Ian Helps

Ian loves to help. He pushes the buttons on the elevator, turns on the dishwasher, turns the air conditioner on and off, uses the key pass to open the door, carries Roxxy's food bowl back and forth to the kitchen, etc. Most of the time it would be faster for me to just do it myself (if he weren't around), but doing these things gives him such a sense of accomplishment that they have become useful tools for me. For example, when we need to take Roxxy outside or go somewhere and Ian is not ready to go, asking him to push the button on the elevator or hold the keys, refocuses him and calms him down. Also, Ian used to turn the dishwasher on all the time. He figured it out by himself and loved to do it. The dishes were REALLY clean for awhile because they went through several cycles. Now that I ask him to turn it on when I need it on, he has stopped turning it on randomly. Of course, there are times when I just do things myself and he gets upset, but usually, I try to keep his tasks for him.