family activities

Daily Truth: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10

We’ve all heard the Snow White classic song, Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go sung by the seven dwarfs a million different ways.  We kind of chuckle at it, but you know the dwarfs might have had something.  Singing on your way to work and singing as you work is a good way to get the kiddos to do their jobs.

I know….jobs.  It often takes more time to get the kids to do the work, check the work the kids did, and sometimes have them to the job again than to just do the job ourselves.  However, if we do that the only thing we are teaching our kids is how to be lazy, not to be responsible.

So, here are some jobs that little guys can do.

1.  Pick up their toys.

2.  Make their beds. (Forget military style made beds. Remember, that’s not the point.)

3.  Empty the dishwasher.  One child does the silverware, another the plates, and another the cups. (Side note:  Put your plates in one of the lower cabinets so that your child can reach them.  Brilliant…I know!! Thank you to my aunt.)

4.  Set the table.  One child puts on the napkins, another the silverware, and another the cups.

5.  Clear the table.

6.  Clean the bathroom sink.

7.  Empty the trash.

8.  Dust the railings.

9.  Feed the animals.

10. Fold towels.

11. Put their clothes away. (My boys REALLY struggle with this one.)

The list could go on, but these are just a few ideas.

Now the hard part.  How do I encourage my children to do these jobs and to them correctly?

1.  An award chart.  This could be a sticker chart.  When they get so many stickers they get some kind of reward.

2.  A ticket or marble jar.  The children earn tickets or marbles for each job completed. The tickets or marbles can be exchanged for prizes.  We are currently doing this system with our kids for them to earn money to buy a souvenir on our vacation.

3.  A penny jar.  This is the same concept as the ticket jar.

Their are two keys to our kids earning their tickets.

1.  The job must be completed immediately and with the right attitude.  If they have to be reminded more than once or if they do the job pouting the whole time (umm….my youngest has the least amount of tickets due to this problem) then they do not earn the tickets for the completed job.

2.  The job must be done correctly.  This falls on me.  I must first show the child how I want the job done and then I must take the time to check the jobs to make sure they are done correctly.

Why rewards?  Well, let’s face it.  Doesn’t God reward us for jobs well done and if we keep His commandments?  The Bible is full of verses that support this. Here are just a few.

Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 4:40,  Matthew 25:21, I Corinthians 9:25,

I know there is the whole debate out there on allowance vs. no allowance.  I am not here to start a debate. Rather, let me explain why my husband and I decided to do allowances.

1.  It teaches them how to save their money.  If a child wants to purchase something, say a Lego set, then that child has to save for that set.

2.  It teaches them to tithe.   Ten percent of their allowance each week goes into the offering plate on Sunday. We want them to understand that God want us to give back to Him.    (Malachi 3:8-10)

3.  It teaches them to give above their tithe.  Not only do the children give ten percent of their allowance but we also teach them to give a little more encouraging them to do so cheerfully.                         (II Corinthians 9:6-8)

4.  It teaches them to appreciate the items that they have saved for. Besides, I LOVE seeing the pride in their face and the shock on the cashier’s face when they empty out their wallet full of change and dollars on the counter!

So, if part of my job as a mom is to represent Christ to my children, then that includes teaching them to be responsible and to be helpers around the house and to reward them for work well done.  After all, isn’t that we Christian moms are also striving to hear?

“Well done.”

Until next Monday,

Rebekah