I figure it's never too early for Cubby to learn that the work around here is never done, and he's going to do his fair share of it, by God. To that end, I have already assigned him some chores to complete every day. Of course, at the moment he mostly fills a supervisory capacity. In that he watches me doing the chores, since he can't, you know, WALK yet.
But he can learn by example! And so every morning I load him up in his chariot and we wheel up to the chicken coop to let the chickens out. Lately, we've also been stopping to pick the black caps (also called wild raspberries or black raspberries) that grow in the forsythia hedge near the coop. Then we wheel down to the mailbox to get the newspaper. Sometimes we also continue on to the lake shore to pick yet more black caps that grow in the brushy areas there.
When we get back up to the house, it's time to get the laundry out of the machine to hang outside. He watches me to make sure I hang his diapers correctly so they bleach properly in the sun. Cubby takes his duties very seriously.
Then we go inside for a little snack and a nap. Except Cubby is the only one who gets to nap.
In the afternoon, it's back up to the chicken coop to gather the eggs from the nesting box, and then back down to the mailbox to pick up the mail. Then we deliver A.'s mail to his office upstairs. Sometimes we do a little picking up outside, sometimes we wheel out to the garden for a few quick chores or some harvesting.
Then another snack and another nap.
He usually monitors dinner preparations from his chariot as well. After all of this exhausting supervising, he's tired out and ready for bed by 6:30 p.m.
I know it seems harsh of me to require so much labor from a small infant, but I'm training him up. Someday--like as soon as he can walk unassisted-- he's going to have to go up to the chicken coop by himself, and I want him to be prepared for that happy day.
I am nothing if not a responsible parent.
Such a foundation he will have!
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness though, if you really do start making him do stuff around the place as young as possible it bodes well for his future. My mother had us making our own breakfast and doing our own laundry as soon as we could stand on a kitchen chair pushed up to the counter.
I remember making my own scrambled eggs at like 6 while standing on a chair pushed up to the stove. I've seen ten year olds these days that can't figure out how to put peanut butter on toast.
I imagine were she to do that now we'd have a visit from CPS. Ugh.
Wonderful AND he gets to do all this in his pjs. He is gonna love living there...he has to , it sounds like kid heaven. Beth
ReplyDeleteword verification 'rumphyr'
rumpelstilkin's dog
Cubby takes his doodies seriously. I crack myself up.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed that Cubby is so content to chill in his chariot. Certain other babies I know would not have tolerated THAT, no sir.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as he starts crawling, he has to earn his keep. Really. Cuteness alone is not enough.
ReplyDeleteGood for you!
ReplyDeleteI am training my grandson, as well. Yesterday he helped with the laundry--and chased the chickens out of the arugula for his mom.