Early Literacy: In Our Culture

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[This is the second post in a five-part series on early literacy.] 

I would like to start this series with at look at how prevalent the push for early literacy is in our culture. Sometimes it seems that every conversation I have with other moms of three- and four- year olds turns to reading and the skills their kid is learning in school. Just the other day I went to a birthday party and a mom began telling me how much she loved her son’s school because he was learning so much and she was so happy that he was “finally reading.” He’s four. 

On a parenting listserv, I see posts all the time from parents looking for ways to enhance their toddler’s academic skills. For example:

I would be interested in a play-based math tutor for my toddler as well. There are a wealth of story hours and rhyming songs to prepare for reading readiness, but I find it much harder to gain exposure to math skills, which I think are equally if not more important… If anyone knows of a toddler math facilitator, eg. someone who can take a systematic approach to making math skills fun, please let me know.

And another:

I want to help her to continue to learn things to prepare her for school, i.e. letters, numbers, reading, etc. So my thought is, is there anyone out there that tutors this age? … I’m talking about once a week for an hour. I realize she’s just 3ish and I don’t feel the need to have her graduate Harvard in a couple of years but I would like her to have the educational component that she had at daycare.

Toddler math facilitator, tutor for a three-year-old… Posts like these are common. Why do parents feel pressure to get their three-year-olds reading and doing math? 

Perhaps the pressure stems from the focus on these skills in daycares and preschools. Here are excerpts from the websites of a few daycare and preschool programs for children under the age of five. Please note that I have selected (and bolded) the references to literacy and academic skills in order to make my point - these programs do also emphasize play, outdoor time, etc. 

AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School

… implements a research-based instructional program that supports the development of young children’s language, literacy, and behavioral skills as well as their understanding of the world around them. 

Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool

Our hands-on toddler program promotes the development of age-specific skills in children ages16 months to 3 years by: creating learning centers that include language and reading, math, fine motor, art, dramatic play, science and sensory exploration, and outdoor learning. Our preschool program for three to five year-olds engages children intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially, inspiring curiosity and creativity by: targeting developmental and academic milestones in the areas of language and literacy, mathematical reasoning, and scientific investigation.

Reba Early Learning Center

Our literacy areas in each classroom include many materials for writing, books, and a computer. In addition we create a print rich classroom with stories dictated by children, written information related to the topic the class is exploring, and labels including the children’s names. We encourage children to use literacy materials in all other learning areas during their play. A child may writte SV or ask a teacher to write SAVE to make a sign to put on a block structure to make sure that it is not knocked down.

TotSpot Preschool

TotSpot Preschool incorporates  and Handwriting Without Tears® into the daily curriculum. The weekly lesson plans created by the teachers will emphasize a theme, letter, number, color and shape. The students will also have the opportunity to explore math and science concepts.  Music and movement, group games, journaling and cooking crafts are also a part of the curriculum. Field trips may be scheduled at the discretion of the teachers to further explore and reinforce concepts learned in selected units. TotSpot Preschool maintains a very low student/teacher ratio to allow for optimal learning and individualized instruction. Students are assessed throughout the year to determine areas where additional help may be needed. Parents are encouraged to be involved in classroom parties, events and field trips and are welcome in the classroom to observe or volunteer!

I certainly don’t intend to criticize these programs as they do appear to be well-rounded and nurturing, I only wish to highlight the presence of teaching literacy skills, as well as a focus on other academic instruction, that typically occurs in early childhood programs. 

But perhaps the most obtrusive push for early literacy comes from the toy industry. “Educational toys” that will help your young child learn to read are all over the place. And here I do intend to do a little bashing… Actually, I don’t need to write anything, the toy descriptions say it all. I’ll just highlight the gems.

Tag Junior Get Ready for Preschool

Get set for preschool! Between the ages of three and five, children acquire the skills necessary for school. This bundle helps toddlers explore books and build confidence as they begin their reading journey toward academic success. 

 

The LeapFrog Text and Learn is designed to let little learners play in a grown-up way. Children can exchange text messages with their puppy pal Scout and check Scout’s planner to see what his week entails in the pretend browser mode. Other learning modes offer practice with letter matching, shape identification and QWERTY keyboard navigation through silly animations and sound effects. Children also explore letter names and sounds. 

