parenting mistake #76
Dear readers,
Yes, you! With the cute little tyke wrapped around your ankle. It's confession time.
I've been successfully and singlehandedly doing some minor renovations in our bathroom, between tea with friends (read: therapy), school obligations and a return to jazzercise.
My house looks like I have abandoned it to raccoons.
So, as per my usual, I made up some chore lists for my kids this morning. Simple things they can do while Greg and I tackle improvements designed to sell this house.
Zack is more tidy in nature; lists make his heart sing. He is plowing through his. Happy is he and his organized brain, which I may never fully comphrehend.
Lexi is creating alternative lists to my list; still helpful, but not what I need right now. She thinks this is a democracy. She thinks the lists should be equal in difficulty, that I should ignore the three year age difference. She thinks baking me shortbread for strawberries is in order. (She may be on to something.)
I've created a chore monster.
I was inconsistent in including her in these activities way back when; she would have been more excited to learn how to mop at three or four. Maybe.
(Ok, I don't buy that completely either. I have hated housework my whole life.)
So, as I listen to her grouse and stomp, I offer this up, if it lightens your load someday: Be consistent in choreland. Make them share the load early and often.
That is all.
Over and out, and learning from my mistakes,
Mama Milton
Yes, you! With the cute little tyke wrapped around your ankle. It's confession time.
I've been successfully and singlehandedly doing some minor renovations in our bathroom, between tea with friends (read: therapy), school obligations and a return to jazzercise.
My house looks like I have abandoned it to raccoons.
So, as per my usual, I made up some chore lists for my kids this morning. Simple things they can do while Greg and I tackle improvements designed to sell this house.
Zack is more tidy in nature; lists make his heart sing. He is plowing through his. Happy is he and his organized brain, which I may never fully comphrehend.
Lexi is creating alternative lists to my list; still helpful, but not what I need right now. She thinks this is a democracy. She thinks the lists should be equal in difficulty, that I should ignore the three year age difference. She thinks baking me shortbread for strawberries is in order. (She may be on to something.)
I've created a chore monster.
I was inconsistent in including her in these activities way back when; she would have been more excited to learn how to mop at three or four. Maybe.
(Ok, I don't buy that completely either. I have hated housework my whole life.)
So, as I listen to her grouse and stomp, I offer this up, if it lightens your load someday: Be consistent in choreland. Make them share the load early and often.
That is all.
Over and out, and learning from my mistakes,
Mama Milton
Comments
Housework clears my mind [when I get around to it]; clearly they've picked up on that and will use it to their advantage. Their spouses will hate me.
You could farm out your boy to neighbors who need chores done. :-) But I'd keep the girl home to make shortbread, if I were you.
I burst out laughing...which, is also not a great parenting tip...
"he's almost 12, he's twice your age, he didn't get to do it when he was 6 either"
just all the time.
Pick up all plastic animals, put in basket = 1 jelly bean
Pick up all crayons = 1 jelly bean
Occupy your brother in bedroom for five minutes while I go to the mother-loving bathroom, for Pete's sake = 2 jelly beans
I'm absolutely sure this system will backfire at some point and/or give her food issues.