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I have always prided myself on how well I have trained my children to work. However, at that instant I realized how well I had trained my two older children to work. I have come to rely heavily on Hope (15) and Lenny (12) but have continued to view Lily (7) and Peter (3) as babes. Yes, I can hear you saying that Peter is indeed a babe. That’s true but he is capable of supervised work (toting light groceries from the car, emptying wastepaper cans, drying unbreakable dishes, etc.) By age 8, Hope was doing most of the family laundry on her own.
I have a strong belief that we have all been created to work and that we do our children no favors by waiting on them. Now my eyes have been opened to the fact that I’m only half way through the training process – Two children down, two to go!!! Let the training begin…
Tasks to teach Lily:
- Washing and drying dishes
- Vacuuming and mopping floors
- Folding her own laundry
- Wiping down bathroom counters and sinks
- Set table properly – the emphasis on “properly”
Tasks to teach Peter:
- Emptying wastepaper cans with help
- Drying dishes with help
- Spray and wipe the kitchen table with vinegar spray
I do agree with teaching kids to help. Unfortunately, I didn’t start doing it until I met Norb and he suggested it. It really made him look like the bad guy! But in the long run–it is best for the kids–so they can be self sufficient–and was a big help to me over the years–that I wasn’t the only one doing all the work. Scott is still my biggest helper.
Love the new picture and I recognize where it was taken!!
This is a great point, I lean on my older children (just 6 and 5!) quite a bit, I will have to keep in mind that the littler ones need to learn, too! Sometimes it is hard because it does take more time to teach it then to do it yourself, but when your six year old is doing the laundry the baby steps (filling the basket, carrying the basket, starting the washer) add up so beautifully and it is worth it!
We look forward to seeing your family at skating!