Bethany and I are big advocates of giving our kids responsibilities. There are multiple reasons why we do so. One is that they honestly love having something that is their job alone to get done.
For example, one of Ellie's main jobs is to keep our guest room straight and organized since that is where she has her daily quiet times or naps. It's not farfetched for us to find that she has made the bed after a nap in there. Even if it's not perfectly done, it's still awesome that she is taking that kind of initiative. For Ethan, his main job is to take his diapers to the diaper pail in the garage. That's a bonus for me since I don't really want to mess with them.
We don't actively pay our kids to do their jobs around the house either if for no other reason that they're both still a little young to grasp the concept. However, this week has marked a first for Ellie as she is actively earning a paycheck for doing a job for the very first time!
Ellie's job is simple enough. We are making daily pilgrimages over to a friend's house so that Ellie can water their outdoor plants while they are on vacation. In case anyone is curious as to the type of plants, there's cucumbers, tomatoes, raspberries, and various flowers that need water. It's really the perfect job for Ellie as due to the current heat and the type of plant, she can't really "kill them with kindness" as she is wont to do at times.
When we first took on this job, I honestly assumed that I would be the one watering while Ellie just played on the trampoline in the backyard. While it's true that she's enjoying said trampoline, that's not stopping her from being responsible for her job first. The only thing I'm really having to do is help her fill the watering can and carry it across the yard to the garden bed for her. After all, carrying a heavy watering can without spilling can be a difficult task for a five-year-old. Once we get it over to the garden beds, she can do most of the work by herself.
I'm happy to say that after four days or so of watering, Ellie has managed to keep our friends' garden thriving thus far. We'll see if she keeps up that trend for the rest of their vacation. I'm optimistic that she'll do great and when it's all said and done, she'll have a nice little paycheck to boot. Hmm, I wonder if she will expect us to start paying her for jobs?
Also, if anyone wonders what Ethan is doing while Ellie is watering plants, he's wandering around their backyard, slinging a football (left-handed, of course), and singing "Pat Mahomes, Take Me Home" loudly for all to hear. In other words, basically the same thing he does 95% of the time he's at home. I think he might be ready for football season.
#DaddyWrite
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