Top Ten Chores for the Preschooler

I have always been a firm believer in putting kids to work before they're even out of diapers. Now, I'm not Cinderella's evil stepmother. I love my kids. I play with them, read to them, and take them out for lots of ice cream. I'm a nice Mommy, really I am. But when observing the animal world, it seems that Mommy animals spend an awful lot of time teaching their young to take care of themselves. It makes sense that this be one of my top jobs, too.

As a former middle school teacher, I noticed that the kids with responsibilities and chores at home tend to have a strong work ethic that carries over into their studies and academic success. Plus, these kids are just plain nice to be around. One of my teaching mentors went as far as to say that we should never do for children that which they are capable of doing themselves.

Now that I am a mom to a toddler and preschooler, I see opportunities for learning or having fun in almost every household chore. Most of the time, "work" is really play for little ones, as they eagerly mimic our actions to be grown-up. The chores may take longer than if you just did them yourself, and the result may not be as good. But the real result will come from the seeds of responsibility and self-esteem you are planting in your children. Here are the top ten chores for the preschoolers in my house.