Small Mommy

If you ask Muffin who his Mommy is, he will tell him that he has 2 mommies.

"Big Mommy" which is me and "Small Mommy" which is Jordan.

There was a period of time where he would go round the house hollering for Mommy and when I replied, he would chide "Not you, Mommy. Small Mommy. You, Big Mommy."

Humph.

But I am thankful. She picks up the slack for me. And gives me quite a breather at times.

She succeeds in feeding him when we fail to and she plays with him in the morning when I am begging for another 5 or 10 minutes of sleep.

Of late, she has become quite fluent in her reading and she practices on Muffin. She reads to him and makes him repeat words after her. On cooperative days, he does and he learns names of insects, Little Ponies, different types of sharks and whatever might have struck her fancy that day. 

Muffin allows himself to be taken care of by her. If I am not around and he is in need of comfort, he seeks her out. She gladly obliges and takes him into her arms, disregarding the fact that both of them are round about the same weight. 

Last night, she offered to read to him before he went to bed. He agreed and laid beside her as she read him Lars the Polar Bear, complete with making Lars swim and voices. Usually, he's like a koala bear on me during bed time and it makes it difficult for us to go out to dinner. But with Small Mommy reading to him, he was blissfully unaware that I had slipped out.

It's useful to have 2 mommies in the house, even if the other one is 6 years old and sometimes, not the most reliable. But her heart is in the right place and she does a pretty good job standing in for me.

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Domestic Helpers

Our helper threw out her back on the first day of the term vacation. This meant utter chaos in the house. Evan had a Lego camp to head to at 7.30 am, Jordan- Princess Ballerina camp at 8.30 and Muffin and I had a breakfast date after dropping her.

The older two still went ahead with what they had to do but from the words "Mommy, Kakak is crying and cannot move!" at 6 am, it was non-stop action for me. Breakfast, showers, snacks and getting dressed had to be organised at break neck speed, all the while trying to figure out how to help our poor incapacitated helper.

Thankfully the twins sprang into action without my asking. They cleared their breakfast table, Jordan made the beds and Evan cleared the laundry. Even Muffin got into the act and cleared his own toys and put away the books on the floor.

While I was thankful that they helped, I actually thought much of it was novelty that drove them to pick up after themselves.

They surprised me by jumping into action this morning without prompting.

This was what Jordan did. 

She showered herself and her little brother, pronouncing that he was 'squeaky clean' after running her finger across his arm.

She helped take all the dried laundry off the hangars, meticulously putting all the hangers in a pile, clothes pegs in another and clothes in the third pile.

She hung up the freshly laundered clothes, neatly spacing them out.

She dressed herself for ballet and packed her own ballet bag, filled with snacks, water bottle and her sweater.

It showed her very careful and meticulous approach at doing things.

This was what Evan did. 

He made his own bed. 

He showered himself, dressed himself and got his own breakfast. 

He dragged into the laundry area our laundry baskets and helped load the washing machine. 

He mopped the floor in the evening.

He did the dishes.

He helped butter our helper's toast for breakfast.

It showed him to actually be a more empathetic helper. He does things that he knows will cause our helper more pain if she had to do it.

 

This is how Muffin helped

He copied his siblings. Whatever his siblings were up to, he wanted to do. So he ended up doing a bit of everything and making a big nuisance of himself as he slipped on wet floor and bruised his bum. 

His one only job was to clear up his toys. He would do so most of the time although occasionally he needed to be prodded around by the appearance of a bin and the suggestion that everything that wasn't picked up from the floor was rubbish and ought to be put into the bin. 

For Muffin, it really was about the thrill of playing with the mop and playing with clothes poles.

I know it is not much and we are privilleged since we actually have help. But as I am falling asleep writing this; exhausted from a day of soccer mom driving, work and ensuring the house is still standing, I know I could be more tired if not for them. So, I am thankful that the older two know how to help and have risen to the occasion. I am also heartened to know that I haven't spoiled them to the point that they are helpless and whiny. Now to figure out how to factor their doing of all these chores into their daily routines.

 Technorati Tags: JED, helping behaviour, children

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Responsibility

Inspired by Offsprings who did a week of emotions, I shall attempt a week of qualities.

Next week is Muffin's birthday. We'll have a little do in school. I ask the twins if they want to be there. Of course they do. So I told them that they had to get their teachers to call me so that I could ask them.

Jordan: What happens if I forget?
Mommy: Then you don't get to go.
Evan: I WILL NEVER FORGET.

An hour later, I receive a phone call from Jordan's teacher who is trying not to laugh while she regales to me my daughter's earnestness.

Jordan: Aunty C, you need to call my Mommy. Now.
Aunty C: Why? Did something happen?
Jordan: You just need to call her.
Aunty C (Alarmed): Is something wrong? If there is, you need to tell me ok?
Jordan: You need to call her now so that I won't forget and I can go to Muffin's birthday in his classroom.

And she stood and watched her teacher as her teacher dialled my number. Satisfied that I was on the other line and only then does she wander back to her table. 

So it worked. I taught her responsibility by putting it in her hands to make sure she got to go to her little brother's birthday party. Now, I shall await Evan's teacher's call. After all, he will never forget.

 Technorati Tags: twins, responsibility

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