4 Reasons to let young kids do chores

Z is the youngest, and she stays close to me. She draws up her stool or bench to the stove, table, or counter and digs right in. Everyone agrees she is (out of all the kids) most like me. I always have a little helper. Sometimes it's overwhelming, because I don't want her help.  
Sometimes I need to move fast, and don't have time for encouragement or instruction. The thing is she is a leader, she doesn't want to hear anything from me; and when she's focused, don't ever try to stop her.

I first wrote about helping kids manage play spaces here, but what happens when they want to help you manage your space? At 21 months, I know it's not practical to call her from her activities to come and help with specific chores, but make no mistake, putting away toys and helping to gather dirty clothes for laundry is something she excels in - if she is in the mood. If she's not in a good mood, then don't even ask.

The question is if I have to encourage and bargain with my child to put away toys, why in the world does she want to help me cook, or clean alongside me? I think the answer is obvious - it just seems more interesting.  Honestly, most of the time it seems like a lose-lose from my side. Having a (sort-of) Waldorf inspired home, purposeful work is always at the forefront of my mind. However, I spend my whole day with kids, instructing, grooming ,encouraging; it can be a bit daunting. At the end of the day, there are just some things that I need to get done - as soon as possible.

Many parents know what I am talking about here. The pressure of having a little one hanging around trying to imitate mom or dad when time is of an essence can be complicated. In fact, the time it takes to get the chore done is not only doubled or tripled, but also leaving me with an end result of rattled nerves.

Lately, Z insists on being a helper every single day, and I have been complying because there are so many benefits to allowing and teaching a child to do anything, especially if her heart is set on it.
But I'll be honest, the above reason was my 2nd thought, the reality is that at first I was worn out from trying to keep her distracted so that I could do my work.
Here are some reasons I let my young kid do chores/work with me (even when I really don't have the time):  
Great bonding/teaching moments - We are all busy parents, and it seems the only time we get to spend with our kids is when we are worn out. It's great for kids to be a part of the fixing/cleaning process, instead of having you walk around them.

Teaches patience - This goes both ways. From a parents' standpoint a simple task can become a momentous task with the help of a child - get over it! Commit to allowing your child to help at least once a week. From a child's point of view helping can sometimes be on their terms- my 4 year old does this. A task that takes more than 5 minutes, and calls for a lot of attention teaches him that work is not always fun.

Promotes a positive attitude - Often as children grow, they hear us mumbling and complaining about how stressful this or that is. The word chore or work seems like an inherently negative things. Having your child help with small jobs, can make them feel that they are giving back, not just taking. As they get older this is very important.

Teaches responsibility - Of course at 21 months I will not be lecturing my child about household responsibilities, but they do grow so fast. Allowing kids to start early by helping around the house, says a few things:

• you are a contributor to our family
• you have skills
• you can learn skills

There may come a time when chores will become "boring". My teens are notorious for using this word to describe just about anything these days. Perhaps even you will be seen as boring :) Essentially, your child will just not be interested in tagging along or listening to you explain how to do a specific task. Until that time comes (if it does), I say treasure the days, however many you are given, and keep encouraging your child to do just a little each day.

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