Big Helper

The older Caleb gets, the harder it is to keep things clean around here. If I'm putting clothes away, he's probably in the closet pulling my shoes off the rack. While I'm trying to make the bed, you might find him shredding the toilet paper or playing with the water in the potty -- you might even hear it flush a few times. I may get all the toys picked up and organized on his shelf, but when I turn around, there will probably be a pile of books from where Caleb has pulled each one to the floor in a pile around his feet.

Caleb is a good boy though and tries his best to help Mommy and Daddy clean up messes when he can. He's also become quite the little copycat, imitating so much of what he sees us do. He watched Daddy throw clothes in the hamper, so now Caleb helps by throwing his shoes and toys in there to be cleaned as well. When Dave is crawling around the floor cleaning the food Caleb dropped (or threw down), Caleb gets on all fours and makes his way through the mess too. One day when Dave used a rag to wipe up the floor, Caleb decided to grab one to help too; unfortunately, his "rag" was the dress shirt Dave had taken off after work and hung up nearby. Other times, Caleb decides there's no need for wiping up the floor; he just squats down and picks up a few pieces for a post dinner snack.

He makes sure to assist me when I need it too. For example, sometimes he helps me unload the dishwasher by putting the silverware on the floor or moving it to the washing machine for a second wash. When I need another set of hands to fold laundry, Caleb is up for the job. (The only problem is he's a little confused about if he's supposed to fold it or unfold it. ) There are also occasions when he thinks I need help brushing my teeth, so we get the job done together, both grasping the handle of the toothbrush.

Oh, and any time the Swiffer vacuum comes out, he assumes it is his job to push it around the room.


He's pretty much got the hang of the broom and dustpan as well. He'll actually sweep into the pan just like he sees me do.



While some of the tasks mentioned above are a bit of a challenge for such a little boy, he does do a great job of helping to pick up things and put them back in their appropriate box or tub. So, when he dumps out my scrapbooking materials on the floor, we sit together and he follows my lead as I pick up each small piece, placing it back in the plastic container.

He's getting there slowly but surely....