Go fetch with Blake.

I have realized that there are definitely merits to having children who can run errands.  They slowly learn to put away their own things.  To find their lost things.  To get things that I need.

Most of the help I ask of the boys is mildly useful to nearly inconsequential, because they are still in the training phase.  But of course, every bit of responsibility is important to their developing skillset!

Here's an example of how this went down this morning:


Scene:  Dad has a drippy nose and is trying to employ two-and-a-half year old Blake's energy to bring him a tissue or toilet paper or something to blow it.

Me: Blake, could you go get me a tissue?  I need to blow my nose.
Blake: Yes, daddy.  [trudge, trudge, thump thump thump]
[Blake comes back from who-knows-where-he-went empty handed.]
Me: Blake, what happened to the tissue?  You have to go to the bathroom, tear of a piece of toilet paper, and bring it to daddy.
Blake: Otay, daddy.  [trudge, trudge, pat pat pat]
[Blake comes back from the bathroom with a little fleck of corner torn off the toilet paper, maybe the size of a bandaid.]
Blake: Tantoo daddy.
Me: Yes, Blake, thank you.  Can you get me another piece?  This time unroll the toilet paper and bring me back two squares.
Blake: Otay, daddy.  [thump, thump, pat pat pat]
[A minute later, he brings me back a piece large enough to blow my nose into.]

I love having a boy who can fetch things for me, even if it takes iterations!

Success!  he unrolled the toilet paper and brought me two squares back.