Monthly Archives: May 2018

Teach Children to Do Tasks Well

parenting, Raising kids, , , ,

Train up a child…

 

Teach Children to do Tasks Well

 

During the age span of nine to fourteen years of age, children can and should learn to do chores around the house well.  Younger children cannot be expected to do a great job with chores, but they can learn to do the best they can for their ability.  By the time a child reaches the age of nine, that child needs to start refining performance and being more accurate and precise with his/her chores.

The age of nine to fourteen is possibly the last opportunity parents have to really teach a good amount of skill in homemaking. Most children start thinking about working outside the home at age fourteen.  By this time, they are dreaming of getting a driver’s license and that first car. They start looking for a job to help pay for their dream.  It is for this reason that parents should take advantage of the short time they have left with children at home to teach as much as they possibly can.

We often underestimate children.  We watch them learn how to do many things on the computer or cell phone, but seem to think they are not able to use the washer and dryer, microwave, kitchen stove, or other home appliances.  They need to learn the proper use of each and every one of common home appliances. They can prepare meals, clean, and do yard work.

Children begin learning fractions in school at around fourth grade.  One of the best ways to use these fractions is to prepare recipes.  Reading skills are also enhanced as children read and follow directions in recipes.  Checking nutrition facts on labels of foods and figuring calories contributes greatly to a child’s math skills.  Measuring accurately at this age helps a child understand quantities to be able to estimate in some recipes later as the child grows older.  When the family sits down at the table to a meal prepared by a child, the whole family feels a sense of pride and the child, especially, feels a boost in self-esteem.

Most cleaning chores can be done by the age of nine.  Bathrooms can be cleaned properly.  Kitchen cabinets can be cleaned and organized, floors swept and mopped, and furniture dusted. There is always the temptation to use spray bottles as water guns, but this temptation can be easily squelched if the child has to pay for the wasted agent from his own money.  Children at this age can clean the refrigerator and freezer. They can make shopping lists and assist with finding the best bargains when buying groceries.

Doing yard work offers valuable lessons in science.  Children learn about plants.  They can also learn about machines and how they work.  Another benefit of yard work is the conditioning of the body to heat and cold.  Many would say that our children are getting soft and do not like to do things in the heat. There is a limit, of course, to a child being in the heat or cold, but sometimes we forget that for centuries and centuries there was no air conditioning and somehow people managed to survive.

Common sense should prevail in our expectations of children in doing chores, but the value of such training cannot be disputed.  We must never forget that childhood is a foundation for adulthood, and we need to lay that foundation well.

Children Need Chores

parenting, Raising kids, teamwork, , , , ,

Train up a child…

 

Children Need Chores

 

It is hard to overemphasize the importance of children having chores around the house.  By participating in fulfilling the needs of the family, children form a bond with the family unit and gain a feeling of worth. We often sell children short and lower our expectations when we really need to tap into their large supply of energy and help them know they are contributing in a positive way to meet needs around them.

One reason parents may not require children to do chores is that they may feel uncertain as to what the children are able to do.  Following are some general ideas of chores that children ages 6-8 may be able to do.

  • Assist in meal preparation (mash potatoes, simple cutting with supervision, mixing salad, find ingredients, wash produce, read recipes)
  • Wipe bathroom sinks, counters, toilets (this is a good time to teach the proper use of cleaning agents and emphasize the harm that can be caused by improper use)
  • Sweep
  • Vacuum
  • Fold, hang up and put away laundry
  • Collect garbage
  • Clean the microwave
  • Wipe out self-cleaning ovens after they have been cleaned
  • Run errands
  • Rake leaves
  • Set the table
  • Clear the table and wash items too large for dishwasher
  • Wash, dry dishes and put away
  • Get the mail
  • Water plants indoors and outdoors
  • Pick up and put away things

It is a good idea to have a daily schedule for children.  One idea that worked at our house was to require our children to do their chores in the morning, have lunch, have a quiet time, and then allow the children free time in the afternoon to play with friends or do other activities.  Children who have no schedule feel insecure and “at loose ends”, uncertain as to how to spend their time.

 

Children who are not kept busy will find ways to busy themselves.  Children are not capable of always making the right decisions for themselves, and they will often get in trouble when left to do so. It is best to keep children busy with positive activities; then, they won’t have time to get in trouble.

Making Memories on Memorial Day

parenting, Raising kids, teamwork, , , ,

 

 

Train up a child…

 

Make Memories on Memorial Day

 

Creating good memories for children is like investing in the future.  Family traditions experienced as children form the basis for the creation of their own family traditions when those children become adults.  Families form bonds that last throughout life as they learn of past family history. They learn to respect and appreciate the sacrifices made by ancestors and the many men and women who have fought for our freedom as they participate in the observance of Memorial Day.

