The Petite Chef's Housekeeping Apprentice

I loathe housecleaning.  It is one of my biggest triggers.  When it can't be avoided, my strategy is generally to blast through it as quickly as possible, and woe betide anyone who dares to interrupt me!  I am gladdened and humbled to see that my children are developing differently.

My seven year old knocked a bag of fish food on the floor today, and the smelly little pellets rolled all over the floor.  As she started to clean them up, her little sister kept interrupting.  Twice she dumped the dust pan just as Ariana had nearly finished sweeping them all up.  I was heading over to intervene when she looked patiently over at her little sister and asked if she wanted to help.

Elena nodded enthusiastically, and Ariana glanced around quickly and spied a small inflatable palm tree.  "Look, Elena, that palm tree would be a perfect mop!  All you have to do is turn it upside down."  Elena happily began "mopping" the floor with the plastic palm tree.  Ariana finished sweeping and mopping up the floor with the real mop and together they beamed over a job well done.

I have written before about how much I learn from watching them interact, but wanted to post this to help me remember to look past the interruptions and seek creative ways to include and connect with my little ones.  Maybe, in another seven years, it will start to come as naturally to me as it does to my daughter.  <3