Recently I had a day that demonstrated to me how important it is to teach our children how to help around the house.
It started with a headache when I first woke up. I had planned to get up early and have some quiet time to myself to think and organize my thoughts for the week/day. The best I could hope for was to have breakfast more or less on time. Thankfully my children have known for quite a while how to put together a hot breakfast - eggs and oatmeal. They all take turns doing this. My older boys know how to make a pot of coffee - everything's good. So I meandered downstairs and started printing up papers we would need for school while behind me breakfast preparations went on smoothly.
I forgot we needed bread and remembered too late to start some for lunch. Thankfully we have a recipe for a fast yeast bread. I started it, but later in the morning my nine-year-old daughter finished it.
After breakfast I still wasn't feeling great (in spite of two tylenols, I might add), but thankfully I fill in an assignment book every Sunday night for my children's schoolwork for the week. So the children all got on with it and started getting their schoolwork done. Now I'm not saying it was perfectly quiet and all sweetness. There was talking; there was even the occasional squabble, but by and large we were going forward.
However, by the time I started my school day I was running behind in marking papers and kind of stayed behind all morning. So when my oldest daughter asked me what was for lunch, I could hardly face it. I wanted to do diet, but I didn't have it in me to make anything. Thankfully my oldest daughter took over. She picked a menu, made the meal and served me, as well as feeding her siblings.
I tried to nap when the baby did, but couldn't fall asleep. Talk about frustrating. So after my "nap" my oldest son walked to the mall with the baby and I to pick up something I need for a giveaway here on the blog that I'll be announcing soon (I'm really excited about this.). When we came home the house smelled so good because my nine-year-old daughter was making cookies. Yeah for teaching her how to bake.
So I kind of took it easy for the rest of the afternoon. When it came time for supper I read out the menu to my children while they did the work. My headache was gone by then. I started to feel bad about not accomplishing much, but then I realized how much I had to be thankful for. My children had made life so much easier for me today because for the past weeks/months/years I've been training my children how to work in the kitchen. It can be hard sometimes to be patient enough to do this, but today was the payoff. So if you're wondering should I have the children help me in the kitchen today I would say a hearty "YES".
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| first bread making lesson over a year ago |
And, oh, the baby. He was his usual adorable self. So many people at the mall commented on how cute he was. And I have to agree. Then before he went to bed tonight he and I had some fun playing a game of chase. You know how babies are. You offer to chase them and they come right towards you. Lots of giggles and kisses.
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| adorable without a doubt |
Today could have gone so much worse. I'm glad I got up and I'm glad I taught my children their way around the kitchen.
What have you taught your children to make them more self-reliant?
Oh my Jennifer what wonderful children! I have 11 yr, 6 yr, 4 yr & 2.5 yr girls and they are totally reliant on me to do everything! I wouldn't dream of trusting them in the kitchen with the meals etc - even though they are probably totally capable and would be so happy and proud of their achievements for me. I need to re-think my strategy :(
ReplyDeleteLike I said, Lisa, it's not easy because you just want to jump in and do it. It takes at least three times as long in the kitchen when you're teaching them, but once they learn it is such a huge help. You will not regret it and they love doing it.
DeleteI know I really need to do more of this. I'm so OCD that I'm afraid to let them help out and Amy begs all the time...she really wants to learn to cook. I HAVE to let her. I'm trying to more and more, so thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteI know how hard it is because sometimes I just have to grit my teeth and agree to let them help. But times like the above or when I had to rest in my pregnancy with Jonah make it so worth it. We would not have had homemade bread for months if Ezra and Elisabeth had not learned because I simply could not make it in my last trimester.
DeleteK, this made me all emotional because you DID accomplish a lot as a "manager" on this day! And your kids were a HUGE help without taking much of their time!! They will be thankful, one day, of all the training they are being given!!!
ReplyDeleteWe have trained ours (as you know haha) and I'm so glad that they help out as much as they do. Even when I'm home again full-time, I plan on using their abilities :) so that I can do the things that they might not be able to do. I HAVE learned one thing at Joann's - management isn't always easy and you DO need to learn to delegate!!!! Love you, sis!
Delegating can be so hard when you know you can do the job twice as fast and four times as well as your child. That's why I try to use vacation times for lots of learning in the kitchen. I have more time then so it's easier for me to say yes when they want to help.
DeleteI just had to say that the picture of your two with their loaves of bread made me smile... One of reasons is your daughter's shirt. My girl has that same shirt and she just loves it! It's getting small on her but she's just not willing to give it up quite yet. "Smile Every Day"... Yep, that's my girl's motto.
ReplyDeleteWell, now she has another one - Think Happy Thoughts. :) They are nice reminders.
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