Wise (?) Grandmotherly Advice

May 8, 2014 by Susan Shay 4 Comments

I might have mentioned all my kiddos are married with homes of their own. (And did I tell you I’m going to be a grandmommy? 🙂 If I didn’t, let me know. I’ll be happy to fill you in!)

With three grown sons, I have a little experience with kids. Yeah, a lot of it is the kind you point to and say, “Don’t do what I did.” LOL.

Are you waiting with bated (or is that baited?) breath to hear my Wise Grandmotherly Advice? Stop laughing. I might have learned something while I was rearing my kids. Then again, maybe not. *wink*

First piece of WGA: I’ve always believed children should work! (The more they do, the less I have to do. Right?) I started #1 son off when he was about three. I gave him the chore of gathering the upstairs trash.

“Get all the trash and bring it right here,” I said, pointing at the upstairs landing. “Okay?”

He nodded and scampered off to get started with his work while I made beds. When I came back to the landing, I found he’d done exactly what I’d asked. He got every trashcan, carried it to the landing AND DUMPED IT RIGHT THERE! (There were crumpled papers and snotty tissues everywhere.)

Guess I should have been a little clearer with my explanation. 🙂

As they got older, I gave all my children jobs to do around the house. Clear the table, put away clean clothes, make their own bed, and when they got older, they had to mow the yard. With them doing all that work, I should have been sitting around, reading fabulous romances and eating bon-bons, right? (Snort!) I had to police their work, didn’t I? 😉

Of course, everyone doesn’t agree children should help out. One friend who was divorced and had three children was adamant that her children shouldn’t have to help out, just because she was in school full time and supporting them. It was  her job, she told me, not theirs!

Another close friend also had sons. I put mine to work at the pharmacy as soon as they were old enough to use the register and count back change. When #1 got his driver’s license, he helped with deliveries and picking up the kids after school.

But my friend’s husband didn’t allow their children to work at all while they were in school. “They’ll have to work for the rest of their lives. They shouldn’t have to start that early.

My dad always said a job wasn’t work; it’s pure entertainment. Guess her husband missed that memo. 😛

So tell me what you think so I can share it with my gonna-be-parents offspring–do you think kids should help out and work or do you think they shouldn’t start until they have to?

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