• Aug. 1, 2006
The Little Red Hen, Homeschooling Mom-Style, Part 3
PART 3
Question to Ponder:
Are your children the dog/cat/duck or the chicks from the story when it comes to helping with household chores?
This Little Red Hen's Story
I was the Little Red Hen in the story, standing in Wal-mart picking out seeds for our garden, with zero interest from my children. The children were not helpful planting the seeds at first, and they were not very excited about helping in the garden. They were too busy...playing, reading, etc. I let that go on for awhile, with the attitude, "I'll just do it myself", until my garden got too big for me to handle, and I was one tuckered out Little Red Hen. I grew tired of my children watching me work, as they raced around the yard playing all morning. I transformed into one tough Little Red Hen at that point, and required them to help me plant the next batch of seeds, and we worked side by side weeding, watering, and harvesting the garden. Granted, the "chicks" made some mistakes along the way, like planting way too many seeds in one hole, pulling plants instead of weeds, overwatering and underwatering, and "harvesting" plants not ready to be harvested. But, now they willingly and eagerly help with the garden, often cheerfully doing it without being asked, and I am SO thankful not to be "just doing it by myself" anymore. They take pride in their work, and even the tiniest yield of harvest is a treasure in their eyes. This Little Red Hen is going to try not to make the same mistake of "just doing it by myself" anymore. Of course, chores are not all related to taking care of a garden. Daily household chores are something everyone can pitch in with, and it can actually be fun. We turn on some happy music, put up a big markerboard of chores that need to be done, and get working on it as a team. They actually ask for "chore time" now, and they love erasing tasks they've finished. Even my 3 year old son helps out and uses a tiny water squirt bottle to spray and wipe off counters, the fridge, kitchen chairs, cupboards, etc. They take a lot of pride in a job well done, and they take a lot more care to keep the house neat and clean, too, since they know they'll be helping clean up any messes made. My 6 year old son actually took the trash out on his own, sorted his own laundry, and fed the dog the other morning - all without being asked to, and with a very cheerful attitude. I guess he's learned that work with a practical purpose has its own reward, and now he finally knows what work he can do without me telling him. Now that makes this Little Red Hen one happy mom!
Lessons to Be Learned From The Little Red Hen
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There is always work to do to keep everything looking good, and everyone enjoys a clean house and good food.
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Thinking "it's just easier to do it myself" doesn't teach children the skillls they'll need as adults.
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Cleaning can actually be fun when done together, and it takes a lot less time once the children have learned to do some tasks on their own.
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Children should not consistently be "too busy" to help. If they are, perhaps they need to be doing less things.
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Working hard tires you out, and let's you sleep well at night.
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Spending time together and working on something with a purpose is rewarding.
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Children may (and probably) will do the chores incorrectly a few times before they get them right. (The Little Red Hen worked right alongside her children to be sure to show them the right way to do things, and she was patient when her chicks made mistakes).
