How to Use Ways To Be Helpful in the Laundry Room

The purpose of your Ways To Be Helpful is to focus on the behaviors we want to see and to encourage helpful contributions to the family’s wellbeing.

If you’ve read Sophie’s Helpful Day, you’ve already seen a Ways To Be Helpful board on Sophie’s refrigerator. You can also post smaller versions of your Ways To Be Helpful around the house. The Bug Family posted a Ways To Be Helpful reminder in this entryway to honor Shubert’s ability to tie shoes. By doing this, they focus the whole family on what they want to see more of— helpfulness— and Shubert gets a boost of confidence and encouragement to help others with their shoes.

In Annabelle’s room, there is a Ways To Be Helpful Board depicting helpful actions children can take when Mom is putting the baby to sleep. In the kitchen, there is a Ways To Be Helpful Board that takes the form of a traditional Job Board. Wherever you post your Ways To Be Helpful, you will want to show visuals of tasks that are age-appropriate, and provide ample time and the assistance necessary for children to succeed.

Focusing on helpfulness creates more helpfulness. You can notice kind and helpful acts with the phrase “You ____(state the act)___ so ___(state how it helped others)__. That was helpful/kind/thoughtful/etc.” You can also encourage helpfulness by replacing judging phrases that put yourself at the center of the comment: “I like how you cleaned up your room,” with authentic praise that focuses squarely on the child’s accomplishment: “You did it! You picked up all your toys and put them away!”