Kids want to help
You may have read my previous blog about getting children involved around the house. Not in a sweatshop kinda way – more in a “being important and needed” way. Kids want to help.
My two intrepid Superheroes in Training are my current testing ground – Super Mum has agreed to allow me to write about my observations. Master 5 and Master 8 are excited to be Superheroes in Training, and since our initial discussion over dinner, have brought up the subject on many occasions, much to my surprise. My perhaps cynical view was that most kids would perhaps prefer to NOT be involved in household chores. How wrong was I?!
Well, let me share a recent experience with my little Superheroes in Training. They are exploring and talking and working out what their Superpowers are, and it’s a joy to watch.
Super Mum was getting some new carpet put down at her house, which included all of the bedrooms. She asked her Superhero in Disguise to come and help move stuff out of the rooms before the carpet went down (when the children were away), and then again to return possessions to the room once the carpet had been laid.
The kids had watched much of the carpet-laying activity during the day, and when I arrived, there was much excited chatter about the process and how fabulous the new carpet looked. There was crap all over the floor on both the old carpet and new carpet. Dust and staples and little tiny bits of foam adorned the entire house, but the tradies had returned the heavy furniture to its original position thank goodness!
As I was dragging out the vacuum cleaner, Master 8 asks if he can do the vacuuming. I have to admit to being a bit gobsmacked, and as such, didn’t respond as quickly as I perhaps should have. Before I can gather my thoughts and respond, he tells me that he’s a Superhero in Training, and how is he going to find what his Superpowers are if he doesn’t help and try things out?
This is logic that is hard to deny, and shortly afterwards he is slowly and painstakingly moving through the house sucking up all of the grime that was making the lovely carpet look not-quite-so lovely. It was a little painful to watch, because most adults would be able to complete the job in about a quarter of the time, but it was so worth it! Kids want to help.
In the meantime, Master 5 had vigorously agreed with his older brother about finding his Superpower, and was bringing his bedroom contents back up the stairs – one small box at a time. When I started helping him he objected strongly, declaring that he wanted to do it himself. Again, I was gobsmacked. That little fella made about 20 trips up and down those stairs, and sat in his room carefully returned things from whence they had come. Kids want to help. 
Over the next couple of hours I watched both Master 5 and Master 8 flexing their Superpower muscles. I also watched them proudly strutting around having done “grown up jobs”. And what a fun activity the whole project turned into. It’s amazing how a boring chore can become exciting when you change the context into Superhero-Speak!
The moral of the story? Well, I don’t really have one, and I dislike it when people tell me what to do, so I’m not going to do it to you! Kids want to help.
If you have a story about young ones finding their household Superpowers, I’d love to hear about it. If you like this blog, please give it the thumbs up below. If you dislike it, give me a thumbs down. It’s better out than in!
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