Training Kids in Productivity

Our household runs like a machine- most days. I have three extremely verbal, energetic, and planner kids, and one mellow baby. For our days to flow peacefully, I have to plan well and we all have to depend on one another to execute our daily plan.

Mike and me are both “J” leaning towards OCD-ish on the “Myers- Briggs Personality Assessment tool. So, you can imagine how we parent in an organized and planned fashion. We laugh sometimes at how un-spontaneous we are, so we plan spontaneous margin for our weekends, so that our kids can have great ideas and we don’t say no every time.

This past weekend, we have had many projects around the house, mainly getting our detached garage apartment on our property ready to rent.  Used to our “projects”, our kids rallied around us carrying big sticks confiscated from our forest for a yard, asking us what they could help us with. We put them to work, praised their adorable efforts, and got dirty with our kids. It was so much fun. Our oldest (6 1/2 year old boy), said he loved gathering rocks, because you never know what rock treasure you can find!

I was thinking as we were working with our kids of the value of work ethic and not just teaching our kids about work and how Christ calls us to stewardship, we also need to get dirty with our kids and enjoy work with them, so that they see the joy in productivity. That tasks and even hard labor is fun, rewarding, and an act of worship.

Routines are essential for our household to run smoothly and efficiently. The older 3 come upstairs right at 7 already dressed for the day, greeting Mike and I for breakfast. Chaos ensues until about 8am as four children work out their breakfast requests, Mike and I scurry about the kitchen meeting their needs as well as our own, hopefully. Each day, in the afternoon, I have our sons do 5 things off a list: 1, 30 minute independent reading, house chore, workbook, house chore with me, and 30 - 60 minute media time. They love the last one the most, lately everyday it is the Wii, star wars. I am so impressed that their hearts are typically not complaining, that God has helped them have content hearts as they set out to do their tasks, they enjoy it and take pride in a job well done. I watch them and coach them, praise them, and talk with them about their days. Sure, there are times where they need reminded to follow through, but as they mature, they need fewer reminders.

Productivity for kids is just living your heart out with your work in front of your kids and inviting them into the process. I have also recently been revealing to my kids that I don’t want to do work sometimes and that mom needs Jesus to help me accomplish this or that.  They are watching me, which increases both my passion and my fear for the call on my life to steward, to love these precious kids.

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