Working as a Team.

I want my children to think of each other as team-mates not competition. So I'm doing team training. Starting them young. But I want teamwork to become automatic not 'if I got too'. So far it seems to be working. The boys often help E take her shoes and jacket off. J also helps L figure out if his shoes are on the wrong feet. They bring me jars from the pantry and containers full of flour or sugar or whatever, J taking them down and passing them to L or E who then brings it to me. I use it and pass it back to E or L and they in turn bring it back to J who puts it away. So today I sent the boys out to get the eggs. L was suppose to carry a bit of chicken feed in a bucket and J was to take the bucket for the eggs. They both carry foam swords. Ready to do battle to get the eggs:) They can both climb over electric netting so one stands on it and lets the other over. Then L feeds them his 'treat' and J gets the eggs out of the dog carrier we are using as a nest box and hands them to L who puts them in the bucket. They take turns swiping, with their foam swords, at the curious turkey who likes L a bit too much. L being just the right height to see eye to eye with the turkey. Eggs gathered they grab their buckets and climb back over the fence, swords in hand. My brave boys :)