Charlie Chores

This post will be multi-purose.
1.) So I can remember what Charlie would do to "help" at this age to keep things fair.
2.) To prove to Charlie someday that he LIKED helping with chores. (he's also obsessed with washing his hands right now. Let this be a permanent record)

He's very eager to help with most things around the house. This morning he even took it upon himself to "label" some milk bags for me with the permanent marker.

• Unload the dishwasher. He loves putting away the silverware by standing on his chair. This is a great sorting activity as well. (I take out the sharp knives first!) He also puts away the plastic containers, cutting boards and other items stored below and hands all of the plates, glasses and bowls to me to put up.
• Putting soap in the dishwasher is & pushing the button is the best part.
• Dirty clothes into the washer, pushing the buttons & putting in the soap.
• Takes the recycling out to the garage and sorts it appropriately.
• Feeding the dog & cat
• Will clean up his own messes he spills on the floor.
• Holding the dust pan when we're sweeping. 
• He LOVES emptying out the vaccum. The other day I was putting some baby clothes away in space bags & every time I would seal up a bag he would take the canister off & get disappointed because it was empty and then put it back on.
• Picking out his own clothes. Not really a chore I guess, but he also likes to put his clothes away and knows what goes where. (Also likes to "accidently" tip over baskets of folded laundry)
• You'd think with being such a big cleaner-upper he'd like picking up his toys. This is actually the hardest task to get him to do but he will eventually.
• I have no doubts he would scrub the toilet every day if we would ask him to. The toilet brush & plunger have not lost their luster with him though it's not very often I catch him running off with them anymore.

Most of these things he has been doing for several months now and some even as far back as last summer when he started walking. These items take longer to accomplish with his help but we are definitely encouraging him to help out & give him a lot of praise for doing so.

Speaking of praise, the other morning when I buckled him into the carseat, he told me to "get in". When I got in my seat, he said, "Good job, mama!" Positive reinforcment and praise are definitely a good thing because it made me feel good being praised by a 2-year old for something so easy & silly :)