SISTER WISDOM

Mars is my favorite helper. And oooooooh, does she love to help. Last summer she helped me plant my herb garden:

She also likes to help her Daddy with anything. He finished closing in the carport last year, so now he has a nice workshop full of tools and amazing things to fix. Mara has her own set of tools and she loves it when she gets to go out and help Daddy fix things:

One of her most frequently repeated requests is “Mara help?” Sometimes I love it; sometimes I just want to get through the task, and I know that having a helper doesn’t usually mean a speedier process. But I’ve been working on making her my helper since she was old enough to understand simple commands. Back around 8 months old, I started teaching her sign language; this helped her communicate with me before she could talk. Around the same time I taught her to stay on the rug while she played, which helped keep the toys in one area and helped me to get other things done without chasing her around the house. Soon she learned how to pick up her toys, though that’s still something we have to work on…

Once she learned how to walk (not until 16 months old), she became my gopher. Her brother was born on the night she learned to walk – how’s that for timing – so I helped her learn the location of useful stuff in the house: diapers, wipes, cream, burp cloths, toys, blankets. She didn’t get it all right away, of course, but because I praised her for her efforts and thanked her when she succeeded, helping became something that she now loves to do.

Now she is 2 1/2 years old, and she really is helpful. She knows how to go get her brother’s pacifier and blanket, grab her shoes and put them on, fetch toys, get the rag from the sink, clear her plate and cup after meals, wipe down the table (which usually needs a little follow-up, but hey, she’s learning) and a lot of other helpful little tasks.

And some not so helpful – but still thoughtful – items as well. This morning I got up from the computer to go to the bathroom, which I announced for no particular reason. “Mommy’s going potty.” Mara immediately ran into the bathroom, removed her little potty seat from the toilet, and waited expectantly. I walked in, and she pointed and said, “Mommy go potty!” Then she got some toilet paper for me, and offered (helpfully), “Need more?”

Privacy rights aside, it’s great to have a little girl who wants to be helpful to her Mommy and Daddy. Sometimes the helping slows me down, especially when it involves kitchen tasks, but I go out of my way to include her. This is how she learns what Mommy and Daddy do, and how she fits into our family picture. She’s a small child, sure, and we care for her more than she helps us, at this point. But that balance will continue to swing as she gets older. I plan on handing over all the household chores to her by the time she’s 6.

JUST KIDDING.

Maybe I’ll still do the laundry…