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on Wednesdays, help mommy make dinner on Mondays, and sweeping and dusting on Fridays. Now that may seem like I have a little Cinderella but please note she is not expected to be perfect or perform more than a few minutes. Also note she will ask to do all of these chores as often as she can. Most importantly she can successfully perform all of the chores without frustration so only praise is given. She can wash the cleanest plastic cups in town, fit enough dog food in a bowl for a week, crack the eggs to music, and sweep and dust all the grim right under the couch.

With the proper attitude from mom a toddler is quite handy and cute with a mop. Her helping may not always be helpful but keeping in mind we are building little people it is worth all the extra water on the floor or a few egg shells in the pancakes. Chores benefit the child by developing a sense of self-esteem and responsibility. Sure they all become that 10 year old that hates doing dishes but that 10 year old knows the value in getting a job done. As long as your toddler is happy and being praised doing chores can be rewarding for both of you. Warning: if you are a perfectionist and cringe at the thought of learning what a clean mess is than don't assign chores to your toddler. At such a young age all she does outside of sheer disobedience should be rewarded and praised even if just for the effort.

Learn more about this author, Joelle Synclair.
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