Well…it finally happened. Only a month and a half after I had planned it, but hey… Chores have been assigned!
I’ve always wanted the kids to have chores, but for years it did not work out. Last winter, I started them with chores, but they were simple, simple chores. Meanwhile, the house was not getting cleaned, and I was feeling wistfully sorry for myself that most of the other mom’s I knew had maid services.
But I really should not need a maid with four kids, right?
So…I finally decided: four bathrooms, four kids. Perfect match.
The new chores were presented yesterday. Each child is now responsible for a bathroom and a piece of floor. They also have a day to do this chore (Monday) and the added motivation of an extra dollar a week if they do the chore without being asked. (They also lose 25 cents every time they complain. The kids whining about the work has been the main agony about chores for me in the past.) This leaves me free to concentrate on the parts of the house they are not doing.
They also have a few other chores. Ping-Ping makes dinner once a week. (She’s a great cook, though the boys do not like the kinds of food she cooks.) Ro, Orville, and Juss between them need to set the table and get some of the trash.)
We’ll see how it goes.
(Did I mention that this was a terrifying experience for me? Really terrifying. But…it went well.)
