Last year, Marshall and I mostly spent our days at home learning (and playing), (lots of playing!). As a stay at home mom, I do all the household chores. Dada helps me at times when he’s not that tired from work, but usually, I do everything. And then I realize, should I involve Marshall as early at his age? Anyway, we’re buddies at home so why not let him help me with all my house works? hehe! Just kidding!
But seriously, I want him to have the responsibility and lend me a hand, at the earliest possible time. It was around May last year, which I guess was a perfect time since Marshall was not yet attending his pre-school, (he was still 2 1/2 years old at that time). I started teaching him some of my basic household routine one of which is, washing the dishes.
But turns out.. uhm, just watch the video hehe 😉
If you think kids can help with the dishes, well.. think again. #butatleastwesharedagoodlaugh
Posted by Jenelyn Palogod-Uboñgen on Tuesday, May 17, 2016
I thought to myself, is it still too early to give him a simple task to do since he thinks everything is just a play? But then again, when you watched the video, he still tried his best to help me in his own funny way. And I figure out, it would be better for him to learn when he is having fun. At the same time, I also need to emphasize what he is expected to do. Aside from picking up and fixing his toys after use, slowly, he was able to catch up with our routine. Here’s a video of him doing our household chores. 😉
When he turned 3 last November, Dada and I both agreed for him to go to preschool. He’s at school every Mondays and Tuesdays for the whole day. After school, he will rest for about half an hour and we will water the plants. I asked him to do the watering daily and he’s good at reminding me cause I tend to forget about it. Every Wednesday, we both attend a half day playgroup session and then he will have the whole afternoon to rest, and play of course. Thursdays would be our weekly fun activities which coincide with some of my household chores like laundry and dishwashing or at times cooking as well, and he would help out. He would also do the dishes with me during Friday after breakfast and lunch. He’s free thereafter until Sunday. Of course, we tell Marshall how happy we are and how we appreciate it when he’s contributing to the tasks. During weekends, we would allow him to use Ipad, as a reward, only if he remembers it. If not, then better. Mind you, he’s already reminding us on Friday mornings, haha!
Most kids nowadays may be very much pampered. I’m not the perfect parent and I also have a lot of flaws when it comes to parenting, but personally, I think that involving our kids to chores is very vital to a family life. It gives them a sense of competence and responsibility, plus the fact that it lessens my stress as well. 😉
*Proverbs 10:4-5 4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. 5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Like you, I also teach my son to do chores at home. I don’t want him to grow up na walang alam sa bahay. Each year, nadadagdagan ang chore niya depende sa kaya niya. 🙂
in the end tayo din mahihirapan pag wala silang alam sa household chores e noh?
We try to give chores to our daughter too. Now that she’s 6, she’s the one who puts a new plastic bag in the trash, aside from tidying up her toys. It’s really good to start them young.
oh nice idea for the trash, I can ask my son to do the same thing too! 🙂
I think it’s great when kids help. My daughter who is barely too can help get the remote and pick uo her toys.
picking up the toys is a must i guess, tutal sila naman ang naglalaro hehe! 🙂
I am most guilty of this as I usually just let my son play or watch movies on the tellie as I toil away with chores. Although, sometimes my little man surprises me when he helps out even without telling. I just wish he’d do it often, though! Haha
actually before gusto ko ako na lang din lahat para mas mabilis, kaya lang nakakapagod talaga pag ako lang, so I might as well teach him early na din. Good thing your son’s also helping out 😉
I totally agree with you that it’s important for kids to be involved in the house work. I made the mistake of not doing that when my son was younger, and now it’s so hard to get him to help out! I wish I started him young. I really think it would have made such a big difference.
Oh really? Medyo mahirap na nga pag medyo older na, compared when younger, nabobola pa. hehe 😉
Aww what a perfect mother and son relationship! I can’t wait for my daughter to turn 3 so she can also help me with chores haha just kidding! But seriously, this is a good example of how we must teach our children the value of hard work and to avoid spoiling them. 🙂
hehe! I was hesitant at first kasi mine is a boy, pero I better teach him as well kasi bihira na rin mga guys na marunong gumawa ng houseworks 🙂
My son’s a few months away from his 2nd birthday, but he, unknowingly, helps me out with a chore. He gets restless when he’s sitting in his high chair while I do the laundry so I take him with me to the laundry area. When the washing is done, he takes the whatever clothes he can reach and hands them to me so I can hang it to dry. Basang-basa kami after. Hahaha! He thinks we’re playing. It’s good to teach them housework. Kahit boys, you know, they’re going to grow up, and maybe one day get married. I’ve been telling my husband how our Popy needs to learn kasi he’ll need to help out our future daughter-in-law with chores especially during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Oh no! thinking about my son getting married makes me emotional as early as now, hahah! but yeah agree with you that it will help a lot in the future :))
I hope that all parents will teach their kids to do household chores. It’s for their own good din kasi, so that when we’re not here they can do it on their own.
