Shocking!
I just watched an episode of Clean House on Netflix that startled me. Two 21 year old twins were still living with their parents. (No, that isn’t the startler).
They claimed to be allergic to cleaning because their mom always did it! (yep, that’s it)
As the mom was interviewed she kept calling them her babies. So she indulged them their entire life. They didn’t have to do any dishes or clean bathrooms. They left a trail behind them by dropping everything on the floor.
And when asked why they don’t clean up after themselves, they replied, “That’s Mom’s job.” And she accepted it because they were “her babies.”
Oh… My… Gosh! They’re 21!
A Mother’s Job
Your job as a mother is to raise an adult. Someone who can do their own dishes and laundry, make their own bed and take pride in helping to maintain a clean home.
Now I’ll be honest. There are toys and clothes on the floor in my home. This teaching doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that starts when your children are old enough to put toys in a box. And continues until they are 18 years old!
You teach your children how to treat you. If you clean up after them, they’ll let you. Wouldn’t you sit back and relax if someone was picking up after you? I would!
But It’s Hard
It’s harder to teach your children the skills and virtues they will need as adults. Sometimes it’s just easier to do it yourself, right? It takes time and patience. So… don’t teach when you have PMS!
Every time you’re doing a chore around the home ask yourself, “Is this something I should be teaching my child to do?” If the answer is yes, well… get to it!
Children gripe and moan to try to get out of doing the chore. Don’t give in. Patiently tell your children that you’re teaching them the skills they will need as an adult.
You’ll most likely hear, “But I’m not an adult! So I don’t have to do it until then!” That makes me laugh every time. “Well my job as a Mom is to teach you, so let’s get on with it.”
Stay strong! Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day either. You’ve got 18 years. But those years fly by pretty fast. Don’t they?
Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/profile/vancity197
What About You?
What are your thoughts? What are you going to teach your children today?
