The kids are home, and my fondest hope is that Peter will find other things to do than play video games. We had a family talk this weekend about Expectations. Kids can do laundry! Pick up the house before parents come home! Even make dinner now and then!
Pete was wonderful about cleaning after my apathy whine. To the kids’ credit, they went through their stuff and filled several bags with things for our upcoming garage sale. (Yes, that’s one of our Fun Summer Projects this year.)
I mowed the front lawn after dinner last night with our swanky new mower. (It’s exactly like the one I ran over last year. I gave up on finding parts for now…I figure someday we’ll have twin mowers.) The clouds thanked me by sending more rain.
I have learned that kids can do a lot more than we think, if only we show them how/what to do. My son, like your MoonChild, can now do his own laundry. He also washes dishes better than I do. He doesn’t cook much but the few things he knows how to make, he does them well. Problem is, I spent far too many years doing everything for him before teaching him certain things.
When I was his age (and younger, even) my brothers and I spent Saturday mornings vacuuming, dusting, and whatnot around the house. After school we had to peel potatoes/carrots/get other veggies ready for dinner before my mom came home from work. We did dishes. We fed cats. We cleaned the bathroom.
One little thing at a time is all we really need to do to have our kids help out more. Out of underwear? Throw in a load of laundry! Etc.
I think my mom raised us pretty well to become responsible, functioning adults, on the whole. Even though she was a bit insane.
:bouncy:
Amen, sista!
p.s.! My mom asked me to weed the backyard/garden one day and she was completely astonished by how dedicated I was to the task at hand. I always volunteered to weed after that. And I became a fairly accomplished gardener as an adult. Damn, I miss having a garden!