The hubby and I agreed it was time for Abby to have some chores. She has some regular tasks she's expected to complete each day (basic hygiene, room maintenance, etc.), but she loves responsibility, and we decided to capitalize on it.
For something to really work with Abby, she needs to feel like it is her idea. One of my biggest challenges in parenting her is convincing her that my ideas are really good ones, and getting her to adopt them as her own.
(Go ahead. Shake your head and remind me that she should obey because I'm the mom and I said so. Then reread your copy of The Strong-Willed Child and tell me what I'm doing wrong. I'll be over here raising my confident decision-maker the best way I know how.)
I took her to Michaels, where we bought some construction paper she needed to make the world's largest tape measure. And then we just so happened to be close to Bed, Bath, & Beyond, so we popped in there too, just to see what we could find (wink, wink).
Would you look at that? Tiny little hand-held vacuum cleaners!
Abby, they're just your size!
She tried out a few, picked out her favorite, and off we went.
When we got home, she insisted on vacuuming the perimeter of Caleb's room first, "since his room is the filthiest."
Then she did the stairs, "because my vacuum is a lot easier to clean the stairs with than your big one, Mommy."
And the more we looked around, the more we realized just how perfect her little vacuum would be for things like baseboards, under dressers, and tight corners all over the house.
Of course, Abby. Anything you say.
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