Stick Jobs

I make my kids do Stick Jobs on Saturday. They hate it. I hate it. They complain. I complain. They wish they lived somewhere else. I invite them to look for another home that doesn't require cleaning. Saturdays are blissful!

These are the sticks with a job on each of them. When they finish breakfast, they have to clean their rooms. The first one done gets first pick of about 3 sticks. Last one done is always sad.

Today Isaac took his time cleaning his stuff in his room. Sam and Ruthie were done with their stick jobs while Isaac was just playing with what he should have been cleaning. He was bummed to find the "Sweep" stick gone and the job finished. So the three sticks left for him were "Wash Walls", "Vacuum" and "Empty Dishwasher". He wasn't as psyched as I thought he should have been.

He saved the dishwasher for last. I am watching over him to make sure he completes his jobs before the sun goes down. He says, "You just watch me and don't say anything and see if I get everything in the right place!" Game on!

He got everything in the right place. He actually smiled as I smiled at him after he put the glass bowl in the right spot on the shelf.

Moments like that make me happy to be a mom.

But next Saturday the sticks will make for another day of complaints and tears and on and on.

Maybe one of these days they really will go looking for a house that doesn't require cleaning.

But who will clean the bathroom counter here then??