I saw an interesting article in a magazine last week. I can't recall where exactly or I'd post the link. It was a REALLY good article about parenting. It has always driven me crazy when parents complain they don't get any help around the house from their spouse and/or children. WHAT? Who's running the show? Women really shouldn't do everything. It's not good for anyone to be the only clerk minding the store.
This article addresses that very issue. It suggested, among other things, dedicating a whole day to your children's well being. Here's the good part. It didn't go into building their self-esteem by catering to their every whim or buying them the lastest and most expensive gadget. Quite the opposite. It talked about giving them the tools that will BEST suit them in life - namely - responsibility, respect, and healthy habits (including diet and exercise).
Well, I seized the day. I figured out which issues I really wanted to tackle, made a list in my mind, and went for it. I prioritized what I felt were critical issues for our family and came up with spirituality, responsibility, and healthy habits. Then, I cleared the schedule and we dedicated the WHOLE day to this stuff.
First off - Emma and Grayson are attending vacation bible school for the third week. They are familiar with the church and many of their friends are there. They love it. I encourage it. Claire was not so sure so she and I are spending some great quality time together this week. But today, I decided that one of the healthy habits I wanted to target was sleep. So, we skipped VBS today and everyone slept until 9:00. All of us needed it and I really wanted good attitudes today.
Then we tackled chore day. I've been working on new chore charts - new responsibilities and monetary rewards - so we went over them then set them to work. I decided on one chore for each year with different rewards - all paid on the same day of the week. Then we went over how to do each chore. They actually really can do this stuff. In reality, they are capable of more but I really wanted to pare it all down and focus on one chore for each year. Emma and Grayson are asking for extra credit chores as they want more money each week. We'll have to see how the first month goes. There is the responsibility piece.
Throughout the day, we've talked about all the healthy choices for breakfast and lunch. We went over all the healthy habits that are already part of their day (brushing, bathing, etc) and how to incorporate healthy habits for the environment (someday, God willing - they will remember to turn off the lights) like recycling and donating toys/clothes.
Then, it is off to the library to address the community piece as well as reading as a responsible and healthy habit. This afternoon, Emma and Grayson have swim lessons. Claire and I do our own thing in the pool while we wait for them. That counts as exercise right?
The article sounded so interesting but a whole day sounded so daunting. Now that I've scheduled it in and made it fun for the kids (not to mention I need a few more new releases from a favorite author), it's actually pretty doable. The best part - it didn't cost a thing but time and energy. Which was the other part of the article. The best things for a family really are free.
