Mommy's Little Helper

Today Jamie tried to make coffee for me. He has apparently watched me enough times to pretty much get it right. He filled the water tank up to the 4, which is always where I fill it to. That makes me two cups of coffee. He flooded my countertop trying to fill it. He put the coffee in the permafilter. He said he put in three (scoops), which is the right amount. I'm glad he didn't get it started before I caught him because I hadn't rinsed out the coffee pot. However, all I had to do was rinse out my pot before I started my coffee this evening. I got onto him about not messing around with the coffee pot without Mommy so he doesn't get burned. I am impressed that he paid attention to what I did to prepare the coffee and was able to duplicate it without assistance.

Jamie also helped me fold wash clothes today. He's such a little perfectionist. I sometimes fear that his need to complete every task exactly right will be a hindrance to him. He became frustrated a few times because he had difficult getting the wash clothes perfectly square. I fear that he puts too much pressure on himself. If he's stressing himself out so much at the tender age of four, what is life going to be like for him when he begins doing homework, taking tests, etc.

I let him help me wash dishes, too. He got a lot of water in the floor. I laid a towel in the floor to soak it up. I let him vacuum a little today, too. He's really getting the hang of recycling. For the most part he knows which items go in the regular trash and which items go in the recycling can. He's getting to an age where he can really start being Mommy's little helper.