 

Teach My Toddler is the iParenting award-winning, first all-in-one pre-school learning system for toddlers 18 months+. The kit has 17 teaching tools to help toddlers master the basics; alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. Each section is fully-coordinated with a total of 5 puzzles, 4 board books, 4 posters and 4 sets of flashcards. The tools are neatly organized in a portable and storable carrying case. The aim of Teach My Toddler is to give toddlers a head start and to encourage one-on-one time between toddlers and their parents, grandparents and caregivers. It only takes 20 minutes a day, making Teach My Toddler the ‘smart’ educational toy for toddlers.   

It’s not just plastic, battery operated toys that push toddler literacy. We have a lovely set of wooden blocks… with the alphabet carved into them.

 And these fine nesting boxes, which we also have and love! 

Even products that are not specifically designed to teach toddlers to read can’t help but sneak in the letters. Like these floor mats. 

I think I’ve made my point. Our culture places great importance on teaching literacy skills early. 

If parents, early childhood programs and the toy industry all believe in the importance of developing literacy skills in 1-5 year olds, surely there must be an abundance of research supporting this drive, right? Next week I will take a look at the research on early literacy, specifically on studies that investigate the long term benefits of teaching literacy from an early age.

Spoiler alert: there are no such studies.

...when we live in Vermont.

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We have been looking forward to moving to Vermont for years. It has lived in our minds as an idyllic, peaceful, rural place. Stars at night. Trees. Lots of trees. Real winters with enough snow for snowshoeing and sledding. Not-too-hot summers. Kind, like-minded people. It has also, over time, become the potential answer to all our current problems and gripes. 

“We won’t have to deal with traffic… when we live in Vermont”

“It won’t be so expensive… when we live in Vermont”

“We’ll be closer to family… when we live in Vermont”

These statements are actually true. But lately “living in Vermont” has evolved into the solution to everything, and I’m a little worried we got carried away with our expectations… 

…To the two French horn players who live across the street and practice the same scales six hours a day, every day we say, “Bet we won’t live across the street from French horn players when we live in Vermont!”

…To the hundreds of ants that swarm on our kitchen counters we say, “Well, our house in Vermont won’t have an ant problem!” 

…To the leaf blowers that come roaring through our neighborhood twice a week to blow the one little leaf on the sidewalk (because, God forbid a piece of nature touch the cement!) we say, “No leaf blowers in Vermont!”

…When it gets to be 11pm and we still haven’t done half the things on our to-do list we say, “There are three extra hours to each day in Vermont!”

The first two may be true, but there probably are leaf blowers in Vermont. I’m still holding on to hope that there are three extra hours to each day. But even if there are no leaf blowers in Vermont, there will surely be something else. As I prepare for my fantasy Vermont to meet reality Vermont, I wonder what I should expect. 

 

And now some more pictures of our lovely neighborhood, the places that can’t be matched anywhere else… not even in Vermont.

 Jay & Michael at Monkeys’ Uncle. 

 

Hot chai lattes.

 

 Eastern Market.

 

 “Fountain Park”

 

I love this building, even if the library inside isn’t living up to its potential.

Stop by Monday for the second post on Early Literacy!

 

Moving!

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We are moving in one week. We are leaving DC, where we’ve lived for longer than I’ve lived any place other than my childhood home (and I’ve lived a lot of places). There are so many things I love about our neighborhood - our friends, the playgrounds, nutella lattes, Eastern Market, spring gardens, all the fountains, the walk to the capitol… But we don’t want to live in the city. We want to live way out in the country. And so we are moving. This has been our plan for years and we are finally making it happen. 

Right now we are in the midst of our “lasts” and our goodbyes. My last metro ride home from work, our last dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, our last trip to the Botanic Gardens, goodbye to friends I’ve known since my first day of grad school, goodbye to dear friends we’ve known since our oldest child was a newborn, goodbye to classmates and neighbors, and the super friendly man selling StreetSense on the corner of Penn and 7th.

Even though I’m anxious to look forward and focus on the move, I’m making an effort to hold back and savor these last couple of weeks. I’m trying to let myself feel the sadness of leaving what has truly been home for seven years. 

I thought it might be nice to post a few pictures (or maybe a lot of pictures) of all the places we love here. I’ll start with a few of the landmarks. I’ll sure miss being able to walk to them!

Reflecting Pool at Capitol.

 

Capitol in snow.


Jefferson Memorial during cherry blossom season.

 Baseball with friends at National Monument.

Pictures from around our neighborhood up next!

