Ethan graduated Kindergarten last Wednesday, and today officially kicks off his first week of summer vacation. I am so pumped! I really missed him. Now that we have time on our hands, we can choose to use it however we'd like. Isaac is off to school for 2 more days, so during these next 48 hours, I have big plans for Ethan and I.
Organizing is something I enjoy. It should be fun. There should be a sense of accomplishment. It's like getting a hair cut. There is something freeing about getting rid of the excess, and seeing what beauty results. This is a general enjoyment of mine in every facet of life: I'm not a math whiz, but I love common denominators.
Some of you are still stuck a paragraph back. "Wha? You're going to use your 6 year old to help?" Yes. See, children to me are not just joys, they are extra hands. They aren't to be used as pack mules, but they are a part of the family, and they deserve to learn what it means to be a team player. I'm not going to sequester the boy in the house on a beautiful day like today, but using this time to teach him organization 1. Increases his ability to value things and 2. Teaches him that working hard allows you to then play hard. It's amazing what a little time of clean up can do for everyone.
Don't be afraid to enlist your kids to help during your daily tasks. They love it, if you make it fun. I give my kids jobs like matching a laundry basket full of socks, and the first one to match 5 pairs gets to pick something fun to play outside when we are done. I also love chore charts. My boys like seeing what they can accomplish, and getting a reward from that accomplishment. It's never too early to teach your children to take care of their home, their things, and themselves.
Enjoy this day! According to Ethan, after we arrange under the stairs in the foyer, he wants to go to the playground. Sounds good to me.
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