Mommy’s Little Helper

As the arrival of baby #2 nears I realize how much I appreciate the little things that Jack can do. Most of it takes in to account that he is closer to the ground than I am and can pick things up with much more ease right now. Now if only he knew how to tie my shoes….

He helps put laundry in the washer (front loader) and will move clothes from washer to dryer. He mans the grocery cart at the store; stacking cans and boxes  in the back of the cart (he sits in the front), and counting out fruits and veggies in the produce section. You just have to remember he can be a bit of clod so eggs, bread, and yogurt need to be placed where he can’t step on them.

Jack really thinks being “Mommy’s Helper” is fun and my back is spared. For the most part it is a good deal. However, there are times when his helpfulness is a little too helpful. For example, at daycare he learned how to clear his plate and cup after lunch and put it in a tub so it can go to the kitchen to be washed. He does the same thing at home. Only problem is our counters are a bit higher than the ones at daycare so he can’t reach the sink to dump out leftover juice/milk/water. Unknown to me he had solved that problem by pouring out the extra liquid in the laundry room garbage can. Oooo the ‘mystery smell;’ took close to a week and Kevin catching him in the act to figure that one out. (Shortly after that I figured out the he had poured all his shampoo into the bathroom garbage so he could use the bottle as a tub toy….gotta love the logic of a 2 year old.)

The other problem with clearing his own dishes is that he also likes to clear Mom and Dad’s dishes to. His dishes are plastic. Our dishes are glass. The sink is porcelain. See the problem? He is so quick to hustle of your empty water glass too…there have been some near misses, but so far we have only lost one glass.