Every year, at the beginning of June, I'm fired up and full of great ideas on how my kids should spend their summer. Things like going to the library and loading up on books, doing math worksheets to keep up their skills, and yes, chore charts, so that when my kids leave home, they actually know how to do their own laundry and make a grilled cheese sandwich.
The chore charts get made and displayed and rewards are also chosen (such as a trip to the Dairy Queen if all chores are done in a given week). The kids were always gung ho for about two weeks, and then slowly, the fish were never fed, wastebaskets overflowed, and laundry was left on bedroom floors, unfolded.
I wish I could blame my kids for this lack of energy, but alas, it seems dear old dad is the main culprit to my "turning my children into responsible adults plan." Dad thinks the kids should be signed up for X,Y,Z activities outside of the home. And then said children are gone from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a daily basis at their sport camps. Tired, hungry, and stinky, they return home only in the mood to veg out in front of the TV or internet with a Kudos bar in one hand, and a tall one in the other (that would be a Mountain Dew, people). And wimpy mom that I am, I just don't have the heart to crack the whip and say, "get in here and do the dishes!"
And has anyone noticed the lack of home ec classes at school these days? I can't even rely on public education to train my kids in their activities of daily living. Here's to hoping my future daughter and son-in-laws spent their summers doing more than putting a spin on their fastballs!
The chore charts get made and displayed and rewards are also chosen (such as a trip to the Dairy Queen if all chores are done in a given week). The kids were always gung ho for about two weeks, and then slowly, the fish were never fed, wastebaskets overflowed, and laundry was left on bedroom floors, unfolded.
I wish I could blame my kids for this lack of energy, but alas, it seems dear old dad is the main culprit to my "turning my children into responsible adults plan." Dad thinks the kids should be signed up for X,Y,Z activities outside of the home. And then said children are gone from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a daily basis at their sport camps. Tired, hungry, and stinky, they return home only in the mood to veg out in front of the TV or internet with a Kudos bar in one hand, and a tall one in the other (that would be a Mountain Dew, people). And wimpy mom that I am, I just don't have the heart to crack the whip and say, "get in here and do the dishes!"
And has anyone noticed the lack of home ec classes at school these days? I can't even rely on public education to train my kids in their activities of daily living. Here's to hoping my future daughter and son-in-laws spent their summers doing more than putting a spin on their fastballs!
did you make that awesome chart? we were just talking about having a chore chart to earn a guinea pig. But I have no artistic skills whatsoever...
ReplyDeleteNo, I can't take credit for that chore chart, but it does resemble the dry erase one that we have gathering dust.
ReplyDeleteOur charts aren't so much for chores (though seriously, they need to be!), but for doing a workbook page and reading for a set amount of time each day. It works (with some prompting) on days when there are no camps, because those days are just like you described. Also, I get lazy. I just can't think about what's involved in getting a fifth grade math worksheet completed!
ReplyDeleteHowever, all that said, my plan to keep the boys quasi-educated over summer is going better than it has in previous summers, so knock on wood (and ignore the fact that we've not done any of the work/reading for the last four days...)