I forget where I saw this (maybe a cooking show), but someone was saying that in Asian cultures (I think?), children are encouraged to help in the kitchen, whereas in American kitchens, parents shoo their "I help!"-ing kids out of the way. If they'd just let them help, the kids would learn early how to do things that'll be useful to them later. They want to play with a duster or vacuum cleaner? Go for it!