Neat freak in training

A few weeks ago, I noticed Clara pick up a paper towel I had dropped and use it to wipe up some milk that had leaked from her sippy cup onto the floor.

I squealed with delight! I might have a natural-born neat freak, I thought.

Isn't it the hope of every mother who hates cleaning that she'll have a kid who loves it? Well, it's mine. I pray that one day one of my children will rather vacuum and dust than play dolls. I can dream, at least.

Shortly after the spilled-milk incident, this lovely lady posted something on Facebook about her daughter cleaning, and I decided I had waited too long to have Clara pick up after herself. Her only real experience with cleaning thus far was when we sing "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere..." as we wipe her hands and face after eating. And let's just say it's not exactly her favorite time of day. There's a good chance she'd rather be water-boarded.

So I started having her pick up her books and toys and put them in their respective baskets. She took to it beautifully and now we do it every day. And for every item she places in a basket you'll hear a little baby voice say "good girl". Melts my heart.

Then today, as I was on my hands and knees wiping filth off of the kitchen floor as she sat in her high chair, it occurred to me that she could help and she might even think it's fun.

And she did.

I swear I even noticed her wiping extra hard at a little bit of dirt on the dish washer. We might have a little cleaner, after all!

She moved on to the cupboards all on her own...

I didn't tell her that soap and water doesn't work too well on windows. She was just so excited.

Even if she's not a natural-born neat freak, I can always turn her into one, right?