Friday, March 07, 2008

Free at Last......Free at Last!



I’m entering a new phase of parenthood. My children can do more physically for themselves and thus I am now able to do less. That’s my goal in life: to teach them to be self-sufficient so that I can become a total leech on the back of society, or at least the backs of my children.

Nathan can cook pancakes. (We still have to help with the measuring though.) Ilene can wipe down the table. Hallie can make her own toast and butter it with 1/2 the tub of margarine. Nathan can scrub the toilet, clean the sink with Ajax, and clean the mirror with Windex. Ilene can clean the bathroom too. (Next, we’ll tackle the tub.) The older two can change their own sheets, take their own showers and unload the dishwasher. (Yup, they are too old for ‘baths’ now.) All three can pour their own cereals with milk, although if the milk gallon is too full they lose a bit to the floor. They can dust (and love to dust!) with the greatest invention of all, the Swiffer, or those cool micro-fiber dust mits. (As seen in photo.) They vacuum, comb their own hair, weed the garden, sweep the floor, and vacuum the stairs. Next stop? The teenage years where all this hard teaching of mine will seem to become unlearned as they become leeches on the back of society. That's karma I suppose.

(Hallie making coconut macaroons)

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for visiting my blog. We actually live in Draper. There are quite a few trees on our property considering that we live in Utah. Having grown up back east, I miss the green so if I have to live in the desert, might as well surround myself with as many trees as possible.

Your kids are very cute. I agree, it is nice when they gain the skills to help around the house.

Win said...

Do you time them unloading the dishwasher...they got down to almost in a minute?

Ilene said...

Um, can I send Jackson to your house for some training? He seems to think he can't do anything. His laziness is too recognizable. He is basically a mini me.

Unknown said...

I BOW TO THE ALMIGHTY MOTHER OF ALL MOTHERS!! You should start a boot camp for wayward kids with ineffective parents (like mine!!) mine can do pretty much anything in the kitchen and the living room and their rooms (cleaning not cooking).. the bathroom they are told to do but it ends up being done over by me so we aren't there yet and your kiddo's are way younger than mine! hey your in Provo right?? my sis is getting married in provo temple in May maybe i can find Gina (formally Knecht forgot married name) and Angie and we can all do lunch or something (although i think Angie might be having a baby near that time her 6th boy) anyway we'll see i'll e-mail you if i get something together (no gurantees!)

nicole said...

Yeah, so somewhere we went terribly wrong in this department because Michael's arms are suddenly tired when he has to carry his dirty clothes to the hamper.And all cleaning up is too taxing because its too boring. He is getting pretty good at getting his own breakfast and lunch though. William did offer to help me with laundry and vacuuming this morning and Josh loves to help too. I just have to identify where the weak link is.Maybe I should just send them to your house and you could fix them all up in a few days like they do on Super Nanny.

Cynthia said...

I never once said the kids didn't weep and wail and gnash their teeth while doing the chores. Nathan imparticular likes to pretend he's helpless, but we press forward anyway. What's life without a little opposition?

Paul said...

Yes, please everyone recognize we are not the model parents. Our kids whine, fight, watch too much TV, complain, etc. just like your kids.

They might be able to survive on their own if it only involved cooking toast and staring at the "boob tube".

Anonymous said...

HAHAH! Slave driver Cynthia. Oh man I know I'll be doing the same thing. Especially when it comes to yard work. There is just too much to do by myself. Especially with my ambitions projects I have planned in the next year or two.

Brittany & Barry said...

Cynthia - I am SO not joking when I say I want to take some lessons from you. Cooking, teaching child self-sufficiency (chores and all that), and sewing (but I'm sure that'll have to be on my "get to someday" list). When can we start?

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