Chore War
Posted by Danielle Bean in Homemaking on Monday, September 01, 2008 7:38 AM
One of the effects of having a large family is that, if you’re not careful, your youngest kids can become totally spoiled. There is always someone available, it seems, who is willing to indulge a preschooler or cater to the whims of toddler.
In recent weeks, it has come to my attention that the younger kids have not been pulling their weight at chore time around here. It’s just so much easier, I have found, to assign a job to a big kid or a group of kids—then at least it gets done properly, with minimal fuss.
I realized, however, that Raphael, who is three, has been working the system. When I assign a task to a group of kids, he very slyly slinks away—usually unnoticed.
No more. Last night, I singled him out.
“Please bring these trucks upstairs and put them in your toy box,” I instructed.
There were a number of trucks. I knew it would take him at least two trips up the stairs. I knew he would balk. He did.
“But Mamaaaaaaaa,” he whined, “Why do I always have to do everything around here?”
I suppose by “everything” he meant all the playing and lazing around while the others of us make life as comfortable and pleasant as possible for him.
I insisted. He resisted. But I’m a mean mama. I did not budge. I stood nearby, watching and waiting.
When the older kids finished their chores and were allowed to turn on the television without him, he was inconsolable. He collapsed on the floor in front of me and cried helpless tears.
“This is part of being a family,” I told him. “We all live here together and we share the work of keeping the house clean.”
“Every day?” he asked, wincing.
“Every day.”
He stood up, dried his eyes, and cupped my face in his hands.
“Okay, Mama,” he said. “I will work every day. But not on my birthday.”
Fair enough.
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