Delegating the dishes

Several years ago, we revamped where we kept our dishes in order to make it easier for the children to unload the dishwasher and set the table. I'm all about working myself out of a job; if there's a child that can do it, great!

We keep all of the children's plastic cups, bowls and plates in a bottom cupboard next to the dishwasher. (Side note: This is the only cupboard that the toddlers and babies are allowed into. They can play to their heart's content, but it's usually in a frightening state of disarray.)

We keep all the other plates and bowls on a buffet that we purchased from IKEA. An unused dresser would work just as well. This is right next to the dining room table to make table setting easy. The silverware is kept in restaurant-style containers (also from IKEA) on the buffet.

The children start setting the table at around 4 years-old with some help. They start unloading the dishwasher at around 6 years. They unload all but the glasses and glass containers which are too high for them to reach.

Here is our buffet complete with our books and Bibles ready for Cocoa Time!