Kids Enjoying Chores... Too Good to be True?

Well, this may be too good to be true, but I thought I'd pass it on since it is an interesting idea: if we strive to have a positive attitude regarding chores, learning, and parenting, we make it more likely that our kids will enjoy these things and have positive feelings toward them... and us! This is a copy of information I received from Dr. Charles Fay on the Love & Logic email list.

I love the smell of burnt toast! That aroma…coupled with the odor of overcooked coffee…always leaves a warm feeling in my heart.

I once met a woman who loved the sound of trains. In fact, she loved this sound so much that she purchased a house near the tracks…so that she could experience the bone-rattling rumbles and blaring horns 24 hours a day.

Like this woman, I learned to love something because of the unconscious associations I developed through my experience as a child. Every time I went to my loving grandparents' home, my grandmother managed to burn the toast…and burn the coffee. This woman had a similar experience. Her loving grandmother lived…you guessed it…next to the train tracks.

The power of positive feelings is immense! When our kids experience love and joy coupled with chores…they associate doing chores with positive feelings.

When they experience warmth and affection coupled with learning…they come to associate academics with positive feelings.

When they feel our joy as we parent or educate them, they’re far more likely to live a life filled with excitement and motivation instead of apprehension and apathy.

Sometimes I get shortsighted. Sometimes I forget all of this. Sometimes I allow myself to get cross and short and impatient, thinking that somehow my negativity will inspire my kids to cheerfully learn and complete their daily duties. I forget all of this when I don’t take good care of myself.

Kids don't remember all of the things we try to teach them, but they will always remember how they felt when they were around us. Take great care of yourself so that you can give them the gift of loving learning, loving responsibility, and loving themselves.