With children’s lives getting busier and busier, it seems that chores and family work time get overlooked. In my house, with five active children, chores are a necessity. I am not physically able to keep up with everything that it takes to keep our house rolling. Just trying to stay on top of the mountains of laundry and dishes created by such a large family is a daunting task.
Each child in our family (other than the baby, who at 16 months isn’t quite ready to take on a task, but it won’t be long before he gets his own job) has a regular job that they know is theirs. On top of that, usually on Saturday mornings, we will have time when we clean a larger area together. This time together can really be fun! We turn on music that we all enjoy and try to clean as quickly as we can. Sometimes I will offer a special reward if we get done by a specified time, other times we just enjoy the fruits of our labors and relax in our cleaner home.
Children gain so much from the experience of working together to keep their home running:
They gain a sense of belonging and importance- They realize that they are needed and an important part of their family
They learn responsibility- They learn that if they want a clean table at which to eat, they have to clear it and wipe it down; if they want a clean floor on which to walk, they need to sweep it.
They learn the value of hard work- They can look around and see the fruits of their labor. With housework, the result of their work is instant and easy for them to see.
So, the next time you need to clean up the playroom, turn on the radio, roll up your sleeves, and get working…together!
- Christine Posted by Christine of
Random Thoughts With Chris Featured weekly on
Pink Lemonade Online Magazine
Each child in our family (other than the baby, who at 16 months isn’t quite ready to take on a task, but it won’t be long before he gets his own job) has a regular job that they know is theirs. On top of that, usually on Saturday mornings, we will have time when we clean a larger area together. This time together can really be fun! We turn on music that we all enjoy and try to clean as quickly as we can. Sometimes I will offer a special reward if we get done by a specified time, other times we just enjoy the fruits of our labors and relax in our cleaner home.
Children gain so much from the experience of working together to keep their home running:
They gain a sense of belonging and importance- They realize that they are needed and an important part of their family
They learn responsibility- They learn that if they want a clean table at which to eat, they have to clear it and wipe it down; if they want a clean floor on which to walk, they need to sweep it.
They learn the value of hard work- They can look around and see the fruits of their labor. With housework, the result of their work is instant and easy for them to see.
So, the next time you need to clean up the playroom, turn on the radio, roll up your sleeves, and get working…together!
- Christine
Posted by Christine of Random Thoughts With Chris
Featured weekly on Pink Lemonade Online Magazine