It's 6/6/12 today.
6+6=12
Last day of school.
Let the summer fun begin.
Yesterday I enjoyed a wonderful laid back birthday.
Thanks for all the wonderful wishes!
We ordered dinner in from Rutherford Grill and I
had their amazing cornbread for lunch today from the leftovers.
Oh and last night we had a family meeting
where we informed our children that they would begin doing chores
this summer. What a concept...Chores.
Kaia said we were ruining her summer.
And swore that her friends didn't have chores.
She hated the idea of having chores.
Thought we were so unfair.
We promised that most kids have chores.
Then we called a few of her friends,
Seniors that are graduating today,
to see if they had chores.
We had them on speaker phone and told them they had just become
part of our family meeting!
She begged for them to not make her life difficult
but they all confirmed...they had chores.
And even offered to come help her with lawn mowing and car washing!
Hers aren't hard this summer.
Kaia's chores are....
Load the dishwasher after dinner.
Mow the Lawn.
Pick up her room and make bed daily.
And each week her and Blake wash my car.
I kind of laughed when I said 'wash my car.'
Only because it will be such a luxury for me!
That made her even more mad.
Blake's chores are....
Clean off dinner table.
Unload dishwasher when needed.
Pick up bedroom.
And help wash my car. Giggling again!
Seriously these kids don't know how easy they have it.
We have a sweet lady that cleans our house....
because I don't do it ALL!
So they got off easy with no bathrooms and dusting.
My chores when I was growing up!
There's more though....
Each child will get a weekly allowance this summer.
In $1 bills.
When they complain about their chores or don't do them...
they owe me a buck.
Oh and breakfast.
But it came out wrong.
They don't have to eat breakfast if they don't want to...
but we are eating breakfast at home this summer.
Not going to IHOP or bagels or McDonalds.
Nope. Cereal this summer.
Or eggs if they want.
I don't care, I just would like them to eat breakfast!
Kaia's friends think I'm officially nuts about breakfast
but I think it makes for less grouchy kids.
that's it.
except in order for them to do their dinner chores....
I have to start cooking dinner!
I love this! Our kids have it easy too and NEED chores! I just asked my 7 year old to go fold up her clothes and put them away and she said "folding is your job", apparently I have gone horribly wrong in the chore area.
ReplyDeleteTell her, "Yes, it was. But now that you are 7 yrs old and no longer a baby, it is your chore. Say that for all the chores she should take over. My granddaughters have all done their own laundry since age 5, with supervision of course."
DeleteI think this is great! I had TONS of chores growing up {helping in the kitchen, vacuuming, dusting, working in the garden, cleaning the car, and helping my dad take care of the yard}, and at the time I hated it. Looking back, it made me a harder worker, and I take better care of my home now. I'm glad I had those chores!
ReplyDeleteTHey will thank you later. I promise, they will. Kirra did! She said her roommates didn't know how to wash dishes, how to start a dishwasher, how to clean a toliet...what?? My kids have Saturday chores, and summer means summer chores. Toilets, sinks, dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping, dusting, the list goes on and on! It's a must! Remember, they will thank you when they are older. Their spouses will thank you too.
ReplyDeleteGood for you guys! We are doing chores (more so in the summer) this year in addition to the regular stuff: Make bed clean room.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are awful if they don't eat breakfast right away! Cereal and or eggs is what we always have. We never eat breakfast out.
ps. I'm so glad you had a nice birthday especially with everything else you have going on.
Chores might be a new concept to your kids, but they are lucky! My 5 1/2 year old has to do two jobs a day, and my 8 year old does three jobs. And they have to do things like dust and clean the bathrooms, and probably don't get paid nearly the amount yours will. : ) It is nice to have help - even though I have to really spend time originally making sure things are done well, it's nice to not have to do all the chores around the house.
ReplyDeleteMy kids have some chores too. Should be more maybe? My mom always said she wishes she gave us more work to do around the house. (What does that say about me??) Ha!
ReplyDeleteHappy be-lated birthday! Thanks for all your open and honest sharing on this blog, you are a blessing. Here's to a great year.
I just wanna tell you that you are a wonderful mama!!
ReplyDeleteHilarious, I think there are parents all over America having the same conversation and the $1 bill thing...totally stealing that idea. I agree about breakfast, very important.
ReplyDeleteYou can prove you're not the meanest mom in America by telling your kids that not only do my kids have daily chores - even my 4 year old! - but they don't even get paid to do them! We figure letting them live here and we feed & clothe them too! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad your bday was grand. Our kids have jobs...OUr daughter got a babysitting job for the summer and our son has to work for his dad. Times are tough in our world and we told them if they want any school clothes they have to work. Work is good! I am going back to work in the fall:)
ReplyDeleteLove ya' April...love your attitude. you are great!!!
Leslie
Chores are so important! Good for you! Tell Kaia that my just barely turned 8 year old has more chores and more difficult chores in one day than she and Blake have combined in a week!!! My kids do chores all year around even when they leave the house at 7am and come home after 9 pm with homework still to do. And they all do their own laundry and clean their own rooms which is not included as chores. I think it it's one of the best things I do for them as a mom and I still think they don't do nearly enough. Stay firm and give them some real chores :)
ReplyDeleteMy girls (17 & 14) have chores and my older has a job this summer. They will thank you later. By the way, no wonder I like you so much, out birthdays are just three days apart! Happy belated Birthday!
ReplyDeleteMy kids are 8 & 10 and have been doing chores for 2 years now. So yeah-- I'd say yours have had it good. lol. They'll thank you when they are older.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes!!! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!! It shapes your food choices fot the day, too!
We just started chores at our house too! I found a cute check list template on pintrest. Mine are 6 and 3.75:). They get a few dollars but also earn tickets that they can save up to earn special treats like going to frozen yogurt, books, movies, etc. I am hoping to teach them to save. But we will see how that works out. Keep us posted how its going.
ReplyDelete