I Do It!

[WImom]

How to handle the two year old that wants to do everything! I'm all for helping them gain independance on alot of things but she will start crying if I turn the bathroom light on or hand her a towel. We have a helper job chart but she wants to do everyone else jobs too.

I normally do both of these things because A) I don't want them to go potty on the floor trying to reach the light switch and B) I hand them a towel so they don't knock them all over and I have to either rewash them or refold them all.

There are many more things but these are the two recent. What do you say to kids like this? I want her to keep doing things on her own but how do you nicely but firmly tell them they can't do everything, I need to do somethings and other kids need to do their own jobs?

[laundrymom]

I say ... Great idea,... I dont need to help you anymore, can you hElp me?

[SilverSabre25]

I support their ability to do it themselves wherever possible---so in your examples, I would have a stepstool available for them to move and reach the lightswitch (in my house, it's the same stool for the potty and the switch and the sink) and I would find a way for her to do the towel herself...maybe putting one on the sink counter for her to pick up herself?

[Abigail]

Maybe you should talk about sharing. Even though this child probably shares just fine, it's the fact that this child needs to share jobs with others. You could have a discussion about it at circle time or at the lunch table.

Unless you have a rule about no touching light switches, then you should have the children turn on and off the lights to the bathroom. I'm sure they do it at home. Same goes for the towel....maybe get two racks to space the handtowels further apart?

If this child tries to do all the "helper" jobs it's time to sit down and talk about listening.