There are many reasons why I wanted to take this trip with my kids. One of them is to help my kids learn to be responsible about their things and how to work together as a family. I'm afraid that my boys would much rather play Minecraft or other assorted videogames than do anything. Especially if that anything involves work. Normal? Probably. Not desirable though.
I know as a parent that it is my job to instill in them a sense of responsiblity. Sometimes though, it has been easier to just do things for them than fight with them about it. I know that is all kinds of wrong to give in to them just to avoid a fight and sense that there is a reckoning coming. Before it is too late (is it ever too late?) and they have become recalcitrant pre-teens and teenagers I wanted to have significant time together with them. Traveling across country together in a car/small trailer is significant time...
We have made some progress. I have them help me set up the trailer when we get somewhere and unhook everything when we leave. They are responsible for some chores. Walking Chewie, picking up after him, feeding him, buckling their sister in the car, putting all of their stuff away every morning and putting their things away at night before bed. Do they give me a hard time about it? Yep. Do I yell at them? Yes. Do I feel bad about it? Yes, but only because I should have been on them about all of these things a long, long time ago.
If anyone has any ideas how to reinforce personal responsibility, teamwork and self-discipline let me know. I need all the help I can get.
No comments:
Post a Comment