Saturday, October 18, 2008

Grateful Week 31: Love & Logic

I just started taking a love & logic class that was offered at our church / school and this week I am so grateful that the class was offered. I am grateful for the opportunity to become a better parent and for the opportunity to have better relationships with my children. I took the class when Ian was a Kindergartner and our issues were different then but I thought it was a very helpful class full of information that is in the back of my head but I don't always use. I decided to take the class again to brush up on the my skills as a parent. In the first class the instructors talked about how chores were a way for the kids to feel connected to the family and that my kids were not only old enough to help around the kitchen but old enough to do their own laundry. My kids have done chores around the house on and off for some time but I guess I always feel that it is just easier for me to do it {and then I resent that I am the only one cleaning up}. I have already changed some of the ways I am interacting with my kids and amazingly enough the cooperation I am getting is, well, amazing. They want to help me. Tonight {after I spent some time cooking diner by my self} I looked at the table and it was a mess so I asked the kids to help {giving each one a chore} and they do so quite willingly and then after dinner they all helped cleaning up. 
They all picked up their own dishes {nothing new} but then helped me get everything off the table and Ian washed some pans, Sarah swept the floor, & Emily wiped down the table all without a single complaint - even a thank you from Emily for letting her help. 

2 comments:

Michelle said...

WOW! I think I need to take these classes....

Sarah said...

Score! Looks like babysitting just got easier! :-) Haha.