3 Tasks I’m Teaching My Toddler That Help Develop Life Skills

As a stay-at-home mom of a 2-year-old toddler girl, I am committed to teaching my daughter important life skills that will help her become a confident, compassionate, and hardworking young woman. She loves to be wherever I am, and I know that toddlers are little sponges. I want to be the best role model I can be for her. She loves to help with whatever I’m doing, and I want to continue to encourage her. These activities not only teach practical skills but also instill important values in my daughter.

Here are 3 things I’m teaching my daughter about, and why I think they are so important.

P.S. If you don’t have time to read it all now, pin this to your Pinterest board to come back later!

Watering and Weeding the Garden

Where Our Food Comes From

As a family, we are committed to eating healthy, organic food as much as possible, and one way to do that is by growing our own vegetables. We recently built (or rather, assembled!) a raised garden bed, and she loved to help level the dirt. I involve my daughter in the process of gardening by having her water the plants and help with weeding. She even likes to help rake up the leaves! Through this activity, she is learning that our food doesn’t just magically appear on the table, but rather it takes hard work and dedication to grow and prepare it.

Gardening Building Confidence

Gardening is also an excellent way to build my daughter’s confidence. When she sees the plants she has helped to grow, she feels a sense of accomplishment and pride. It’s a great feeling to watch her beam with joy as she picks a ripe tomato off the vine or plucks a handful of fresh herbs.

Gardening Helps Develop Compassion

In addition to learning about where our food comes from and building confidence, gardening and caring for our plants also teaches my daughter compassion. She sees firsthand how the plants need care and attention to grow and thrive, and this helps her develop a sense of empathy for all living things.

Feeding and Brushing Our Dogs

Our Furry Family Members

As a family, we consider our two dogs to be members of our household. Tokyo is a Husky/German Shepherd, and Kikyo is a Siberian Husky. They bring us so much joy, companionship, and unconditional love- not to mention, tons of laughter. If you don’t know huskies, they are quite the characters. Teaching my daughter to care for our dogs is not only practical but also reinforces the importance of treating all living things with kindness and respect.

Pets Teach Responsibility, Hard Work, and Routine

Feeding our dogs is one of the many responsibilities that my daughter has taken on. She absolutely loves to open and close the containers, and scoop the kibble. By pouring the dog food into their bowls and making sure they have fresh water, she is learning the importance of being responsible and taking care of those who depend on us.

Every morning, my daughter and I feed our dogs together. We start by measuring out the food and then giving it to them in their bowls. I show her how to make sure each dog gets the right amount and make sure to explain why this is important for their health. By doing this every day, my daughter is learning the importance of establishing a routine and being responsible for others.

But feeding the dogs is not the only thing we do together. We also make sure to give our dogs a good brush every week. This teaches my daughter about the importance of hygiene and caring for others. I show her how to brush their fur gently and how to make sure they are comfortable and relaxed while we do it. This activity also helps her develop a sense of empathy for our dogs, as she can see how much they enjoy being groomed.

Loading and Unloading the Dishwasher

If you’ve ever had a toddler, or currently have one, you know they looooooove the dishwasher. My daughter loves to gather the silverware that’s in there (usually the dirty ones!) and organize them on the floor. Even though she’s still little, I always explain what I’m doing and why. I use my tasks and chores to teach her valuable lessons: that we are all a team, and we all have a responsibility to care for our home. So, I showed her how to load the dishwasher and talk her through the importance of keeping our dishes clean. Now, every time we do it together, it’s a fun activity that strengthens our bond and helps her learn about responsibility and hard work.

Learning to Take Care of Our Home

I have a strategic weekly cleaning routine, and I also want my daughter to understand the value of caring for our living space. By involving her in the process of loading and unloading the dishwasher, she is learning that taking care of our home is a team effort and something we all need to do. It’s also a great way to teach her new words and to learn what different dishes and utensils are called.

Developing Motor Skills

Loading and unloading the dishwasher is a fantastic way to help my toddler develop her fine motor skills. She has to grasp and manipulate the plates and utensils, which improves her hand-eye coordination and dexterity. I’m teaching her how to line up the plates in between the little pegs, and sometimes I like to teach her about patterns with the big and little plates! She’s learning to sort and classify the various forks, knives (only butter knives, promise!), spoons, and other random cooking tools we have. Best part is, she has a blast “playing” with all of the (again, mostly dirty!) dishes!

Instilling a Strong Work Ethic

Helping with the dishes teaches my daughter the importance of a strong work ethic. Even though she’s still a toddler and it’s hard to know how much she really understands so far, by starting to teach her these concepts this young, I hope to instill in her a desire to help around the house by understanding how important it is to work together as a family. I’m teaching her how it have fun with the mundane daily tasks, and always try to make it al little bit silly.

Final Thoughts

Being a stay at home mom is a lot of work, and raising a toddler is not for the faint of heart. But it’s the most rewarding job I could ever have, and I’m so incredibly blessed to have this time with her. I want to do my very best to raise her with love, compassion, a sense of pride in her home, and a strong work ethic. As her mom and role model, it’s up to me to set the tone and example in our home so she can grow up and use these skills to better the world.

What tasks do your little’s help you with? I’d love to know in the comments!