The Privilege to Work

My Mom jokes that she had six children because she thought they’d be the hired help she always dreamed of. We weren’t quite the merry maids she longed for… but she stayed on us.

And I’m so glad. Despite our share of gripes and groans, we learned how to work.

We took turns mowing the lawn. We weeded. We canned cherries, picked beans, helped her make tomato sauce. We cleaned bathrooms, vacuumed, did our own laundry, made our own lunches, and my favorite daily chore (for as long as I can remember) was emptying the dishwasher. Sometimes I would time myself. I got pretty fast at grabbing plates by the handful, sliding cups into each other, and snagging as many forks or knives as I could in one swipe. (Confession: I did break a plate or two.)

Together, my parents helped us understand that we were part of a family and that meant we had responsibilities. They helped us see that we were happier when we worked for things.

David O. McKay said, “The privilege to work is a gift… the power to work is a blessing, [and] love of work is success.”

I am learning with my own children that work is only fun when they succeed.

Modifying (as needed) and helping my kids feel like they are doing their tasks well, is key.

So with the girls getting old enough this summer to handle daily chores (like cleaning their room, making their bed, and other do-able tasks), I started looking for chore charts. I didn’t want to print something new every week. I didn’t want to deal with markers or stickers. I wanted something simple. And I wanted it to be able to change as our family changed.

I looked for a while.

Finally, I found these magnet boards on Etsy @ Abbie’s House. We’ve been using them since the first of June. And nearly two months into it, I can honestly say, they work. I love them. And my girls love them too. Each day they have their basic chores, plus two extra jobs that I rotate.

Each board comes with ten tiles, but you can custom select other tiles in packages of five, depending on your children’s jobs or interests, and your household needs. Andrea @ Abbie’s House was fabulous to work with, printing names and tying ribbons just how I requested.

I know some of you can make these yourself. Boy, do I pine for the crafty talent now and then, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. So I’ve settled on the fact that if I want something cute, I have to pay someone else to make it.

Now. See the picture above? That’s how our charts look at 8 AM when everyone is waking up.

This is how they look around… oh… 10:30 AM. Sometimes 11. Yes, three hours later, the girls eventually finish up their morning “to do” list. (I promise the charts really do work. We’re just slow on the learning curve and a little distracted around here.)

Some days it feels like I have forty jobs – their ten each and my own. But they’re still young, still figuring things out (and so am I). With a little motivation like a slurpee or a new package of crayons they can get their groove on.

At this point we haven’t developed a consistent reward system. Or family financial system. The girls do extra jobs to earn money, which I keep in a log with the item(s) they are wanting to buy for themselves. They pay tithing to our church on everything they earn. And as they get a bit older we will help them understand savings and interest with a family money system.

(They’re currently at the neighbors’ house running a lemonade stand. Not a whole lot of work, but good practice with money.)

For now, I want my kids to learn there are jobs they do every day because they are simply part of our family. They don’t get paid for them. It’s just part of life. A good part. Because work moves us outside ourselves, makes us feel successful, gives us skills and confidence.

This morning, it took three pieces of licorice to finally move their feet along and we finished up at 11:01. But believe it or not, we’re making progress.

And one more thing. Our girls are loving these summer workbooks.

You can find them here.