Thursday is usually my most dreaded day of the week. Both kids go to dance (different schedules), I train clients, I tutor, and I do between 3 and 5 loads of laundry. All of this with the typical writing, editing, getting up early to workout and homeschooling the children. It's a bit overwhelming.
Because of this, I have required a little extra from my munchkins over the years. They have been putting their own laundry away for at least two years, if not three. Is it perfect? No. Is it done? Yes. And they learn how things work. Well, kind of. Now, as life gets a bit crazier, I have them put the bottom sheet on their bed and I make the rest of it. During the week they make their beds everyday, but on fresh sheet day, I fix it up nice and neat. Guess what? They can put their own sheets on! It's crazy. They can also get their own food. They can start the laundry. They can make coffee. They can! In today's society we hear a lot of how the millennials can't do things for themselves. This may or may not be true. I have seen people of all generations that just can't do things for themselves. Some had enabling parents. Some had nobody to teach them. There are a variety of reasons why people can't take care of simple tasks. But parents, we can break all the negative cycles. We can! Society has gone from children taking care of younger children to young adults unable to do the simplest things. I'm not saying that we have children to enslave them to our menial tasks. But by golly, they can help around the house a bit. Since I have started asking the kids to do one chore a day, we have learned quite a bit as a family. Both of my children will choose to either dust furniture or clean windows if given the option to pick their chore for the day. These are tasks I despise! Both children like to help in the kitchen. My son enjoys doing laundry. Honestly, the best part of it all is that I am teaching them skills to take with them as they get older. When they go off to a college dorm, they will understand how to do their laundry - from sorting to putting it away. When they have an apartment, they will know how to keep it clean so bugs and rodents don't become a problem. They learn teamwork within our home. The biggest disservice we can do for our children is not setting simple expectations. I'm not asking them to give up their childhood (heck, they are laying on the couch watching a movie as I type). I am simply asking them to contribute to our family work. And they're doing a great job. Trust me. They would rather be the college kid that can handle things, rather than always asking for help.
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AuthorI have a lot to say about a lot of things. Archives
May 2023
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