Let them Help

You know when your have a million things on your to do list and it's like your kids know you're under pressure? Or when you just want to vacuum without being asked a million times "mommy, me do it" because you know they won't do the same job you do? Or what about the times you are unloading the car from a grocery trip and you are shouting at the kids to just get inside while you pile 10 bags on each arm? I mean, come on, that is much easier than letting my twin three year olds take a million trips out to the car to help me unload. Right?

Wrong-o!

My mom told me once that her trick, when raising her four littles, was to let us help when we wanted. To give us jobs. It actually bought her some time to do something else or worked as an awesome distraction. My first thought when she told me this was "yeah, that's not going to happen. That would actually be the opposite of productive!" But lo and behold, my mom is a pretty smart lady.

I started letting go of controlling each situation and letting them help. I know it sounds so easy, but I think as moms we get stuck in a crunch of "this needs to be done now and just like this", I know that I do. However, when I started letting the boys help, I got more from it than I thought I would. I get to see their little faces light up when they help me carry "that super heavy bag" in from the car. I get to hear "mommy, I did it""mommy, I'm so strong""mommy, I'm a big helper". These were moments I was missing out on because I just wanted to do things quickly and my way.

I can be so selfish, and there is nothing like motherhood to teach you that lesson. So let them help, give them a job to do and build them up! Encourage them to hold a door open for a stranger and say please and thank you. Let them help empty the dishwasher even if it takes 20 minutes (side eye). Let them help, because their sweet, innocent little hearts want to and that's a pretty awesome thing!

Also, can they please stop growing (all the teary eyed emojis)