If we were talking face to face, yes I would have made “air quotes” with my fingers when I said “help.” My kids really like help (“help”) and for that I’m grateful. I don’t want to squelch that desire to help and the sense of accomplishment they get when they finish….but let’s be honest here. Their help can be more of a hinderance than a help.
My favorite things to let them help with are things like dusting, sweeping or wiping the tables. There’s not much they can do to hurt anything, and they might actually make a dent in what needs to be done. I just wait until they leave to finish up, or I will do “what they couldn’t reach” when they finish.
Even helping empty the dishwasher is fine. I teach the kids where things go and if they put something in the wrong place, that’s OK. I often find things put in the wrong drawer or cabinet when my husband empties the dishwasher. It’s not like he lives here or anything. 😀 Just kidding.
The ultimate exercise in patience has been recently when my 9 year old has decided she wants to “help” fold laundry. I don’t know about you, but I have a particular way that I fold things. Whether to line up pant creases to hang in the closet or folding shirts, I like it neat and I like it my way. Though I’ve tried to show my daughter how I fold things, she’s only 9 and I don’t want her to feel like she’s not doing it right and shouldn’t bother.
So, I wait until she is nowhere near to re-fold everything. Sometimes, I don’t get enough of a break between folding & putting away, and *cringe* have to put things away as folded. Every time I walk by the linen closet with the jumbled stack of towels inside, my heart beats a little faster.
I know, I’m totally crazy! I’m trying to balance teaching my kids things & letting them figure things out. I want to show them the “right way” (like how to crack eggs) but not be overbearing. I can always show them how to fish shells out, right?
Are their tasks your kids like to “help” with? Is there any “help” you’d rather not receive?
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
