Chores at the Pritchett’s Home

The following was written by my dear friend Nancy. Nancy and her children always encourage me with their positive attitudes and cheerful dispositions. Nancy and her husband have such a great sense of humor, I love to just sit back and listen to them. Nancy and I once laughed how we were at the same Rick Springfield concert when we were teens… isn’t funny how God redeemed both of us and caused us to become friends 20 some years later. Not only did He redeem us but He put in our hearts to advance the Kingdom with our husbands, through homemaking and children. God is good!

First I will say that chores is an ever changing event in our home. Didn’ t one woman say the job expands to fill the time. When my kids were little, we had assigned days. Each person helped on his day doing little jobs and spending time with mom. Now that we have older children in our home, we find that chores look different.

Right now in our home, we have 5 major areas of helping. They are laundry, cooking meals, cleaning the kitchen, keeping the floors clean, maintaining the table (setting, clearing, unloading dishwasher, water glasses, center pieces etc.) On the last day of the month, we pull out the assignment sheet. The person who did his best through the month is allowed to pick the job he wants for the next month. When I say the person who does his best, I mean the person who had the best attitude all along. The person who persevered through a tough month. Sometimes there is that month when the kitchen is piled high with extra dishes from canning, or laundry pours out the door. Sometimes my 8 year old takes extra interest in serving her oldest sister by washing dishes for her; she might be the one to pick a chore next time. Sometimes, we see that there was a problem through the month and strive to fix it.

What does this mean for our family? Logistically it means that a boy learns to do laundry at age 8, it means a girl learns to make bread at age 10 and to can strawberry jam at age 12. Stop and read that several times. There are drastic implications for doing chores this way. The obvious implications are that sometimes our laundry turns out the wrong color or way too small. Sometimes the bread is flat, oddly shaped or the strawberries don’t set up well. The other implication is that one day they are able to handle that large job without any help from mommy.

So many people tell me, “Wow your life must be so easy with all these older kids around.” Well, I wouldn’t say easier, just different. I had never cooked a meal the day I got married. I still at 42 have never done a load of laundry at my parent’s home. This is craziness. I don’t want to raise well educated children who cannot do basic skills in their homes well. I determined that I would train my children to do all things unto the Lord. So, my kids help out, and they are a blessing to my family and me.

Today, I will work out in the garden with my 2 year old, and my other kids will cook meals. Somedays there are major mistakes, and they call me in to fix it. Somedays the meals are so creative and good that I would never have had the energy to do anything near the quality. Either way, the kids are my greatest joy and my greatest blessing.

You can read Nancy’s blog, usually written by her daughter, at Green Gardening Girl. Be sure to check out their film festival at Plants and Pillars!

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Kathy

writer, video producer, wife and mother at Teaching Good Things

Titus 2:3 says that we are to be "...teachers of good things...". We believe that part of these good things are practical skills that we all need in every day life to care for our family and neighbors. One of our primary responsibilities as parents is equip our children with the skills and tools to one day be productive, well rounded adults. Children need to be exposed to many different areas of work. Not only should they know how to work, but they should want to work. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17