I agree mommy levy! lalo when they grow older, it won’t be so difficult for them to be on their own when they know how to do the basic chores 😉
I also believe in letting the kids in on doing chores plus cleaning up after themselves. Looks like your little one had a lot of fun washing the dishes. I got curious about the preschool. It’s really whole day for Monday and Tuesday? Won’t the kids be too tired if it runs for very long?
apparently that’s how some preschool and day cares are here in sydney, pero they have 2 hours nap time after lunch. kaya 2 days ko lang din inenrol yung son ko kasi medyo nde ren ako comfortable na whole day sya considering 3 yo pa lang. 😉
I taught my daughter, my eldest; to do household chores at 5. When she turned 7 she already knew how to wash the dishes and cook rice. I found it hard for my son, he is already 7 but he hardly does washing the dishes but he can sweep the floor and he wipes the table after every meal
wow at 7, she can cook rice na. I think I’ve learned how to do that when I was already in high school, hehe. good job mommy 😉
I also try to involve my children in doing household chores because I want them to be independent and responsible.
agree mommy peachy! 🙂
I always find it sweet of the kids when they offer help even if those super little ones makes the mess a lot bigger when they try to help with theor little hands, its still fun and rewarding to see them that way. And i know they will be able to learn it until they grow up..
yes, sometimes (or oftentimes, hehe) they make more mess when they help, but i totally agree that it is still fun and rewarding 🙂
Michele, I, too am a caregiver of my parents along with my two sisters. It's hard because two of us live out of town, and it takes some serious planning to map out time to help out. I am so thankful that there are many services available to seniors now. We093&#;re working on a home health aide now.
I also have a blog entry about kids chores :)Teaching them how to do some chores at home would be a great help in molding the kids to become responsible and disciplined.
Hi mommy meg! Yes, I guess that’s one of the important things, for them to be responsible when they grow older. 🙂
In our household,the boys have their specific tasks to do aside from the random utos. Most of the time, they do their chores without reminder na and that makes me proud of them. I just hope they wouldn’t think of it as child labor, ehehe. Most of their classmates kasi do not have tasks at home.
Wow, nakakaproud yun mommy Berlin to think that they have grown more responsible than the rest 😉
Now that’s sutble! Great to hear from you.
Totally agree with you! We sometimes give monetary rewards to our 6yo. He saves it to buy a toy or meal he wants. 🙂
Hi mommy Korai, at least as early as now he already know that before he can get something, he needs to “work” for it 😉
I am yaya-less, so I encourage my kids (they are 4 and 5 y/o) to help around the house, especially in packing away their toys. What I noticed is that my kids are more independent and responsible now since we stopped hiring a yaya, which is a good thing 🙂
Hi Mommy Ayi! It’s so nice when you see them helping around noh? Nkakabawas ng stress hehe 🙂
It’s good to start early when it comes to teaching kids about responsibility and housework. We always tell them they can’t be dependent on hired help.
yes agree, and not every time we won’t be around too, especially when they grow older 😉
Couldn’t stop giggling at your video. What an adorable little boy you have there. I agree that we should teach them responsibilities around the house as early in their lives as we can. My kids have chores too, though simple like cleaning up their toys, making their beds, and sweeping when they make messes. I also task them to fill up the water jugs. But I seldom make them wash dishes because I have allergies from the dish soap and I’m afraid they’ll have it too. I have to start planning for Messy Bessy so I can get them to do it more regularly without being afraid of getting their hands burnt by the chemicals of the popular brands.
Hehe thank you! Pinoy na pinoy, ginawang “tabo”! It’s so nice to see that boys are doing the household chores mommy may noh? 😉
I like the bonding activity of watering the plants together – a sense of responsibility to instill like packing up the toys.
Yes, mommy jem! I was thinking of other light works pa na he can participate as well, hehe 😉
I believe that doing chores is a good thing for kids. I think it teaches them how to become responsible individuals. 🙂
Yes mommy Denice, agree 😉
I believe that, as parents, it’s our responsibility to teach our children how to survive in our world and that includes knowing how to do things around the house. It’s never too early to start as well as we give age-appropriate chores. 🙂 Good job for teaching your son.
*As long as 🙂
thank you mommy Janice! I like the words “survive in our world”.. agree, in the end tayo din actually ang mahihirapan if they don’t manage how to survive. 🙂
Hands-on moms like us need all the help we can get. Enlisting the help of our children will take some burden off our back and will make our kids responsible members of the family.
I totally agree mommy that it really helps a lot seeing our kids help us.. less stress 😉
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I’m also teaching my son some of the basic shores like cleaning his toys after playing, which for me it is a big help for him
just picking up their toys is already a BIG help, right? 😉
Teaching the kids to help at home minsan is mas stressful pa as when you just let them be, but because we love them, we take it as a responsibility to teach them and pray that they learn something when the time comes.
yes mommy Lani, in a way stressful din lalo when they make more mess, considering that they’re actually “helping”,hehe. But yes, because we love them so much, even if it gets messier, we still teach them because we know that it’s for their own good 🙂
Same here when he is growing up I am teaching him some chores, even though we have ate in the house who does everything for us we still help one another. So some simple chores is assigned for our little kulit and he is excited to do it
I guess it’s better to teach kids as early as possible noh? kasi excited pa sila, natutuwa pa hehe 😉
I let my child do simple chores at home to stir her interests and equip her later on in life.
Yes mommy, I totally believe that learning basic chores will help them in the future. 🙂
I love the way you teach your son to do chores not as chores but something fun and enjoyable. I always believe that if you put your heart into every thing you do, it won’t be a hard thing to do. 🙂
It’s good to start them early, Mommy. It will really help them a lot – para sa kanila din yan along the way. Our guidance will lead them to a better life in the future. 🙂