Today I am thinking of: CHORES

CHORES:

Dreaded in my home. By the kids, of course.

I do not make cleaning "fun".

Chores & fun do not go together, I have decided.

And I NEVER lie to the children!

I delegate chores quite randomly & hold them responsible for slacking.

Though each child KNOWS what their "expected set of chores" are, like :

• taking out trash- teen boys


• doing own dishes-all teens,


• bringing laundry down & taking back up-all ;

...they do these without being told. ----- Progress!
I am working on the dishes thing a little stronger this week though... they've been slacking...



then:
... extra things are delegated...

• like straightening pillows


• sweeping the front porch


• dusting


• emptying recycling bins, etc.

It is an issue in our home. Are you surprised? What to do then?
We have tried many tactics to make chores easier in our home, but it is not taken very seriously & it falls to the wayside.

• Chore charts


• reward systems


• severe consequences, like waterboarding. (joke, laugh, ha,ha)

So, the conclusion is, without really ever being concluded, until they MOVE OUT is this:
No one is born knowing how to clean; someone has to teach them.

• That’s one of the responsibilities of being a parent.
• We are the ones that will teach them well or not so well.
• What we teach them will carry through their entire lives.
• Teach them how to clean by having them help you while you clean.

Some children are messier than others, (understatement, my children run the whole gamut of what "clean" means) but that’s no excuse for your children living in a pigsty. OINK!
Make sure your children understand your definition of "clean". For some, “clean” is a perfect room with nothing out of place*(My Cass)*

Some people see clean as not having to walk all over things on the floor. *(definitely NOT Hunter)*
We are supposed to decide how clean you want their room to be and ensure they understand what that is.

HA! I have understood that they will develop habits taught to them when they are ready to learn it. SIMPLE!
Why fight?
BECAUSE, I WANT A CLEAN ENOUGH HOME TO LIVE IN!