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Following up from my post “Parenting advice from a Montessori Pro”, I wanted to add some ideas of activities that parents can encourage their young children to do. The more your little girl or boy is allowed to help around the house, the higher their sense of self-respect will be. All your everyday chores might take you a little longer with this exercise, but the end result should bring every parent much satisfaction, not only as your children learn to help with the house chores, but as their self-esteem flourishes.

Here are some ideas of activities for young children at home:

• setting and clearing the table
• folding napkins
• washing and drying the dishes
• bringing in the mail and newspapers
• caring for plants: watering, misting, removing dead leaves
• sorting and folding laundry
• collecting the linens and towels that need to be laundered
• putting away groceries
• filling the water glasses at the dinner table
• sorting the shoes in the hall closet
• preparing for bath time and tidying afterward
• gardening: planting bulbs, cutting flowers, raking leaves

Also, here are some ideas to do around your home to provide a friendlier environment for your little children:

• provide shelves for toys, books and games. Try to avoid toy boxes.
• have some area in the kitchen or family room with some low shelves or a cabinet where some of the child’s things may be stored. A child size table and chair is also a great idea.
• avoid having too many toys. If you have too many toys available for your kids, they will end up not spending much time with any of them. Rotate the toys to create new interest.
• provide low hooks for your child to hang his or her own clothes.
• provide a stepping stool for your child to reach the sink and toilet.

I have come to realize that I have to learn to give my two young daughters more credit as to what they are able to do. The more I encourage them to help around the house, the more it becomes natural and I know that in the long term, their self-esteem will greatly benefit.

Maria

PerryWinkles Kids – specializing in little girls’ smocked dresses