My youngest stepson Baxter was really in the mood to be helpful recently. One day he set out to the chicken coop all on his own, basket in hand, and came back with a load of eggs. He handed them to me and said, "I got the eggs." I thanked him and asked if he had checked all the nesting boxes, because it didn't seem like enough eggs. He said he couldn't reach one side, but then he disappeared again.
About fifteen minutes later he was back with more eggs. I asked how he got them if he couldn't reach. He explained that he had crawled up the ramp, through the chicken door, and into the henhouse! He said, "I saw how the chickens went in and I went that way." What a creative problem solver.
Then he said, "I was thinking maybe I should be in charge of getting the eggs when I'm here." I agreed that that was fabulous idea.
Later, I was rolling out some dough to make dog bones. Baxter, who likes to crawl around on the floor and pretend he's one of the pups too, sat by my feet pawing at me for a cookie. I said, "Sorry puppy, they aren't ready yet." So then he popped up and grabbed the child's apron I have hanging in the kitchen. He said, "Ok, well maybe I should make some then." I showed him how to roll the dough out from the center to get it evenly spread and then to cut the cookies close together, starting at the edge. Before long he was a pro.
He cut out an entire tray of bones, even re-rolling the dough on his own when he had cut out all he could from a batch.
Don't you just love it when the children are helpful and have fun doing it?
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