This is just further proof of my long held belief that the only people who want to do particular chores are those that are not yet old enough to do them properly. It is a running joke in my house. One of my younger sons will ask, “When will I be old enough to (insert something here like use the snowblower, use the lawn mower, chop down trees with a chainsaw…)”
And the answer invariably is, “When you are old enough not to want to anymore.”
They laugh. But really it is true.
Last night my 4 year old daughter decided she wanted to wash the dishes that were in the sink. She pulled her chair over and intently scrubbed the plate and mug that were in there. In the process using up probably half the bottle of dish soap.
She scrubbed and scrubbed. Working her little fingers to the bone. I don’t think there has ever been a plate and mug so clean in the history of dish ware. In fact, they still had remnants of soap clinging to them. That is just how clean they were.
When she was done she got down from the chair, declared herself the best dishwasher ever, and said that she wished she could wash them every night.
I said to her, “Oh sweetie, you can! Just as soon as you are old enough not to want to.”
Okay call me a bad Mother but, I have a child that has pushed me OUT the door in my own mind! He’s 4yrs old and I’ve done everything in the world to try and reach his Stubborn I am the BOSS spirit! Easter was the final straw. He & his brother had received and Basket each from counseling and the 4yr devoured his chocolate rabbit right away. The 6 yr old a saver/savor was waiting for that special moment to eat his with permission. While they were taking a nap (LOL the 4yr old) I was cleaning up in our family room downstairs. The 4yr decided he’d had enough of the nap time and was going to eat that RABBIT if it was the last thing he could do. Unbeknowance to me. When my 6 yr old woke up to enjoy his savory Chocolate…. IT WAS GONE! That’s right… the 4 yr old devoured the whole thing and didn’t think a thing about it until EASTER MORNING when HIS basket had nothing but, GRASSSSSS!!! Later we had talked about making choices, and in his own words he stated… Mommy I really only wanted a basket with grass anyway! I just broke down and cried, you didn’t want the candy? The toy? The special egg? Nope he stated matter of factly, Just the Basket and the GRASS! I said, Good then you got just what you wanted HUH!
Comment by Smarty Tarty — March 25, 2008 @ 12:51 am
Well, this is definitely true in our household too. In our house, the big anticipated chore is Getting To Spray That Blue Stuff On Glass. We have a glass-topped coffee table and side table in the living room, and the boys just long for the day when they’ll be able to spray and wipe to their hearts’ content.
Problem is, the very instant I let them do this, the Windex will be gone and I’ll have to go buy more. :/
Comment by Wixenstyx — March 29, 2008 @ 5:36 pm