I wasn't sure how I'd go today, back to real life, after 2 VERY relaxing week's holiday (still more holiday posts to come). Happily I'm up and raring to go. Up and wide awake before my 5.45 alarm too - something to be said about getting to bed early enough!
The children have been well warned that I'm running a tight ship... tighter than in the past, even. For 2 reasons. One, an ongoing one, is that I want us to get more done. And 2, this week in particular, is busy. It seems that our monthly activity, fortnightly activity and 3 random activities have all fallen in the same week that we start back with our 5 weekly term time activities - eeeekk!
Other than that, I'm really excited to be getting back to our book work today. I love it happening, and being a part of it and the kids love doing it. We all love those moments as 'lightbulbs' go off. Great weeks ahead!
We're starting with a diligence reward today. My kids are great helpers. They have been trained in a lot of different tasks and pretty happily help out. Their major fail is diligence. Keeping at it even if something fun catches their eye, moving on to the next task when finished vs playing with something and getting their jobs done at a reasonable pace so we can move onto the next thing, together. So from today, there is a small treat at lunch time for everyone that gets through their morning tasks diligently. No reminders, timely and with a great attitude. I surprise-awarded one yesterday to Nj who did a surprisingly great job yesterday morning... so today they will have faith that the reward exists.
Do you know, some tell me my kids don't need to learn household chores till they're older. Doing a load of washing or cleaning a bathroom isn't that hard to learn. Well yes, if that's all a child learned when doing household chores from a young age then it could possibly wait. But attitudes? Attitudes are a heart issue and if not trained when young, the default will typically be... not good. Ungodly.
I have friends that struggle with keeping house because they weren't trained in it in their youth. It's not the skills in cleaning a bathroom that they most lack; it's the heart training that comes along with learning to clean a bathroom, mow a lawn, put out the rubbish, vacuum well, help prepare dinner etc. If a child's life is mostly about what they want to do, they don't learn the Christ-like calling we are all given, to serve. To put self last. To put others first. That is an attitude that is best taught when young and sooo much harder to learn as an adult. It's not their fault their parents didn't train them when young but now as adults it's a battle that they are forced to fight and could have been do with so much less pain and consequences on self and on others, if it had been done 20+ years ago.
And now, I'm off to make hubby lunch and the family breakfast. Have a great day all - filled with blessings!
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