Many families have a tradition of decorating the graves of family members and friends on Memorial Day. In fact, the day was once called “decoration day”.  When the routine is repeated each year, the children learn not to question the day’s activities.  They know ahead of time what will be done on that day.  Many families are scattered and no longer can get together, but the memory of that day remains in the minds of those who have participated in the day’s activities in the past.  When our children were young, we were away from all of our relative’s graves, but we took the children to the grave of a former neighbor who had befriended the children.  We mentioned those in the past from our own families.

Memorial Day is a time to remember the past history of the family.  We should not allow ourselves to be deterred by jokes about telling about the past.  Children need to know about the past and the lives of their ancestors.  They especially need to be told of the heroic accomplishments of family members in the past.  A little of the negative side serves to remind the children of what not to do or be.  Storytelling has great value for children.  It requires them to visualize for themselves rather than having a picture to go by.  It helps in developing their listening skills.  Most families have some members who have given their lives to protect our freedom.  These people should be pointed out and stories told of their bravery.

When children carefully walk through a cemetery, they sense that it is a special place and that respect should be given to those who are buried there.  As they hear stories about past loved ones, they cannot help but develop appreciation for the sacrifices that were made.  They will undoubtedly be motivated to make their own lives productive.

A good way to end the day is to have a barbeque or other type of picnic or family get-together. One of the things that children love most is to have parents and grandparents play games with them.  They enjoy watching the adults run or make mistakes of any kind as they play such games as workup softball, tag, hide-and-seek, etc.

An often overlooked holiday, Memorial Day can be a real opportunity to develop appreciation and respect. It is a time to bond as a family.  The traditions of a family on Memorial Day are traditions to cherish.

 

Moms have Tough Times to Tolerate

parenting, Raising kids

Train up a child…

 

Moms Have Tough Times to Tolerate

 

I’m sure every mom has some really tough times.  Some of those times we can later look back on and have a good laugh, but at the time they occurred, we may have been frustrated and ready to “throw up our hands” in dismay.  Here are three such times that occurred in our family.

When our grandson was a toddler, his mom was very proud that she had taught her firstborn at such an early age to help by picking up things and throwing them in the trash.  He would pick up bits of trash on the floor and proudly toddle to the trash bin and put them in and turn and look at his mom for her praise and approval. One day she got ready to go to work but could not find her watch.  This was a very special watch that her dad and I had given to her for her graduation. After searching through the trash and not finding it, she could only conclude that it had already gone to the dumpster and been picked up by the garbage truck!  At that moment, she was not so proud of her son for putting things in the trash for her.

Our second son was gifted with the use of words, but was never able to master math.  When he was in first grade, I would sit at the kitchen table at night and work with him to teach him to subtract whole numbers through ten.  To make the learning more interesting, I would use popcorn, spaghetti, raisins, or miniature marshmallows.  We would put down a certain number, take away a certain number, and count what was left so he could write the answer on his homework paper.  On one occasion, we were using marshmallows when the phone rang and I had to leave to answer it.  “Go ahead and finish this row,” I told him.  When I came back, there was not a single problem completed and he had eaten the marshmallows! It has been seven years since we lost this son. Before he passed away, we laughed together about the incident and he said, “Yeah.  Those little colored marshmallows were tasty!”

Our oldest son had a curious nature.  He liked to touch things when we went shopping or wherever we happened to be. I tried and tried to teach him to keep his hands off things, but he seemed not able to resist checking out whatever was available to examine. On one occasion our family was invited to dinner at a friend’s home.  They thoughtfully seated our four children in the kitchen while we ate at the dining table. There was a shelf in the cabinet beside where they were seated that had a number of items on it.  As we were enjoying a pleasant conversation and all seemed to be going well, we suddenly heard a loud “pop”.  I couldn’t imagine what could have happened, but we soon knew when we all started rubbing our eyes and the tears started rolling down our cheeks. We quickly made our way to the front yard as our host explained that our son had set off a tear bomb!  The tear bomb looked like a pen.  Kenneth had picked it up to look at it thinking it might have different colors of ink in it.  As the neighbors came running out of their houses to see why we were all in the yard crying, the host angrily said, “He shouldn’t have been bothering that!” He had a few other comments as well and repeated some of them several times! He was not happy with us!

Mother’s Day is such a special day to honor moms for all they have tolerated as well as the pleasures they have had in raising their children.  Quite possibly each and every mom has stories they remember or are presently experiencing with their children.  Each day is a day to invest in future memories to enjoy.  Most of the older moms will readily tell the younger ones, cherish each moment with your children.  They grow up so very fast and are gone before you know it!