As they are entering their 21^st month of life, the boys now have four chores each day:

• When we come in the door, I take off their shoes and they deposit them in their shoe shelf down the hall.
• When they finish their beverages, they put the cups on the floor in the corner of the kitchen (they can’t reach the counter yet).
• Before or after their bath, they put their dirty clothes on the floor outside the laundry room.
• Once a day they put away a few of their toys into the toy bins.

The first three they will do autonomously when asked, but the fourth is still a challenge.

“Jonah and Benjamin, it’s time to put away your toys.”

“Jonah, pick up the car. Put it in the bin.”

“Benjamin, put the book on the bookshelf.”

“Jonah, we are putting away the toys, not pulling them out.”

“Benjamin, it’s not reading time.”

“Jonah, don’t drive the cars on the wall. The cars go in the bin now.”

“Thank you, Benjamin. Now this book.”

“No, I’m not going to read to you now. It’s time to put away the toys.”

“We don’t play in the drapes.”

“Pick up this toy. Put it in the bin.”

“Now pick up this toy. Put it in the bin.”

“Now pick up this toy. Put it in the bin.”

“Jonah, what are you doing in there?”

Toy pick-up tally:

Benjamin    3

Jonah        3

Me            1,597