May ’09 – Letter To The Parents
Are you including your children in the work of the household so they can learn and you are not left with everything to do at the end of the day?
This takes more than a week, a month, or even just one year. This is a mentoring relationship that has rewards for all involved. However, you’ll need to realize that at first it will take you longer to do everything than if you just do it yourself. And there will be times you will need to do things by yourself.
Before implementing this, consider attitudes toward work – especially your own. Do you consider work drudgery and complain when you have to do it? Or are you thankful that you are healthy enough to be able to do your own work instead of relying on others to do it for (ie: you are in the hospital away from your family or laid up in bed at home)? So first consider where you are at with this and go before the Lord if need be.
Then, consider what is easy for little ones to help with. . . and what can be done along side of the work to let them see what fun it can be. Here are a few ideas for making it something other than drudgery:
- Periodically on cleaning days hide a treat, pennies or stickers in those hard to clean places so your good cleaners get a pleasant surprise.
- Play music when tidying up the house. Let it be something they select and put it up loud!
- Set the timer for ten minutes and have a race to see how much can be tidied before it goes off.
- Make a game of who can get to it first and put it away or fold it first (and properly). Again, at this age being first can be very important. Let them be first at things that are important!
- “Gang up” on another child and help them do their work, especially if it’s more than usual for a given day. Tell them what you are doing and why – because the Lord helps us when things get to be too much for us as adults too!
Those can help get you started. And as with everything, ask the Lord to show you how you can continue to show Him to your children in the everyday life of keeping a home.