Need Help Around the House? 5 Chores Even a 1-year-old Can Do

5 Chores Even a 1-year-old Can Do
5 Chores Even a 1-year-old Can Do

My 19-month-old has started being quite the handy helper these days. He is showing interest in helping us with various chores and tasks around the house, and hey, who am I to stop him? Granted, sometimes his help is more of a hindrance, but his excitement is hard to turn down. Plus, this is prime time to let him learn about pitching in at home and get him used to being part of the team. Check out these 5 chores that even a 1-year-old can do!

Related: 5 unexpected household items your baby will love to play with

1. Dusting
My baby boy loves to drag cloths around. He will often grab a washcloth and start wiping it on the TV stand or nightstand. I figure if he can do that, then I can give him a duster and he can dust some of the surfaces in our house.

2. Wiping tables
Similar to dusting, if I give baby boy a wet rag, he can sort of wipe down our dining table. I have to go behind him and finish the job, but he has fun wiping down parts of the table and using the rag.

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3. Loading and unloading the dryer
As I'm working on laundry, baby boy runs up to me and starts pushing clothes into the dryer. This works out great for me - I can simply unload the washer, put clothes on the door of the dryer and he'll push them in for me! Similarly, when I'm unloading the dryer, he likes to grab a couple of pieces and walk them to the bedroom where I typically pile them on our bed for folding.

4. Carrying groceries
The other day as my husband walked in the door with some grocery bags, baby boy ran up to him as is customary when his daddy gets home. But, unlike most times where daddy is forced to drop the bags to hug him, this time baby boy grabbed one of the bags away from his dad and carried it to the kitchen.

Related: 6 tips for working around Baby's nap schedule

5. Picking up clutter
This is probably one of the easiest ways to get a toddler to help clean. Of course, you have to work on getting them to actually put the toys away and not make more of a mess, but it is possible. For baby boy, I have several bins in our living room that make it easy for us to pick up clutter. After showing him where to put the toys, he usually joins in the "clean-up game" and starts throwing them in himself.

- By Melanie Edwards

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