to be included, and it’s not just because they are learning new skills or receiving praise. Sure, they feel a sense of “big kid” accomplishment, and they enjoy the compliments. However, they are very perceptive and realize that helping is important.
Some people cringe at the thought of asking a small child to pick up his or her own toys or to help with simple tasks. They feel that this is taking something away from the child, robbing him or her of carefree childhood days. In my experience, the opposite is true. The child that sits around or watches TV while others do chores, may enjoy that status for a moment or two, but will soon begin to feel left out.
My youngest child actually feels hurt if she isn’t asked to help fold the towels, and she really gets upset if someone else sets the dinner table. She takes pride in her work and tells me how much I need her.
She’s right, I do, not so much to set the table or to fold the towels but to brighten my life with her smile, her thoughts, and her hugs. If letting her use her haphazard method to fold the towels makes her happy, then who am I to tell her no?
To tell the truth, she is a big helper. Those few extra minutes shaved off my day here and there really do make a difference especially on particularly busy days. So what if the towels aren’t perfectly creased and the forks end up on the wrong side of the plates once in a while? It warms my heart that my little one cares enough to help, and she feels wanted, and needed, and included, for being allowed to do so.