WW: Painting

Easy Toddler Chores

I know what you're thinking. "Really?" Yes, really. My 2 year old does "chores", and let me tell you why.

Growing up, the only time I had to do "chores" was on the weekend. I'd have to make my bed and dust in the living room. Occasionally I'd have to vacuum. It wasn't until I was 20 years old and moving into an apartment that I learned how to wash my own clothes. Yes, I was very spoiled. At the time of course, I thought I was living the life! Most of my friends had daily chores, or spent all of Saturday morning cleaning, but not me. It wasn't until I had my own family that I realized that it was actually detrimental that I didn't do chores as a child. It's so much harder to get into a routine when you're not USED to doing it.

So I decided I was going to start Adelei out young. She might not do much now, but at least she'll grow up with a routine and hopefully she'll be better at this whole thing than I am.

The best part about chores with Adelei is she's still young enough to think it's fun [usually].

Here are some things that she does around the house:

-Makes her bed 

Right now it's more like she throws her blanket, animals, and pillow on there, but we'll work on neatness later.

-Helps me put clothes in the dryer

This? May be the most fun thing for her. It's kind of like throwing a ball through a hoop. How can that not be fun? Especially when I cheer her on.

-Picks up her toys

Our living room isn't very big, so when she has all of her toys scattered throughout, it can be a little annoying. Several times in the day I have her pick up the toys she's not using and put them away. Then, before bedtime I help her put them all away. I noticed that productivity increases when she has help.

-Cleans up her messes

If she spills some milk, she cleans it up. If she tears the paper off of a crayon, she cleans it up. You get the idea. 

What chores do your children do?

Adelei's Favorite Apps

Adelei LOVES all things technology. Of course that's not really surprising, most kids do. But don't leave your phone [or iPod, or Nook, etc] just lying around. She knows how to turn them on and how to unlock the simple lock screen. Baby genius or the product of a tech savvy generation? I'll let you decide. Anyway, here are a few of her favorite apps! 

Zoodles 

I was introduced to this app by a friend who's kids used it and loved it! Being a free download, I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only does it have a ton of popular age appropriate videos, it also has an art studio, and a library [where you can record yourself reading for your child to hear!]. The best part, though? It's all in kid mode! Which means that once you get in the app, they can't get out! NO more random phone calls or asjdlkfjaks text messages! 

Netflix

I can't tell you how many times having this app has saved my sanity on a grocery trip. They have some really great shows on there that are not only fun, but full of learning! Some of Adelei's favorites include Sesame Street, Super Why!, and LeapFrog Phonics Farm.

Pandora

Every night at bed time, we turn on the nursery rhyme station on Pandora. We sing a little, dance a little, and before you know it, baby girl is fast asleep.

ABC Mouse

Adelei loves to 'play' ABC Mouse on the computer, but let's be honest, NO one wants to sit at the computer all of the time. Luckily, she can play a condensed version on the iPod. This definitely comes in handy on road trips!

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn

These apps have fun little songs to learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, & more! It's a nice change of pace from flash cards and workbooks.

What are some of your children's favorite apps?