Help with the dishes
Washing up together takes turn-taking, wet slippery objects and a sense of when the task is done. Pictures show the steps and who does what. See how the support works below.
♀Help with the dishes
A child washes a plate while another hand helps out.
About this visual support
Helping with the dishes is more layered than it sounds. It is about turn-taking, handling wet and slippery objects without dropping them, and knowing when you are done. For a child who wants to join in but easily loses the thread, that unclear structure can make the help fizzle out.
Visual support gives the task a clear shape. When the steps are shown in order, rinse, wash, put in the rack, dry, the child knows what will happen and in what sequence. The pictures can also show who does what, so the cooperation is fair and clear rather than a negotiation over the sink.
A tip: split the task so the child gets a clear part of their own, for example rinsing or loading the rack, while you do the rest. A bounded role is easier to succeed at. In the Routined app you can add the dishes as a step with clear sub-steps, so the help becomes concrete and possible to finish.
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