Playing At Work

Sometime between the ages of two and four years, our children become totally enthralled with the work that we are doing as adults. Whether we are gardening or doing indoor house chores, our children want their chance to help. Because children can't make the distinction between work and play, now is the chance for us to help them build a great attitude towards household chores, gardening, and any other type of "work" they may be doing as adults.

Do you remember when you wanted to help out around the house? Now, not when you "had" to, but when you wanted to! Stop a minute and think back. Remember when you thought you were helping to polish the floor by putting some socks on and skating back and forth? Boy, was that fun or what? Remember washing the dishes, and taking the soap bubbles in your hand and blowing them across the kitchen to see if they would float? What about scrubbing the toilets? Remember watching the cleaning solution go down the toilet when you flushed it, taking the "invisible" germs with it? What an accomplishment that felt like!

Playtime becomes playful work for our kids when she/he "works" for you, teaching them that they will start the activity with an "end" in mind. When they put away the groceries, the end will be to empty the bag. When they help to mop the floor, then "end" will be a clean floor, free of spots or dried spills. They will learn as well, that work does not have to be dull and serious. Try playing some music, and working to the music, or dancing around with the vacuum cleaner.

Children who don't "play" at work, are deprived of a truly enjoyable learning experience. Besides building motivational skills and hand/eye coordination, their brains are practicing at sequencing, the "carrying out" of a planned activity to completion or the "end" result. She/he will even begin to see how their cooperation and contribution affects the finished result.

Go ahead! Let your children "help"! Even though it may take patience and understanding on your part, you will be so very proud a few years down the road when your children bring a project to you that they have created, or you go to see them participate in an activity, and they have no problem cooperating as a member of the "team" or "group".

Get busy now! Let them join you cooking dinner, cleaning the house, and washing the dishes. Just think, you will even have a little helper when you garden this year! Put them in their swimsuit, and let them "play" at watering the garden!

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