Chores: pay me now or pay me later

By kate on November 5th, 2007

A month or two ago, I read an excellent series of blog posts about how to instill a work ethic and get your children to work around the house. It made me realize that I should get started on Ruby right away, as she was getting old enough to do a few small things.

Her current chores are: sorting and putting away the silverware (from the clean dishwasher), helping to set the table by carrying things from the kitchen to the dining room, and helping to clean the playroom.

Let me first say that none of these things actually helps us right now or makes things any easier. Her involvement makes these activities take longer than if I were doing it myself (and that’s how many parents fall off this wagon). However, I see it as an investment. It’s like that saying “pay me now or pay me later,” except instead of money I’m paying with time. I’m paying upfront now in order to enjoy the payoff later of a kid who understands chores and does them automatically because that’s the way it’s always been. I can imagine that it would be much harder down the road to try to get an older child to suddenly start helping after they’re past their initial toddler’s eagerness to be involved.

One day I hope that Ruby will be as amazingly helpful as the children in the blog post I linked. However, now I am satisfied enough that I no longer have to look over her shoulder as she sorts the forks and spoons.


Filed under: parenting
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3 Responses to “Chores: pay me now or pay me later”

  1. megan Says:
    November 5th, 2007 at 3:44 pm

    I read those too! I keep trying to figure out how to harness Maggie’s love affair with the dishwasher and the broom but I guess 10 months might be just a bit too young.

  2. kate Says:
    November 5th, 2007 at 3:49 pm

    Ruby was similar at that age, and I had her “help” by hanging out nearby while I narrated what I was doing. That way, she least heard the names of things and observed that this task was done daily.

  3. Eric's Mommy Says:
    November 6th, 2007 at 4:14 am

    Eric is 5 and a half and I can’t even get him to pick up his toys! You would think it was torture, he cries like a little baby.

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