In our house, chores ranks right up there with one of them other four letter words. It is my fault. I spent 3 years of their young lives raising them as a single mommy. And dare-I-admit I'd too often spend it plugging them into their electronic babysitters aka video games/tv instead of getting them into the dishes/laundry routine in order to save my exhausted sanity. Between that and my OCD kicking in for needing things always clean/picked up/non-cluttery I've created monsters. So this morning in the midst of my sinus-hell-fog I rounded up the troops and broke it to them gently.
Today you are going to
1. Do dishes (wash/put away... I rinse so I can be assured they're clean)
2. Laundry (help haul baskets to the laundry room... AND fold/put away their own clothes)
3. Clean your rooms... including vacuum
4. Eat your lunch (leftover stuffed pizza... not even a kind they like... but I didn't care. come hell-or-highwater, even if it took them days... they weren't leaving the table until it's done)
5. Exchange books at library. (optional. I'm going. If you want your own books, you have to be A) done with chores and B) go with me if you want to pick your own. If you aren't done w/ chores when I'm ready to go. You don't.)
I gave them my shpeal and they only interrupted with attitude and sarcastic sayings and questions half a dozen times.
Them: Why don't WE get paid to do chores? Like all the OTHER KIDS!!
Me: Because...
1. I don't get paid to do chores
2. I told you so
3. You have to learn to clean up after yourself.
4. I didn't do all the eating of the dishes. I didn't dirty all the clothes. I didn't pee on all the bedding.
5. In the real world no one pays you to clean up after yourself!
6. I didn't get paid to do chores as a kid
7. It builds charact
8. Your real dad spent his childhood taking care of his two brother, one sister and doing all the housework while his mom worked to take care of them all.
Their Response: Welll....
1. You get paid to do your job.
1. You don't get paid because you're the mom.
4. Well what about everybody else in the house?
8. We've heard that story from our dad before
My comeback to that.
1. There's no place in the job description that says mom = slave. I could walk outside, get hit by a car and get paralyzed from the neck down and not even be able to wipe by own butt. Who's going to be your house slave than?
4. Your dad is the only other person in the house and he cooks and fixes stuff.
6. AND I'M THE MOM SO I SAY SO...
After a little more grumbling and eye rolling... one hour and forty six minutes later.... Xav is done and Austin almost is....
Today you are going to
1. Do dishes (wash/put away... I rinse so I can be assured they're clean)
2. Laundry (help haul baskets to the laundry room... AND fold/put away their own clothes)
3. Clean your rooms... including vacuum
4. Eat your lunch (leftover stuffed pizza... not even a kind they like... but I didn't care. come hell-or-highwater, even if it took them days... they weren't leaving the table until it's done)
5. Exchange books at library. (optional. I'm going. If you want your own books, you have to be A) done with chores and B) go with me if you want to pick your own. If you aren't done w/ chores when I'm ready to go. You don't.)
I gave them my shpeal and they only interrupted with attitude and sarcastic sayings and questions half a dozen times.
Them: Why don't WE get paid to do chores? Like all the OTHER KIDS!!
Me: Because...
1. I don't get paid to do chores
2. I told you so
3. You have to learn to clean up after yourself.
4. I didn't do all the eating of the dishes. I didn't dirty all the clothes. I didn't pee on all the bedding.
5. In the real world no one pays you to clean up after yourself!
6. I didn't get paid to do chores as a kid
7. It builds charact
8. Your real dad spent his childhood taking care of his two brother, one sister and doing all the housework while his mom worked to take care of them all.
Their Response: Welll....
1. You get paid to do your job.
1. You don't get paid because you're the mom.
4. Well what about everybody else in the house?
8. We've heard that story from our dad before
My comeback to that.
1. There's no place in the job description that says mom = slave. I could walk outside, get hit by a car and get paralyzed from the neck down and not even be able to wipe by own butt. Who's going to be your house slave than?
4. Your dad is the only other person in the house and he cooks and fixes stuff.
6. AND I'M THE MOM SO I SAY SO...
After a little more grumbling and eye rolling... one hour and forty six minutes later.... Xav is done and Austin almost is....
