Hey Dads! Do you ever notice one of your kids out of the corner of your eye? Something that just seems off but you’re focused on something else that’s probably highly important. Then you actually turn your head to see what’s going on and maybe there’s a ladder leaning against the house or something is on fire or someone is about to jump out of a tree onto the trampoline. Sometimes dads notice these things and sometimes we don’t.
We have people of many ages in our house. Our eldest is 20 and our youngest is two. There are seven girls and three boys. Believe it or not, mom and dad do not always have an eye on everything going on throughout the organization. Well, usually mom does. To keep the organization running almost smoothly each member has various roles and responsibilities.
Doing dishes is not an entry level job. It requires some height to reach the sink and some care to prevent the smashing of dishes and such. But little children sometimes want to copy what they see their older siblings do. The other night our two-year old, Juniper, decided she was going to give dishes a shot. Like most toddlers, she is somewhat of an expert at splashing around in water. It was after dinner so family members were strewn about the house in various stages of pre-bedtime preparation. A few family members, including dear ol’ dad, were sitting in the living room within sight of the kitchen. Juniper dragged a tall wooden stool over from the kitchen island to the kitchen sink. If you’ve ever stood on a stool you can maybe see where this is going. My personal experience of standing on stools isn’t positive.
Juniper climbed up on the stool, turned on the sink and started “washing” dishes. This meant reaching her tiny arms into the sink, into the flowing water, splashing various items around, spilling water on the floor, etc. Due to her limited body height and limited arm length she had to stretch over that tiny strip of counter on the edge of the sink. We soon heard Juniper calling, “Kids! I need help!”
All family members within earshot looked over and saw Juniper balancing on her belly with her little feet floating in the air. As her legs hung in the air she had kicked the stool away from counter and was now stuck in limbo and in need of assistance. Big sister Florence came to the rescue and collected Juniper from her precarious position. All is well. We know who is next in line to be on dish duty but perhaps some more training and a step ladder is necessary. Is there a chore around your house that you can train an eager child to do? I suspect there is one or two or a whole pile. Time flies, dad. Make every moment count! Even the precarious ones.
Jason Weening helps with chores with his 10 kids and 1 patient wife. Read more in his book, “Yes, Dear…I’m Watching Them” on Amazon.