Little HelpersDo your kids like to help you? Whether you are in the kitchen, garden, cleaning, shopping etc – they want to be a part of it and help out. 

That’s my daughter. Her favorite line is “Ina help!” and it sure is adorable. 

Do you ever find yourself getting frustrated because these chores take longer with all the extra “help”? You know if you just did it on your own you would be done in a fraction of the time? We have filled our days to the max and we are bouncing from one commitment to the next with little time to breathe. 

I know I get frustrated or I am quick to say “not today”. But the look on my little girl’s face when she’s so proud of herself because she stirred up the tuna noodle casserole all by herself is priceless (no matter how much cream of mushroom soup, peas and noodles are all over the counter!). 

I know it may not be “help” in the way she intends it to be, but she definitely is helping me in other ways. 

Her small acts of “helping” have helped me to slow down. Instead of always being in a rush to get things done, I get to stop and participate in her joy. She’s bringing me to enjoy these monotonous daily tasks I would otherwise do without a second thought. They are now precious memories of laughter, messes and memories. She continues to help me to remember what’s really important in life. 

And by letting her “help” me, I’m helping her too. I’m helping her to learn how to cook, clean and shop. I’m helping her to feel valued, showing her she can accomplish tasks on her own. Teaching her patience, directions, measuring, responsibility and having fun in the process.

So, while I can make a tuna noodle casserole faster alone, we’re really getting a lot more done when we do it together!