Parenting 101: Chores

I recall being a kid and having special things that I needed to do around the house. Starting out at a younger age it was something as simple as cleaning my room. To a young person, this can seem to be a daunting task as the accumulation of clothing and toys on the floor can resemble the aftermath of a hurricane or tornado. I now understand why my mother would describe my room in this manner. Of course her most common description was that of a pig sty. I guess this came from her growing up on a farm. All I can recall about pig sty's is that they smell very, very bad.

So now that I'm a parent it's difficult to get my frame of mind back to when I was Jonah's age. I was brought back to my youth this morning while speaking with Holly. In the eternal pursuit of candy, Jonah decided to get some candy for himself and his sister from the top of the refrigerator. Having been caught and punished several times in the past, this did little to keep him from trying once again.

It took me back to when I was about his age and would use the drawers like steps to get up on the counter to get to a large container of candy stored on top of the refrigerator. There was this one type of candy that was like taffy that was peppermint flavored that was my father and I both enjoyed. I recall getting caught several times, but I also recall getting away with it as well.

I guess sometimes in the eyes of the child, the chance of getting caught is worth the chance of getting away with some candy. It's times like these that Jonah and Brielle actually get along. When the sneak-factor kicks in, they bond together pretty well. I guess there's hope for them yet...

I kind of strayed from my initial topic, but this Calvin and Hobbes comic reminded me of things that I had to do as a child.

Have a great weekend!