Who Is The Boss?

I'm all in on the whole "kids need chores" thing. Not to brag (okay, totally to brag), but I'm really good at assigning duties and then staying out of it. For real, I don't micromanage them AT ALL. I make the assignment and then verify the result, but what happens between Point A and Point B can vary as much as it needs to.

Exhibit A: Mila is a ROCK STAR at changing the toilet paper roll. I showed her how to do it exactly once and she just magically kept going. She consistently remembers to take the empty roll off the dispenser and put a new one on. IT IS THE BEST. The fact that she doesn't pay attention to whether the paper should roll under or over is fine. (The correct answer is over, if we're being honest.) What matters is that she's getting it done. I've never fixed it or expressed an ounce of care, other than the words I just now wrote. She can't read yet, so ... it's definitely not micromanaging. As long as she keeps changing the empty roll, we're good.

My three year old changes the empty toilet paper roll. So magical.

Anyway, both girls have a list of chores they're responsible for doing. Both are age appropriate and get managed as needed, which is to say I have next to nothing to do with Alexis' work. She's old enough for me to remind her once to put things in the dishwasher and if she doesn't? I'll just put dirty dishes in her bed. I've never actually done it, but the threat exists, and she knows I don't bluff. Mila gets a bit more help.

That's how it started. I was providing a little more help because Mila. The project was to clean up the hurricane that went through my family room. "Pick up the markers and put them in the box." "Put the Barbies back in the box." That sort of thing. A little bit micro-managey, but not really because 3-year olds need specific and accomplishable tasks.

Mila started out working with me. The markers made it to the box. The Barbies made it to their box. It wasn't until we got to the third task that Mila looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "Mom, I think you mean that the Big One should do that."

As in her big sister.

I refer to the girls as "Tiny" and "Big" fairly often.

So what we've learned is that Mila is an evil little genius who has already learned to delegate her tasks to her big sister.

Look out, y'all.