There’s just something special about seeing kids working, voluntarily, on some chores around the house. And if you can’t get them to do it by their own free will, then you can always resort to manipulation.
I found that worked pretty well last week when I needed to wash the car. “Hey,” I called to my son, S. “How would you like to go outside and play in the water.”
It was a hot day, and I didn’t have to ask twice.
And what better way to play in the water than by washing my car. My car was so dirty, that there were some dead bugs on it that are now extinct. It wasn’t pretty.
But it turned out to be a good day – for me and S. If you’re a regular reader, you know that my son is nine-years old. And like most boys his age, loves to play in the water. A LOT. So there wasn’t much complaint when our work crossed the line into play. S didn’t complain much when I drenched him with the hose. Of course, there might have been a little more complaining when he squirted me . . .
In fact, he had fun. We both did. So much fun, that we washed my daughter’s car the next day. And S is ready for us to start a car washing business. Hey! You’re supposed to be working, not having this much fun!!
Actually, S is pretty good about helping out around the house, even when he doesn’t know he’s helping.
Holding together the jello 