Early Literacy: Series Introduction

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[This is the first post in a five-part series on early literacy.] 

Early literacy* has become a trend in the U.S. and most people seem to think that earlier is better. Pre-schools and daycare centers advertise curricula that focus on developing pre-reading skills, the toy industry markets products as educational, many claiming to help your child learn to read, and six-year-olds are expected to be able to read when they enter first grade. I’ve even seen posts on our local listserv from parents seeking reading tutors for their three-year-old. 

I understand why this “early literacy” movement has taken over our education system. We want to improve our nation’s literacy rates, support No Child Left Behind, and compete with other nations’ educational standards. But we have a responsibility to our children to be thoughtful about their education and we are failing to ask some very important questions.

First, what are the goals of early literacy? Is the goal to have all six-year-olds reading at a certain level or is it to improve overall literacy rates in our country so that more adults read better? 

Second, when is a child developmentally ready to read? Are we spending three years teaching 3-5 year olds to read when a seven-year-old can learn to the same ability in one year?

Third, is there a critical period for reading? Do early readers end up better readers as adults than non-early readers? If yes, at what age does the long-term advantage disappear? 

Fourth, what are we losing with early literacy? What are 3-5 year olds not doing with their time because of the focus on early literacy? Developmentally, is reading the most appropriate skill to be focusing on? 

Fifth, what are our other options? Surely pushing early literacy isn’t the only way to develop strong literacy skills. Many countries with literacy rates similar to or higher than our own (Finland, Sweden, Japan, Australia, to name a few) don’t begin teaching children to read until age six or seven, when mandatory schooling begins. What are 3-5 year olds in these countries doing?

These are the questions I will address in this series in order to better understand the benefits and drawbacks of the early literacy approach. Here is a brief outline of the posts. 

  • Early literacy in our culture
  • Review of the research
  • Literacy in the classroom
  • Literacy in other countries
  • Conclusion & discussion

 

*I understand people may use this term differently, so I would like to clarify what I mean when I use the terms “early literacy,” “pre-literacy,” and “pre-reading.” “Early literacy” refers to the ability to read/write at an early age (by ‘early’ I mean ages 3-5, and by read/write, I mean words, if not sentences), whereas “pre-literacy” refers to the period of time before a child has the ability to read, so typically ages 0 - 4-6. “Pre-reading” is synonymous with “pre-literacy”. Under these definitions, the term “pre-literacy skills” refers to skills that are developed in preparation to teach a child to read, such as learning the alphabet, raising phonemic awareness, and learning to write and recognize printed letters. The term “teaching early literacy” refers to teaching children ages 3-5 to read and write words and sentences. 

Early Literacy

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Katherine is often asked if she knows (or is learning) how to read. I do wish people would stop asking this question. It is starting to get awkward when she says “no” because they expect her answer to be “yes”. They look to me for an explanation - why isn’t your five-year-old reading? My answer is always the same: Katherine’s school begins reading instruction in first grade. This is a simple answer, but of course I have a lot more to say about it.

Every Monday this month I will post about Early Literacy… stop by and join in!

 

Information Seeking

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Someone once told be about a comic - I probably don’t have it exactly right, but here is the main idea (I wish I had the pictures to go with it):

A man and his son are in the car. 

From the backseat the son asks, “Dad, why are leaves green?” 

The dad launches into an explanation about chlorophyl, pigments, photosynthesis.

The boy responds with, “Dad, are you talking to me?” 

I often think of this comic when my kids ask me questions and I try to figure out if and how to answer them. Most of the time, I’m not convinced my kids are really seeking information, at least not when they are under five years old. If they are seeking information, it is not the adult kind - factual and complex - that best meets their inquiry.

To elaborate…

The ‘why?’ stage. Most children go through this stage. It is cute and amusing at first, then a bit tiresome, then relentless. In my experience, my answers are never satisfactory, they only lead to the next ‘why’, which can quickly turn into an empty why-because back and forth. It seems to me that this stage isn’t about information, but rather about figuring out the dynamic between the adult and the child: Does my mom really know everything? Does she start talking to me every time I ask ‘why’ ? How many ‘whys’ do I have to ask until she finally says “I don’t know!”? I often get the impression that the child is more interested in the interaction than the answer. And at some point, responding to everything with ‘why’ may become such a habit that the child says it without any interest in either the interaction or the answer — like when Katherine would absent-mindedly say ‘why’ without even looking up from what she was doing and wouldn’t even notice whether or not I responded. 

