I am pretty good at gauging*** my kids reactions to situations; I usually can tell how they are going to react before they do. I guess it is a Mom thing - heck I have been doing this for 21 years now :)
Yesterday my Mommy intuition failed. Hard. But it's a good thing. :)
The kids have certain chores they have to do each week. Nothing extraordinary - clean the kitchen, their own bathroom, their rooms, etc. But they argue all the time about who's turn it is to kitchen or who did the bathroom last. It drives Pooldad and me bananas.
Last night was the final straw. I didn't want to hear it anymore, so I sat down at the computer and wrote up a very, very detailed chore list and being that I was little bit peeved I decided to add on additional chores that they don't usually do, but need to be done [i.e. yard work, closet organization]. I printed them up on pretty paper and handed them to the girls. They could see their schedule and the other's on one page. I told them to go study them and then their father and I would talk to them.
We figured they would start in immediately whining about the extra chores or the fact that one has the bathroom permanently and the other has more kitchen duty. Something, y'know? It is a chore list after all.
We called them down to discuss it and we braced for the barrage of complaints to begin.
Imagine our surprise when the girls walked in smiling! They both came up to me, gave me a kiss and said "Thanks Mom. This is so great! We always wanted a list like this."
HUH?
8 comments:
Kids will always surprise you... no matter what.
And my verification word?? stund!!! How appropriate
Good job! The list removed all doubt.
Works like setting goals and writing them down.
I'm going to withhold my opinion for a week or two. At that time, I'd like an update on the efficacy of providing such a list. It would be especially helpful to note if the fighting has stopped and the chores are done-or-if by that time, the youngsters have found a loophole.
RUN!!! The pod people have taken over!!!
Thanks for the comments I love 'em!
Marni - you verification sums it up and made me laugh.
Gail - too true
W/E - Yep! They can see what it is and what's to be done & no gray area, right?
Rudee - Their chores always get done...I have no complaints there...it is the bickering that was driving me bananas and there is no loophole. I spelled it out in the rules section [guess I should've have posted that]
They like the idea of a check off list - they are that way, goodness knows why I didn't do it sooner :)
Yvo - I thought the same damn thing...I actually looked past them as in "Okay, where are my real kids?" giggle
Thanks againg tadpoles!
Damn! And I would have been looking so forward to beating them, too. Kids just aren't fun anymore.
Holy Crap! What's your secret?
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