Cleaning spills is a life skill that will never go unneeded. As an adult, it's second nature but as a little, there are so many questions to ask yourself and uncover. What's the best tool to use: a rag, broom, paper towel? How much volume is on the ground: do I need more than one rag? Do I start at the top or bottom and does it matter? What happens if I step in this? Is the floor sticky afterward? This is one area where I definitely struggle as a parent. I find myself jumping in too quickly, in large part, to help myself! If I cleaned it up the right way and fast, the mess wouldn't get worse.
One day, my youngest was balancing a cup of apple cider on a block. What a fun experiment! She'd had great success balancing all through breakfast. About an hour in, she set down the cup ever so slightly to the edge...splash! She walked over to our Kitchen Little (what I call our functional kid's kitchen), grabbed a towel and got to work! Her feet stayed outside the pool of cider, she soaked up half the liquid, the second half with a second towel, brough the towels to the laundry basket I keep by the stairs for the kids and went on her way. I'd been there the whole time, so I knew where the sticky would be but before long, she noticed it herself, wet a third rag in Kitchen Little and soaked up the sticky too.
She was so proud. She'd cleaned up every ounce of that mess, she learned a little more about balance and that cider eventually turns sticky. We didn't start here. There are many a-mess I've cleaned up solo after a little waddled off, but we're here now and thriving.
Keep your rags accessible, offer a little broom and dustpan, even a spray bottle to help dampen a rag if they don't have easy access to running water. Tips to help your littles get involved and succeed.
Do you have rags accessible to your littles?
Comments