As children get a little older (though I’m still talking under five) their questions become a little more sophisticated, but even at this stage I don’t think the questions indicate a request for an answer, at least not my answer. Rather, I think it is a request to confirm what they think is the answer. I remember a specific exchange I had with Katherine (when she was about two) that made me evaluate what her questions were really about:

Katherine was gazing out the window and asked me, “Mom, where do the birds come from?” As I started organizing my response about how birds hatch from eggs, how eggs are laid from mother birds, why birds come from eggs, and the whole philosophical question of where the first bird came from, I suddenly wondered how on earth I would explain all of this to a two-year-old. Rather than figure it out, I opted not to answer and simply asked back, “Where do you think they come from?” Katherine promptly answered, “From under the fence. I think they come in under the fence from that yard over there.” 

She didn’t actually want me to answer, and she certainly wasn’t asking for the information I was about to give her! She already had the answer worked out and it was as if her question was really asking,  “Do you agree with me?” If I had answered with information that was relevant to me, I would have missed her point, and her explanation, completely. 

Of course there are times when Katherine or Clara do have a genuine question about something. For example, Clara asked me why leaves change color in the fall, and I think in this case she did want my answer. But if I were to give her my answer, it wouldn’t be anything like the creative, imaginative one she could come up with on her own. I’m constrained by knowledge, she is not. Soon enough her logic and reasoning skills will kick in* and providing her with factual answers will be appropriate. But for now I much rather my two-year-old have fun with her imagination than (try to) understand the real reason why a leaf changes color. 

So I generally don’t answer my kids’ questions. Instead I respond with “Hmm, I wonder” or “What do you think?” More often than not I get a very detailed, well-developed answer that gives me a glimpse of how their young minds work.  

*Those logic and reasoning skills do kick in. Katherine (5 1/2) now questions whether eating carrots really does make her eyes sparkle. A clear indication that she is ready for real answers to her questions. 

Tooth Fairy

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The tooth fairy is coming for Katherine’s second lost tooth tonight… She will probably leave this poem and a gem. 

This night it is a special night
As fairies dance upon the roof.
All the fairies must alight,
For Katherine just lost a tooth!

The Fairy Queen gives her commands-
Twelve bright fairies must join hands
Then together in a circle stands
To guard Katherine while she sleeps.

The Tooth Fairy into the circle leaps
The hidden tooth she takes
Ah, but has far to go
Before Katherine awakes.

Three times around the world she flies
Over valleys deep and mountains high;
Skirts the storm clouds thick with thunder,
Wings over waves all wild with wonder.

Deep within their earthly homes
Finally she finds the gnomes,
Who upon the tooth must work
Never once their duty shirk.

Some are hammering, hammering, hammering,
Some the bellows blow
Others sweat at the sweltering forge
And then cry out, “Heigh Ho!”

The tooth’s been turned to a shining stone,
A glimmering, glowing gem
The tooth Fairy takes the gnomes’ good gift,
And curtsies to all of them.
Before the sun’s first rays are shown,
She returns to Katherine’s bed,
And then - - - away she’s flown!

Thank you, Emily, for sharing this wonderful tradition.

 

Curative Story: Helping out

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Once upon a time there was a bird called Anna bird. She lived in a tree with her mama bird, daddy bird, and big sister, Millie bird. Anna bird loved to fly among the trees. Early one morning she was flying around a tree when she saw Mrs. Robins fluttering around her nest. “Tweet tweet,” Anna bird called to Mrs. Robins, landing on a branch.

Mrs. Robins was always very kind, but today she looked distracted and very busy. “Oh, good morning Anna. I am very busy today. I have many things to do and I don’t know how I will get everything done.” “What is on your list?” asked Anna, always curious about what other birds were doing. “Well,” said Mrs. Robins, “I need to tidy up the nest, hunt for some fresh worms before the puddles dry up, and find Squirrel Nutkin to ask him to carry some large nut shells up to my nest for me. But I can’t leave my eggs alone in the nest.” Anna bird thought that was a lot of work to do in one morning. She peered into Mrs. Robins’ nest. Sure enough the twigs and grasses were all over the floor and three little eggs were tucked in the corner. “Can I help you?” Anna bird asked. “Oh, Anna bird, that would be wonderful.” “Maybe I can tidy up the nest and keep an eye on your eggs while you run your errands,” said Anna bird. “Yes,” said Mrs. Robins, “that would be very helpful.”

