Leo's 12. He is a typical first born. We've done everything for him. I still cut his food- not all of it, but certainly some of it. He's 12. He needs to learn some skills, something other than reading, video games, and Star Wars facts. He also wants to earn some money. We thought learning to mow the lawn was a good place to start.
Little sis, following along.
Stuck in a rut.
At this point, he was stuck in the driveway and couldn't figure out how to get back to the lawn.
Figured it out!I laughed a bit to watch him figure it out. He was so proud to start the mower himself. In the end, I sat and sipped a cocktail (it was 6:00 PM!). He did a great job.
Next time, the edger.
Just a note. He's a good kid- does everything we ask- fetch a diaper, take the garbage out, watch your sister, help your brother, he does the regular expectations of keeping his room clean, making his bed, and his daily chore is feeding the dogs. He's cleaned a toilet, washed a dish- we just need to keep on building the repertoire.
Next time, the edger.
Just a note. He's a good kid- does everything we ask- fetch a diaper, take the garbage out, watch your sister, help your brother, he does the regular expectations of keeping his room clean, making his bed, and his daily chore is feeding the dogs. He's cleaned a toilet, washed a dish- we just need to keep on building the repertoire.
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7 comments:
You got to put the kids to work at a young age!! What is the fun of 8 kids if you can't get a little slave labor out of 'em!
-Becky (One of Kari's scrapbooking friends)
First, love the hat. Kids crack me up...
Yay!! You have someone to cut the lawn, now!! I am anxiously awaiting my son to age just a bit more.... :)
I have a 12 year old son too and he pretty much doesn't know much more than how to get to the next level on his game. He wants to earn money too but Im too chicken to do the lawn mower yet!
Wow--is that your LAWN? I am suffering serious lawn envy. When the brown scrub in our excuse for a yard greens up in the winter, my husband says "Look, honey! It's your lawn!" It is not a lawn. Yours is.
Help! How do you incite the interest in participating and helping out because you are PART of the family in one who doesn't seem to come by it naturally? My 6 year old is IMPOSSIBLE to motivate for more than 60 seconds - and there has to be some sort of REWARD (or a cool gadget to use - like the lawnmower!). ERk!
Tracey-
He has been wearing an orange baseball cap inside out for a year now- everyday, everywhere.
Gretel-
Pick anything that works. Jack is currently working for Pokemon cards. We've used mm's, date with mom, matchbox cars, gummi bears, stickers, books, money (pennies, nickels...), you name it, you can use it. Recently, we bought Gus a small Lego set, divided it up into small bags, and he earned a bag a day for good school behavior.
Good Luck!
We've never paid our girls an allowance and gave the speech about all of us in the family having jobs etc. But honestly, it usually comes down to threatening the loss of something to get some jobs done. (not the loss of limbs or anything - usually it is a phone or a get togehter)
But a couple summers ago, both of them put up signs. Kate to walk dogs and Bailie to be a mommy's helper. They both got gigs right away. Three years later, Bailie is babysitting on her own regularly and Kate is still walking dogs. It's a nice way to earn money - but it also ends up being partly my job because I have to get them to these places etc.... They have learned a lot about respsonsibility and both opened up savings accounts....
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