Rub With Me

What you need

• soap
• a hand towel

How to do it

1. Stand behind your toddler at the sink so you're both facing the same way.
2. Put your hands around theirs and do the whole wash together.
3. Next time, let go once the soap is on and let them rub on their own.
4. Step in again only for the bits they haven't got to yet.

Why it matters

Hands guided through the movement learn it quicker than hands that are only watched, and taking your hands away a little sooner each time is how the help disappears.

What they're learning

Feeling the movement

Being taken through it teaches the shape of the job faster than instructions can.

Doing it themselves

Each time you let go earlier, more of the wash belongs to them.

Rubbing hands together

Repetition with the right movement beats repetition with the wrong one.

What to look for

Watch for them carrying on rubbing after your hands come away.

A tip

Help with the parts they can't do and leave the parts they can. Doing it all for them is quicker today and slower for the next two years.

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