So Anna bird tidied up the grasses and twigs and kept an eye on the eggs while Mrs. Robins hunted for fresh worms and talked to Squirrel Nutkin about the nut shells. When Mrs. Robins came back, her nest was all tidy and her eggs were safe. “Thank you for helping, Anna,” she said with a big smile as she sat down comfortably on her eggs to warm them. The she gave Anna bird a big, juicy worm, fresh from a puddle, to take home to share with her sister, Millie bird.

As Anna bird flew home carrying her big juicy worm, she thought about the work she had done that morning and felt happy. Mrs. Robins did not seem distracted or busy anymore. When she arrived home, she showed Millie bird the worm, and while they shared their special treat, Anna bird told Millie bird all about helping out Mrs. Robins. “Maybe we can go help her together tomorrow morning,” suggested Millie bird, who also wanted to help out. “Yes,” said Anna bird, “that is a good idea.”

Nesting blocks (Toy)

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Our dear friend Emily first introduced us to these nesting bowls.

 

Then she gave Katherine the nesting wave, and Aunt K gave the girls the nesting flower.

 These toys are wonderful and they are always being used for something. 

 

Katherine and Clara working hard on a… bus stop?

 

Yes, it is a bus stop for little people. Obviously.

 

And here Clara is making me a chai latte.

The possibilities are endless.

Good jobbing

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I’ve been planning a post on “good jobbing” for a while now, but then I came across this article, by Alfie Kohn, who says it all much better than I ever could. Plus he cites actual research to back it up. So I’ll just add in a few of my own comments.

I am amazed at the frequency with which people “Good job!” kids. It’s not just parents doing it, it’s nannies, parents’ friends, older kids (to younger kids), even strangers. I’ve had my kids good jobbed by random people who pass us on the sidewalk and apparently think Katherine and Clara are really good at walking. 

Why do people feel the need to praise kids for doing what they are wired to do? Walking, throwing a ball, going down a slide, eating dinner… these are not accomplishments, let alone accomplishments worthy of praise. These are activities kids just do.

In fact, I find “good jobbing” rather condescending. What if Dave came into the kitchen (or worse yet, called from the living room) “Good job, Karen!” as I was making dinner? It would be inappropriate, and I don’t think it is any less inappropriate to say it to a child who is going down a slide. But it has become a cultural habit, and I doubt people even think about the fact that most of the time, “Good job” is empty in content, condescending in message, and distracting to children who are just going about their play.

Please check out Alfie Kohn’s article… he discusses “good jobbing” in more depth and with more thoughtfulness than this mini-rant. Plus he talks about “praise junkies” (who doesn’t want to read about that?!) and offers alternative responses.

More on Chores

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Earlier this week I wrote about Children and Chores. As I work towards including my children more in household chores, I’ve been thinking about how parents can set the expectation that everyone helps out in the home. It probably isn’t realistic for kids to always be compliant and cheerful about doing chores, but nagging and whining shouldn’t be the norm either. 

Over the past couple of years, I’ve received some good advice from teachers and parents about what kind of chores are appropriate, how to introduce new chores, and how to make these chores part of the daily routine. I thought I’d share their wisdom.

Ms. Christine advised us that birthdays are a good time to introduce new chores. Kids are excited about growing up and giving them the responsibility of a new chore is a nice way to acknowledge their change in age. When Katherine turned five she took on clearing her dinner plate. Of the few things we ask her to do chore-wise, this is the one she rarely fusses about. Maybe it has to do with how we introduced it?  I’m sure she’ll eventually catch on that a birthday chore is not exactly a birthday present, but for now we’ll take it!

There are the standard chores, like setting/clearing the table, taking out the garbage, and putting clean clothes away in drawers, but this year we’ve incorporated some more creative chores, most of which Katherine brought home from school:

  • Polishing, which is really a fancy word for dusting. In Katherine’s classroom they “polish” the toys every Friday.
  • Cobwebbing is another hit in Katherine’s classroom. Wrap a small towel around the end of a 4-5 foot long stick and run it along the ceiling and the wall corners to remove cobwebs.
  • Sweeping. Siblings can also enjoy fighting over who gets to sweep and who gets to hold the dustpan.
  • Washing windows using a spray bottle. I’m pretty sure kids will do anything if it involves a spray bottle.

