Exceeding My Expectations
Teaching my kids to work is towards the top of my list of important things to teach my kids.
I sometimes read this blog. The author's posts are often about raising kids. She's also big on teaching kids a work ethic. That post in particular talks about work and includes this quote by President David O. McKay that I had heard before and really like:
"The home is the first and most effective place for children to learn the lessons of life: truth, honor, virtue, self-control; the value of education, honest work, and the purpose and privilege of life. Nothing can take the place of home in rearing and teaching children, and no other success can compensate for failure in the home."
One of the things I learned from Marley's preschool last year was that she could do a lot more than I thought she was capable of as a 3 year old. They allow them to use scissors, sharp knives, and expect them to do a lot of things on their own.
That gave me some food for thought and I made a couple of changes at home.
One of those changes was that Marley made her own bed every morning before leaving for school. I have to admit that at times it was super hard for me to resist straightening the bed spread and fluffing the pillows after she was finished.
A couple of mornings ago I asked Marley to put the clean utensils away while I was in the shower.
I came into the kitchen and found this:
I am fully aware that the novelty of this new chore will wear off rather quickly and that the real test will be if I continue to require her to do this even when she complains and throws fits. I know it will probably be faster and easier to just do it myself. But, I am determined. I want her to realize that work is a part of life and the sooner she learns to stop and complaining and to just do it the better, right?
I sometimes read this blog. The author's posts are often about raising kids. She's also big on teaching kids a work ethic. That post in particular talks about work and includes this quote by President David O. McKay that I had heard before and really like:
"The home is the first and most effective place for children to learn the lessons of life: truth, honor, virtue, self-control; the value of education, honest work, and the purpose and privilege of life. Nothing can take the place of home in rearing and teaching children, and no other success can compensate for failure in the home."
One of the things I learned from Marley's preschool last year was that she could do a lot more than I thought she was capable of as a 3 year old. They allow them to use scissors, sharp knives, and expect them to do a lot of things on their own.
That gave me some food for thought and I made a couple of changes at home.
One of those changes was that Marley made her own bed every morning before leaving for school. I have to admit that at times it was super hard for me to resist straightening the bed spread and fluffing the pillows after she was finished.
A couple of mornings ago I asked Marley to put the clean utensils away while I was in the shower.
I came into the kitchen and found this:
She had put away the utensils along with everything else. She stacked the dishes that she could not put away. Hmmm...again I think I didn't have high enough expectations for her. So, I quickly made some changes and put our dishes down low so that she could put them away.
Here she is putting away the dishes this morning. Last night we taught her to wash the dishes. She let me know before going to sleep that she wanted to unload the dishwasher in the morning "all by herself".
I am fully aware that the novelty of this new chore will wear off rather quickly and that the real test will be if I continue to require her to do this even when she complains and throws fits. I know it will probably be faster and easier to just do it myself. But, I am determined. I want her to realize that work is a part of life and the sooner she learns to stop and complaining and to just do it the better, right?
What are other appropriate chores for a 4 year old?
Dusting and mirrors. Amaya loves to do them, but I have to keep her from using too much of the liquid. I also have to do the high surfaces. Sweeping with a swiffer, it it's light enough for them to hold it up and doesn't need to have a pile created. Putting away laundy, helping to fold laundry.
ReplyDeleteAmaya loves to clean everything except picking up toys. I need to take a page from your book and realize she is capable of doing more and making sure she does it instead of giving up, because it'll be easier if I do it.
Thank Al. Do you have certain things she is supposed to do everyday or every Saturday or are these things that you ask her to do when needed?
ReplyDeleteLet's see . . . rolling the dumpsters to the street, mowing the lawn, mopping the kitchen, grocery shopping, and definitely the toilets. Basically all the things I hate to do.
ReplyDeleteActually, you are right, the hard part is when the novelty wears off. But I remember the kids being in charge of lunch dishes by the time they were five. And food prep is sometimes fun. Sometimes it makes meal preparation awfully slow when my kids were helping, but in the long run they could do full meals by themselves in junior high.
Cynthia, LOL! Lunch prep is a great idea. I need to do that one more. That's pretty good that your kids could do full meals by junior high...since I don't love to cook that gives me good incentive to make this a routine. :)
ReplyDeleteLunch dishes is probably a better place to start rather than dinner. There tend to be more dishes at dinner and I think it has been a bit overwhelming for her.
I think I have told you that Lex does the silver wear and also the small trash cans in the house. She also loves dusting. She absolutely loathes cleaning her room...she told me tonight she hated cleaning her room because it's a poop hole. LOL. Yes, it's that messy right now. ha.
ReplyDeleteLexi is a crack-up. No, I did not know that Lex did the silver wear. :)
ReplyDelete