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Include your kids in the housework
One of my favorite biblical models of a time efficient woman is found in Proverbs 31. I once found her example overwhelming until one day part of a verse jumped off the page “…and plan the days work for her servant girls” (proverbs 31:15b)
I immediately thought, I could get all that done if I had servants too. Then it struck me I have 3.
I prefer the word “helpers” for my children than “servants”. They help me get a lot done, and in trade for training them I am ensuring that they will enter adulthood with the skills of managing a home tucked in their tool belts.
My kids are currently 10, 12, and 16, and they do at least 50% of the housework around the home. I could train them to do more, but I like to keep a good balance of work and play in their lives.
My biggest downfall in this area was waiting so long. My youngest was 5 and my eldest 11 when I started training them to help. Knowing what I know now if I could go back and do it over I would have them help years earlier.
Yes taking time to train them does slow you down temporarily but the rewards of instilling good work ethic into them far out way the training time.
I encourage you to enter “age appropriate chores” into the Pinterest search box and start researching just how much your children could be helping you and then start training them.
Here is an article with a free printable age appropriate chore chart that I found in seconds after punching the above into the Pinterest search engine.
Within just a few short weeks of training I promise you will start seeing your chore time diminish and your children’s work abilities improve.
Looking for time management tips? Follow the Goal Setting & Time Management Tips Community board on Pinterest
Dig Into The Time Management Series Using The Links Below
Introduction: 31 Days Of Time Saving Tips For The Work-At-Home Mom
Day One: Perform a Time Audit
Day Two: Night Owl Or Morning Bird?
Day Three: Where are Your Largest Windows?
Day Four: Making the Most of Small Windows
Day Five: Daily To Do Lists
Day Six: Maximizing The To Do List
Day Seven: Say No
Day Eight: Eliminate Poor Yes Choices
Day Nine: Put Your Time Offenders On a Budget
Day Ten: Combine Joy
Day Eleven: Making Effective Use of Waiting Time
Day Twelve: Making Use of Travel Time
Day Thirteen: Making The Most of Mom Taxi in Waiting Time
Day Fourteen: Take Time to Rest a Few Moments Each Day
Day Fifteen: Tag-Team
Day Sixteen: Involve the Kids (you are here)
Day Seventeen: Mechanical Slaves
Day Eighteen: Outside Help
Day Nineteen: Timer Magic
Day Twenty: Take a Rest Day
Day Twenty One: Less Stuff, Less Mess, More Time
Day Twenty Two: Hold A Family Work Bee
Day Twenty Three: Keep Gatherings Simple
Day Twenty Four: Saving Time in The Kitchen
Day Twenty Five: The Self Cleaning Home
Day Twenty Six: Streamlining Your Homeschooling day
Day Twenty Seven: Create an I Did It List
Day Twenty Eight: Create a Simple Cleaning Routine
Day Twenty Nine: Create To Go Bags
Day Thirty: Making Minimum Standards
Day Thirty One: Treat Life Like a Marathon Not a Sprint
Tired of living a chaotic life? I recommend taking Make Over Your Mornings and/or Make Over Your Evenings. These are 15 day, video driven courses that come with a workbook for you to complete. Each day’s lesson consists of a five minute video, five minutes of reading and a five minute workbook activity. These courses will help you streamline your day taking you from frazzled to calm.
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BarbaraLee says
October 31, 2012 at 2:05 pmGrowing up on a farm we had to work together to get the work done. So when I had my brood they worked right beside me when they could walk. Things didn’t get done perfectly but as they got older they got better. Practice makes perfect. I even get my daycare kids to help. Children are very capable of doing chores at young ages. I see to many adults dumbing down children. They are so willing to help and they can do it. Just give a chance.