My Little Cleaning Assistant

My little cleaning assistant is the best helper a mom could ask for! For the past month or so, my two year old son has become very interested in helping when it has to do with some sort of cleaning tool. When I turn on the Swiffer vac or pull out the duster or the mop he quickly appears and wants to help. He even has his own little broom…it is his favorite…except for the one I may be using at the moment. 🙂

It is so adorable and I am all smiles as he wraps his little hand around whatever cleaning tool I am using…that is, if I remember the long term goal. 🙂 If I am in a hurry…his sweet little hand becomes a barrier to quickly completing the task I only have a few moments for. I have even caught myself trying to clean quietly so he doesn’t hear. It is at that moment, when he joins me in the room and looks up at me with his sweet fact that I must make a choice…will I encourage my sweet boy, or, will the floor be clean? I am glad to say that I am training myself to choose the long term goal and the most important choice, my little assistant.

So, while it takes twice as long, and whatever we are cleaning is often only half as clean, my son is twice as smiley and twice as encouraged as he would have been if I had said that mommy wanted to work alone that day. And, my heart is more that half full of joy as I work alongside my son. I wish you could see his little look of satisfaction in his “job well done!”. It is precious and has brought tears to my eyes at times.

So, for now…my floors may not sparkle and my furniture may be a bit dusty. But, my son’s heart will be molding into who God has for him to be in this life. It is all of these small day to day interactions that He will use in my son’s life to shape his character. He is learning to work heartily as unto the Lord and to be joyful in his service. These lessons are caught during times like these. Words can tell him, but only these times will show him.

Someday, maybe he will pick up the broom or mop and surprise me with a clean floor. And, Lord willing, someday, he might be side by side his own child letting him “help out” with whatever he may be trying to accomplish that day. I pray that it would be so!

Blessings!