Homework

You can learn so much from blogs. Not only is this a great justification for spending so much of my spare time reading blogs, it is also very true.

It has been since I started reading blogs that I realized, "Hey! I don't have to do all this stuff myself!" I have been seriously under-estimating a 4 year olds capabilities for being useful to the household.

In the last few weeks Dale has gotten a few new jobs, in addition to his old assignments of making his bed, and putting away his clothes and toys at the end of each day. He is now also responsible for:

- emptying the clean silverware tray from the dishwasher (this is usually every morning)

- clearing plates, bowls, silveware, glasses & cups after each meal and putting them into the dishwasher (this one is pretty flexible... sometimes we ask him to do just his, sometimes we all do it together, and it isn't always EVERY meal)

- sweeping up all the foodstuffs from under the table & high-chair
Because those two boys drop almost as much food as they eat.
Because we don't have a dog.
Because I was tired of doing it (or not doing it, and constantly crunching cheerios and squishing scrambled egg. Ew.) He has his own little whisk-broom set for this, but lately he likes using the big broom. Whatever floats your boat, son. Just no more leftovers between my toes, 'kay?

I hope to add more and more to this as time goes by. He can handle it. And it's time he started pulling some of his own weight around here.

Seriously, though, it was nice after lunch today when Alan was in Hold Me Every Moment mode. I put up the food one handed while balancing a baby on my hip, and while I did that, Dale put away our dishes. No bending & stooping for me, and the job took half the time! :)

All that time spent reading blogs? Definitely parenting research!