Chores aren't necessarily a chore

Partly out of necessity (Daddy's still super busy with getting the house together post-move), partly because they just need to do more around the house, the kids are now tasked with doing their own laundry. This is everything soup to nuts, from putting it into the wash all the way through folding and putting it away. Ironing is excluded for now, but may be something to consider for a future date.

I honestly expected there to be a lot of whining and complaining about having to do their own laundry; I certainly get enough blow back on almost every other request that I didn't expect this to be any different. Maybe there was a little bit at first, but this past weekend, I had one of those stop-you-in-your-tracks moments as a parent when John asked, "Mom, can I do my laundry today?"

And it hit me - one of the millions of reasons your kids need to do chores is because it teaches them that they can do things. It shows them that they are capable, competent people who can handle responsibility and be trusted to complete tasks that are meaningful. Yes, they might complain sometimes, but let's be honest - do any of us go to work every day, bright and cheerful, never complaining about some of the tasks ahead?

With just a little bit of checking - Mom, do I use three Tide Pods? (kid must have some REALLY dirty laundry) - John was all set. With very little prompting, both kids got their laundry in and out of the washer and dryer, into their rooms, folded and put away. I'm proud of them and of us as parents - I know it probably isn't folded exactly the way Justin would've done it, and it might be a bit wrinkly when it comes out of the closet or out of the drawer, but in the big scheme of things, that totally doesn't matter. My kids are taking another step toward being responsible, competent human beings.

 

And I might have escaped having bags of laundry coming home to visit along with my college aged kids some weekend in the future.