SUMMER FUN BEGINS

The last day of the school year was really half a day. As the children entered the minivan, they wanted to know how they could make money. They expressed a desire to have money in order to buy things I would normally not buy for them.

A weekly allowance has not yet been set in place but it is not something I remember having whilst growing up. Regardless, it is something I will consider for my children though the confusion arises in how to pay the children to do work around the house which does not involve being paid for doing something they would have to do otherwise.

Bed making and room cleaning are two tasks I believe the children should do on a daily basis which does not require giving the children money for completing such tasks. I informed the children I do not get paid to cook dinners and clean up afterwards. There are no butlers and maids at my place. We must all contribute our time to straightening up our home.

The chore I set out for the children to do today was 'mowing' the backyard without a lawnmower. Scissors for each of the children would have to suffice today. They put up no fights or arguments as to why they would have to use kids' scissors. They simply went outside and started cutting the long grass.

This exercise in work ethic lasted somewhere around 15 minutes before all three children exclaimed they were hungry. As they sat on the porch swing, one child was in charge of handing out three napolitanke wafer cookies for each of them. Then a fight broke out over who gets to lick the crumbs at the bottom of the bag.

Their enthusiasm for the chore of 'mowing' the lawn was short-lived. After a simple lunch of refried black beans with sour cream and chips, the three children went upstairs to retreat to their rooms until it was time to drop them off early at their father's place.

Summer break is now upon us. It is a time when children need to learn keep busy on their own and parents need to let their children discover the world around them on their own.