One Dollar Wednesday: Chores for Tots

     It's about that time in Camp's young life to be taking on more responsibility. Since he's too young to get a job delivering newspapers or folding t-shirts at Old Navy, I'll let him help out with some "chores" at home. It just makes sense to start with chores now when the little guy actually enjoys these activities. And this new to the blog activity is free as long as you have some cleaning supplies on hand. Give this kid a Swiffer with a new pad or a mini brush with dustpan, and ABRACADABRA: Chores for Tots!

Some other "tot chores" that we've tested with adult supervision at our house are: cleaning up spills with a towel, putting wet laundry into the dryer, vacuuming, taking out the dirty diaper bags, and unloading the dishwasher. Of course, you can't expect perfect results when you put a 15 month old in charge, but every little bit helps!

What kind of household duties does your little one help with at home?

Fork It Over!

For the last month or so, I have been letting Camp use a spoon to eat some of the less messy meals. We mostly just practice with thick-as-I-can-make-it oatmeal and grits, but he's been known to spoon out some applesauce as well. He has shown a real interest in taking bites from my fork, so I finally got him a set of his own toddler sized forks. His first practice was with broccoli and cheese. You can't tell from his facial expressions, but he really liked using his fork (and eating the broccoli) once he figured it out!

Airplane Blueberries

During mealtimes, Jonathan and I often have a little fun with Camp by feeding him with the "airplane" technique. Jonathan is way better at making airplane sounds, but Camp doesn't seem to mind that my sounds aren't very realistic. Lately, the little guy wants to mimic everything we do. A few evenings ago, while eating his blueberries, we captured this funny mealtime moment. Be sure to turn the volume up so you can hear his sound effects.