One of the girls' regular chores is to help empty the dishwasher -- they take care of their dishes and glasses, the silverware, the pots and pans, and anything else that is not breakable and they can reach where it goes. I do the plates, bowls, glass dishes and everything that belongs up high. I think we've got a good system going. :) Lately Isaak has been wanting to help too, so the girls give him something easy to put away and take his hand and guide him to the appropriate drawer or cupboard.Today I was in a hurry to get dinner going, so I opened the dishwasher to get my big pot out, and didn't shut it right away. By the time I had filled the pot with water and set it on the stove, Isaak had come into the kitchen, opened the silverware drawer, and had half of the clean silverware already put away before I had even turned the stove on.
OK, so the silverware wasn't quite as neatly organized as usual, but how many 17 month-olds do you know who put away clean dishes in (mostly) the right place? :)
