Helping take care of themselves and their home gives children a sense of pride and independence. And between the ages of three and four, there’s so much that your child is capable of! He may wash and dry his hands, brush his hair, and do more of his dressing by himself. He may do little chores, like putting his dirty clothes in the hamper or putting his toys away when he’s finished playing. Your child may also help with household chores, setting the table for meals and snacks, wiping up spills, or putting his garbage in the trash. Encourage him to help out to benefit the both of you!

Stumped by where your little helper can begin? In addition to the ideas mentioned above, he can choose between two outfits in the morning and get at least partly dressed on his own. He can also help fill bird feeders, match clean socks, water plants, brush his hair, and more. Let your child care for himself and his home, and you’ll be amazed to see what he can accomplish!

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

Play Tips:

How can you support your child’s development of this Self-Concept skill at this age? It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Let your child try to help himself. Encourage your child to develop his self-help skills by letting him do anything that he is capable of doing on his own. If he shows an interest in feeding the dog or watering the plants, let him give it a try. But do look for ways to make it easier for him to do the tasks in order to maximize success and minimize the potential for a mess.
2. Don’t worry if the outcome is not perfect! If your child has decided to try to make his own bed or help fold towels, try not to be disappointed or make a fuss if things aren’t done perfectly. His effort is the most important thing right now, so thank him for helping out. And if you must refold the towels or remake the bed, wait until he can’t see you do it! It would be a shame to make him think his effort was all for nothing.
3. Keep safety first at hand. Of course, when it comes to letting your child do things for himself, use common sense. If your child wants to handle sharp objects like knives, just say no and explain why this is a task better suited for adults for now. While he can’t handle sharp knives on his own quite yet, think of other alternatives that he can do, such as using a spreader to help cut soft cheese cubes for snack time instead.

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

Developmental Milestones:

Has your baby achieved the following Self-Concept developmental milestones yet? If yes, check off all the skill(s) he has already mastered to date using Playful Bee’s developmental milestones tracker. It’s absolutely FREE and easy to use, just click HERE!

• Enjoys doing new things.
• Dresses and undresses self without assistance.
• Imitates adults.
• Attempts to brush teeth.
• Uses table manners during mealtime and assists with clean up.
• Feels grown up by helping with housekeeping and self-help tasks.

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Playful Bee

Education Team at Playful Bee

Playful Bee is an e-Preschool that delivers inquiry-based preschool learning from the classroom to your home. Our preschool curriculum was created by our talented team of rock star teachers. With years of hands-on preschool and Kindergarten teaching experience, they've developed a high-quality preschool experience that is convenient-to-use and easy-to-teach by you, grandparents, or your nanny at home.

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