The Most Important Person in Your Life?
Is your child really the most important person after God and your spouse? How do your priorities line up? If streaming and social media consume four or more hours of your time each day, how are your children going to learn effective life skills?Effective life skills are those things everyone has to do–to be an effective adult–or pay someone else to do them. The teaching job required for this list of chores takes time and plenty of work. It is ongoing, frustrating, lasts a lifetime and is worth every minute of your self-sacrifice.
If your child can do those adult chores fast and well, he or she will be happy, according to “happiness research.” How many of the following adult chores are you planning to teach your child…or how many of them have you mastered? Here’s a list of adult responsibilities which—if you are skillful—will make you a happy adult. Unplug from the TV and plug into life.
Parent’s Duty and Skill List (Frame this and hang it in plain sight. Review it often with your child when you assign chores to yourself and children.)
Yard and Home Repairs:
Manage workers or repair and maintain yard and home yourself. Paint, build, plan, budget for and buy materials for projects such as roofing, bookshelves, storage areas.
Bookkeeping:
pay bills, keep records of spending, balance bank statements, track credit spending and loan repayments. Plan and carry out insurance and financial strategy.
Secretarial:
do time planning and errands, phone calls, correspondence, special occasion gifts and cards, schedule appoints, games, classes, and special events. Chauffeur people to these events.
Files:
set up and maintain files on all aspects of the household, including financial, warranty, and physical plant information. Keep records on repairs done and specifics of new equipment installed.
Protection:
Research, provide for, and maintain the following: inventory of possessions, furniture and valuable paintings. Create and maintain safety rules, fire escape drills, tracking of children away from home, etc.
Food Services:
plan menus, purchase food, prepare meals, serve them and clean up after them. Take into account: nutritional balance, personal preferences, special dietary needs, variety of texture, color and type of food, degree of “cooking,” freshness and freedom from unnecessary additives. Food storage rotation and freezer “quickies” for Sunday use must be planned and maintained. Ambiance, service, food preparation and purchase for parties are additional.
Purchasing:
Buy toiletries, paper products, small appliances, gifts, clothing, etc. on budget. Wrap and mail gifts as needed.
Laundry:
Wash, fold, and iron clothing, bedding and towels, schedule and record items sent out for dry cleaning and laundry, get items from cleaners.
Fabric maintenance:
Mend and perform tailoring on clothing, backpacks, and other fabrics.
Physical plant maintenance:
General Handyman tasks, basic plumbing, wiring, carpentry, and other household upkeep.
Daily cleaning:
General pick-up, make beds; straighten, fold, and put away items, organize magazines, books and newspapers, freshen bathrooms, straighten towels and clean bathroom sink.
Trash Disposal:
Empty kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and office trash as needed, recycle coat hangers, plastics, glass and newspapers, prepare trash for weekly pickup.
Weekly cleaning:
Change bed and bath linens weekly, clean shower area, hot tub and shower as needed, wash floors, vacuum and dust.
Periodic Maintenance:
Clean windows including skylights and screens at least twice yearly, clean carpets and upholstery, oil furniture with four coats oil inside and out 2-3 times per year. Remove books from shelves and vacuum books and shelves. Clean gutters and attic or basement areas.
Houseplant maintenance:
Purchase, re-pot, water, trim and feed houseplants.
Gardening:
Water as needed, use weed killer and spray for insects and diseases. Wash or hose off porches and outdoor furniture.
Small Appliance and computer Repairs:
Schedule and carry out computer virus protection, vacuum and other routine cleaning and repair to prevent problems before they happen. Record repairs done and by whom.
Organization:
clean out and organize closets, cupboards, drawers and basement and furnace room. Discard out-of-date items, such as spices over six months old or outdated medications.
Automobile repair and maintenance:
track oil changes, radiator and belts and regular tune up needs, gas and wash car as needed.
Pet care:
daily brushing, walking, vacation planning and vet visits, shots, licensing and shampoos.
Child care:
- Raise children in the discipline and nurture of the Lord,
- Supervise and instruct them on reasonable chores, safety, expectations and family goals
- Teach manners, citizenship, respect for authority and education,
- Attend school and church events, track homework and project due dates, help with schoolwork, provide quality control of schoolwork and handwriting,
- Teach and monitor spelling, History, Math, English, Science, etc.
- Teach and practice problem solving skills, negotiation skills, conflict resolution, communication skills, hobbies and anger management skills.
- Teach and practice adult skills such as budgeting, spend/save/tithe principles, making decisions, analysis, creativity, synthesis, time management, priority and goal setting, application of right principles, proactivity rather than crisis management, follow-through on duties, life-long learning habits and interdependence.
Does your youth have these adult skills mastered so they can be done fast and well? If not, he or she remains in a submissive, student’s role until time to establish his/her own household.
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