As you can see from previous posts, our kids have always been very enthusiastic helpers. From the time they began walking and talking, they have wanted to help. Usually this is a good thing, but there have been times when one of the kids (Nathan) get's it in his head that the way to fix the VCR or stereo is to take it appart and if that doesn't work it should probably just be thrown out all together!
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| Helping with the dishes |
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| Nikki and Amy fold the towels. |
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| All the kids pitching in to rake the leaves in the Fall. |
Because they enjoy helping so much, and because we'd rather they not "help" by disassembling our electronics, we began assigning them with certain chores to do around the house. Some are a weekly thing, some just when the need arises.
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| Helping out at the grocery store! |
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| Amy enjoys bagging groceries. |
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| We love hot chocolate!! |
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| Broccoli, not so much. |
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| They always run out to help bring the groceries in. |
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| And Callie is always trying to carry the most at once. |
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| Angela and Lindsey help put away groceries. |
From the grocery store, to the table and every step in between, our kids love pitching in any way they can.
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| Helping mom get dinner started! |
Dinner is over, it's cleanup time!
At the end of the week they are given an allowance based on the chores they have completed. Amy is our "Chore Supervisor", she is in charge of making sure the group tasks get done like taking out the trash and recycling, and giving out the vitamins every day.
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| Trash and recycling day is quite a busy day! |
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| Whew! Last one! |
I'd like to shout out a huge thank you to International Nutrition and Friends of Trisomy who supply us with Nutrivene D, a special blend of nutrients scientifically formulated to suit the needs of children and adults with Down Syndrome. Every day, at exactly five o'clock, Amy gives out the vitamins with her helpers. She takes this task very seriously, it happens at five sharp and we better have enough apple sauce or else!
Even Josiah and Jeremy, who are low-functioning and cannot participate in many tasks, are able to complete simple chores, such as making their beds every morning.
Noah is our official family mailman! He retrieves the mail every day from our wonderful mail carrier, Linda!
In addition to our big family, we also have seven dogs (I know, we're crazy). Angel's chore is to give all the pups a quick brushing every evening. The females love it and crowd around her for their turn, the males have to be tracked down!
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| Angel brushes Muffy, while Cassie and Bella eagerly await their turn. |
