Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Mom's Off Duty - Day Two Report

Once again, I must say I have great kids.

With the list of "Tuesday Jobs" on the table, and the kids already tackling them I went out to the post office.
When I was finished there I decided it was too early for me to return home, so I called to check on the kids and let them know I was going to a park for a little while. I had brought my Bible with me, and found a nice bench in the park on which to sit and meet with God. I fully enjoyed the peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and as I sat there He gave me the idea to bring the kids back for a picnic lunch and play time.
So with a satisfied heart, I hopped back in the van and made my way home to find...The floors were vacuumed, (I had to supervise a few touch-ups, but that's OK!) the walls were washed, the dishwasher was emptied and re-loaded, and the counters were wiped. (No pictures today. I got entirely too frustrated with the process of posting them yesterday. Not sure if it was Blogger, my ISP, my computer, or what. But it took too long, and I'm not going to try again until I have forgotten how frustrated it made me. Ha!)

I had to take care of a few things here (No housework, mind you! *grin*) then we packed lunches and went to the park. There was a pond to visit and lots of turtles and bugs to admire. Even a frog for Joshua to catch. We really had a fun time, and I am hoping the kids will recognize (if my not-so-subtle-hints don't make it obvious enough...) how much their help around the house allows us to do more fun things, because of how it frees me up. Teamwork is such a good thing.
After the park, we went to the library and came home with plenty of good reading material. Tomorrows "chores" will include 30 minutes of quiet reading - for sure! And, I think the kids will be dusting, too. Yeah, that sounds like a good Wednesday Job for them to accomplish.

I also had them memorize Proverbs 19:20 today. Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Had to remind them of these wise words a few times throughout the day, and I am praying the wisdom within the proverb will make its way into their hearts.

My Day Two evaluation - This experiment of making the kids fully responsible for carrying out household chores for a week - is going even better than I'd hoped. I am proud of them for their work. I am humbled because part of me didn't expect them to do this well. I am hopeful for the future and how we can work together as a family unit. For those of you who have thought of trying something like this, but have been afraid to actually do it - I say, Go for it!

post signature

8 comments:

Stacey said...

Way to go!! That is fantastic - makes me want to keep pursuing this making kids act responsible.

=)

Unknown said...

This is going so well!

I have just been doing "catch-up" on your week, and am so impressed.

Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the week goes.

Hugs and prayers.

luvmy4sons said...

Awesome dude! LOL! I am glad day two went well. I wonder though...is it the novelty...will the newness and the fun aspect wear off...could they keep up long term habits? Not trying to be a nay sayer. Just anxious to see how this turns out! This is fun. You are our guniea pig! LOL! You go girl! What great kids you have! That means they have a great mom!

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure it would go so well at my house :)...

Shannon said...

There are so many mothers/parents who require nothing of their children. They cater to their every need and ask nothing in return. I don't think it's fair to the parents OR the children. Children need to have some responsibilty in order to get the sense of satisfaction that comes from giving back. Great job and definitely inspirational!

Anonymous said...

Just getting started with this whole blog thing. And am thrilled to read yours. Thanks for sharing. I just need to know the ages of your children. Wondering how much more I can enlist my 5 and 3 year old to do. They already help with dishwasher unloading (hint to others ... place the plates, bowls, plastic cups, etc in a low cupboard where little arms can reach)

Anxious to see how the rest of the week turns out. And then to see the "long-term" affects for their "lessons".

Thanks for sharing the things God has placed on your heart!

Keep it up!

Shawna said...

I can't believe this little project is going so well. You really do have wonderful kids.

concerned parent said...

You have encouraged me to try this when I am all better and orgaize this a littl more. But for the most part my 15 year old has been a great help to me as I heal.