MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER

Recorded in 1965 by the Rolling Stones, “Kids are different today, I hear ev'ry mother say”, Mother’s Little Helper had a meaning all its own. But has anything really changed in four decades? “Kids are different today” can be said of the generations that came long after that song.

There was a day when DD was a 7-year old. She came home from school, disappointed that her favorite after-school play clothes were not ready to wear. With feet spread apart and hands on her hips, out of her mouth spewed the words “what did you do all day”. It echoes in my memory to this day.

Not tall enough to reach the washing machine, I pulled up a Little Tykes step-stool. Thus began the first lesson in doing laundry for my 2^nd grader. “Intro to Laundry 101” and I never looked back. Indeed, her big brother was taught the same lesson and when her younger brother was tall enough, he learned the lesson as well.

It wasn’t until DS2 was in 4^th grade did he realize it was a mother’s “job” to do the laundry. Shocked that a classmate arrived to school ‘out of uniform’, JJ tried to blame his mother for not doing the laundry! [If you have children, you know that at some point, everything is your fault]. DS2 expressed surprise that JJ would place the blame on his mom. You see, all these years, he thought every child had to wash his own clothes.

SOUND THE BUGLE! Today’s tip: Busy moms should avail themselves to the little helpers in their homes. If your child can toddle, your child can drag a mesh bag of laundry on the floor. After all, the clothes are already dirty! Elicit the curious nature of your pre-schooler to sort darks and whites or just fill a mesh bag with dirty laundry and drag it to the washing machine. Use the step-stool to have your child fill the washing machine. As your children age, add more responsibility, such as adding the laundry detergent on their own. What a time-saver, delegating a chore to Mother’s Little Helper!