The Requirement: Two weeks ago, we had our annual family yard clean-up day. We didn't give our kids an option. Just told them they are part of the family and we need their help. Youngest is a hard worker by nature and dug right in. Middle child is less enthusiastic, but as long as she had her squirt bottle handy to spritz her perspiring brow, she kept the drama to a minimum. While youngest is motivated by, "Wow! Look how much you have gotten done," middle child prefers "You have 1 1/2 hours...if you get your assigned tasks done in less time and we approve of the work, you are free to go inside and relax." Of course, the promise of a little extra allowance helped, too.
The Results: Bushes trimmed, flowers planted, bricks laid, and...kids who learned the sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work. What is missing from these pictures? Our grass, that is made to endure 100 degree heat, apparently withers into straw under multiple frosts. The company we chose to rescue our lawn uses a low nitrogen chemical, which will keep chinch bugs away, but will not make our grass "golf course green." At this point, I will just take grass!
The Reward: A soak in the hot tub for our aching backs and a treat for our oldest, who had to do his part by being patient and watching too many episodes of retro "Family Feud" on The Game Show Network.
1 comment:
Olivia gripes every time we make her do any sort of manual labor.... like it's an everyday occurrence or something ;-). Have to say - the fruits of your labor really paid off - flowers look nice (I'll reserve my comments for the grass when it's greener :-). Did I know you had a hot tub? Jealous.....
Post a Comment