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Week 01 · Why We Help

Wednesday

Pick three right-size jobs
// A home runs on shared jobs
⏱ about 15 min

Wednesday: Pick three right-size jobs

Bennie the Bear bursts into the den. "I noticed a hundred jobs! I will do all of them!"

Ferris the Fox laughs kindly. "A hundred jobs will tire you out by lunch. A helper picks three. Three jobs you can do well, every day."

Bennie counts on his paws. "Feed Buster. Carry in the mail. Wipe the table." Ferris nods. "Those are the right size. Not too big, not too small, and safe for you."

What makes a job the right size

Not every job is a child's job. Some are too big. Some are too dangerous. Some are so small they barely count.

A right-size job passes three tests. You can finish it in about ten minutes. You can do it safely without a grown-up doing part of it. It helps someone other than only you.

  • Right size: wiping the table, feeding a pet, sorting clean socks.
  • Too big for now: washing all the dishes, mowing the lawn, cooking dinner.
  • Not safe for a child: anything hot, sharp or electrical. Grown-ups own those jobs.
  • Too small to count: picking up one toy you dropped yourself.
RIGHT SIZE OR NOT?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which job is the right size for a Home Helper?
Why is washing every dish in the house too big for now?
Which job helps someone other than only you?
A job needs a knife. Whose job is it?

Why three?

Three jobs is a number you can remember without looking. Three jobs fit around school, play and rest.

Bennie wanted a hundred. He would have quit by Tuesday. Three jobs done every day beats a hundred jobs done once.

Later you can trade a job for a new one. For now, pick three and get good at them.

Job ideaAbout how longRight size?
Feed the pet with the approved scoop2 minutesYes
Set out plates and cups for dinner5 minutesYes
Wipe the table with a damp cloth3 minutesYes
Carry in the mail1 minuteYes
Scrub the whole bathroom40 minutesToo big for now
How many jobs does a Home Helper pick to start?
About how many minutes should one right-size job take at most?
Who owns every job that is hot, sharp or electrical?
StatementTrue or false?
A right-size job takes about ten minutes or less.?
More jobs is always better.?
Picking up one toy you dropped counts as a home job.?
A child can trade a job for a new one later.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe three tests keep your jobs safe, doable and useful to others.
In the story, which pet does Bennie plan to feed?
WHY THIS EXERCISEFeeding a pet is a classic right-size job: quick, safe, and it helps someone else.
Try it
Say three job ideas to your grown-up.
Check each one against the three tests together.
Keep the ones that pass. Swap any that fail.
Safety first
A job is only yours if your grown-up says yes to it.
No job on your list may use heat, sharp tools, cleaning sprays or plugs.

Three jobs chosen, Helper! Tomorrow you will turn them into a Helper chart you can check off every day.

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