My kids like doing all of these things… once in a while. When they feel like it. But I’m interested in how to make chores an automatic part of the daily/weekly routine.  People recommend a keeping a schedule: Monday is vacuum day, Tuesday is clean bathroom day, etc., but for me that is easier said than done. On nice days I’m more than willing to sacrifice a clean bathroom so we can spend more time outside, or if I’m in the mood to bake, I’m sure to choose chocolate over window washing!

Maybe I need a more official looking schedule. It is currently crayoned in on our breakfast schedule (which is failed attempt to bring more variety to breakfast… all mom wants to prepare anyone wants is cereal.)

Modeling the work you want your kids to do and/or working along side them is ideal. Clara is much more inclined to help straighten up if I am doing it too, and it is much nicer to work together than to nag over and over from across the room. 

Books can also help when introducing - or enforcing- chores. A favorite in our home is Ox-Cart Man, and I just started reading Little House in the Big Woods to Katherine. I think she is impressed with how Laura and Mary help Pa and Ma… Hopefully that will play in my favor.

Even though I know these are all good ideas that would help the children-chore situation in our home, some are hard to implement in reality. Having Katherine and Clara help isn’t the most efficient way to a clean house, and it is easier to shoo them out of the kitchen than to find ways for them to contribute. As far as making it part of the routine, I don’t always want to be tied to “polishing day,” and find it hard to stick to the schedule.

Tell me, what types of chores do your kids do? How do you implement chores in your home? What was it like in your home when you were a kid? I’d love to hear your suggestions…

Children and Chores

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Spoiled Rotten, Why do kids rule to roost?, is a great article packed full of information, observations, and cultural comparisons. There are a lot of points made about parenting in general, and specifically about parenting in the U.S., but one in particular hit home: the typical American kid does not (willingly) help with household chores. Since reading the article, I have been listening to the requests I make of the kids, how many times I make a request, how often the request is met, and the mood and tone (i.e., joyful, fussy) it is met with. 

Katherine and Clara usually meet my requests, but I have been unpleasantly surprised by their mood and tone: some resistance, a lot of fussing and “I don’t want to”s, and even the dreaded, “I don’t have to.” Stepping back, it isn’t all that surprising. While I am pretty consistent about stating requests (Katherine, please brush your teeth and comb your hair.) rather than asking (Katherine, will you please brush your teeth and comb your hair?), I did notice that I frequently convey the message in my response that they are doing me a big favor by doing what I have asked:

“Oh thank you, Katherine!”

“That was really helpful, Clara, thank you!”

“Thank you for putting on your shoes!” 

I do believe in acknowledging a child’s hard work, but the tasks I thank my kids for doing are all standard, routine things, like putting on shoes, clearing their dinner plate, cleaning up the basket of spilled crayons. I don’t want to feel - and express - gratitude when they complete these tasks, I want them to just happen without comment or fanfare. If they feel they are doing me a big favor by clearing their plate, it’s no wonder they feel it is within their right to tell me, “I don’t have to.” 

But communicating excessive gratitude for simple, routine tasks is only one component of the problem. It also occurred to me that all I ask of Katherine and Clara are simple, routine tasks. I could and should be expecting a lot more from them. I’m not talking about loading them down with chores so I can sit and read blogs all day, as tempting as that may be. I am talking about giving them real responsibility that genuinely contributes to the functioning of our family. For example, it could be Katherine’s role to fill the water glasses every evening, and Clara’s role to fill each salad bowl with lettuce and vegetables that she has cut up. These tasks would be challenging for them, but more importantly, they are meaningful tasks that are necessary in order for the family to eat dinner. Katherine and Clara would probably accept these tasks as a prestigious responsibility, and hopefully this would be enough to quell the fussy, resistant, attitude.

Of course this all sounds great, but it will no doubt result in a few broken glasses, lots of water spills, and some pretty big chunks of carrot in our salad… in other words, it will most certainly create more work for me, which, by the way, is cited in the article as a reason why American parents don’t include their children in household tasks. But if I make time for them to participate in a meaningful way, and just accept that we will sacrifice a few glasses, it will serve our family well. The kids will participate in household chores, I’ll have real opportunities to express my gratitude, and maybe in a few years they’ll be the American equivalent of the Matsigenka of Peru, and bake me brownies over an open fire.

Training Katherine and Clara to bake brownies; an important responsibility that contributes to the functioning of our family.