Jettie ran into the living room holding a poopy diaper. “Sissy poopoo, Sissy poopoo Mama and Daddy.” You have never seen a pregnant woman jump up and take off running so fast. Unsure of what I was running into, I was greeted at the door of Jettie’s room by two naked babies, one of which was covered in poop. I quickly grabbed Erin Layne and rinsed her off while praying Timothy didn’t pee on anything.

I would like to say that this is a rare occurrence in the Forrest’s home, but it’s not. Jettie is an independent 2 year old that feels an overwhelming need to help do everything, even when it comes to changing diapers. This coupled with her love of poop can make for some interesting developments. John and I wholeheartedly believe that she will be a proctologist one day.

With all of that being said, we work really hard to encourage her independence and eagerness for helping. I remind myself that in 10 years I will probably be begging for her to help me, so there are a few things that I try to do to cultivate this great strength while maintaining my sanity. I praise her for her help every time. No matter how big or how small, no matter if it causes extra work for me, I thank her! If I know I will be working on something challenging that she won’t be able to do, I always try and find a simple task that she can participate in so that she still feels useful. For example, if I’m cutting veggies in preparation for dinner, I will set up a wash station at the sink and let her wash the veggies before I cut them. The last thing that I always try and remember, is if she can’t help me do it, I don’t do it around her.

The next few years with so many littles will be challenging, but I will gladly embrace every poopy diaper that Jettie tries to change, every spilt glass of milk that Jettie tries to pour, and every excited giggle that comes from helping me in the kitchen.