t h e m a y f i l e s is foremost a family blog, chronicling everyday life. Life including natural, healthy eating (with recipes thrown in at random), home educating (with ideas popping up sporadically), an attempt to homestead on .2 acres (with very meager yields), raising 3 of 4 children with a rare genetic disorder, and lots of highly personal family triumphs and failures. You may also find an eclectic array of musings on politics, exercise, sewing, emergency preparedness, backyard chickens, and religion. This blog isn't a campaign to glorify anyone or anything. Just simply a record.

9.18.2008

Blessed Chores

This is a real conversation...I promise. It was crucial I write it down to remind Ellery when she is 13.

Ellery: "Mom, do you think we could start doing some more chores?"

Me: "Huh?" Imagine me trying to get some sort of intelligible sound out while my jaw is plastered to the floor.

Ellery: "You know Mom, more jobs"

Me: "Okay..." cautiously...worried at any moment I might say the wrong thing and disillusion her or wake up from this beautiful dream "Is there a reason you would like to do more chores. I sure think it is a great idea!" said with lots of bubbly enthusiasm, of course.

Ellery: "You know, so I could earn stuff. Treats and money and stuff."

Me: Lightbulb. Treats. Money. Does everything in this world have to be about refined sugar, artificial colors and the almighty buck?... "Okay Ellery we will work something out."

Ellery: "Great Mom. Can I clean the shower now?


And so the conversation went. She didn't ask for a treat after cleaning the shower, for the record.

Thankfully 3 chocolate chips is often all it takes to constitute a fabulous treat in our house. Hopefully, the same reward will work when she is 13 too.

This conversation happened a few days ago. Unfortunately she has not been blissfully offering to do chores at spontaneous moments of the day.

Also, I tried to play the "Cinderella Game" this morning...she wasn't into it. Sigh....I guess she was bound to figure it out at some point.

1 comment:

Za said...

http://www.deardrmoz.com/index.php/2008/09/16/dust-bunny-fred-kid-friendly-cleaning-home/

This may help her doing some dusting around the house :)