We’re to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We all know that.
But part of that has got to be serving others cheerfully, pitching in when it’s not your official job, learning how to run a house and take care of yourself, and practicing excellence, responsibility, and taking initiative.
Am I right? Certainly sounds Biblical to me!
Chores equal service
So this is exactly where all the chores come in. You, the mom, have a responsibility to train your kids in how to do those things.
Which means… drumroll, please… that you aren’t doing all the chores yourself!
See, when you’re apprenticing your kids as little food preppers and toy picker-uppers and bathroom cleaners, you’re actively showing them how to take care of the house, each other, and themselves.
(And there’s probably plenty of attitude and character adjustment going along with it!)
In other words, they’ve just been enrolled in an in-house servant leadership discipleship program – led by you!
(Think of all those work-study camps that have older teens clean up the grounds and cook all the food for the summer campers, then spend their precious free hours doing Bible studies. You’re doing the home version of that!)
Raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord means chores.
Chores equal character
This isn’t just about how to get you a break from the chores (though that certainly plays into it).
No, the ultimate point of chore delegation (when it’s to your kids) is to get them ready for life.
To instill the principles of helpfulness and excellence early on.
To bump them out of their comfort zone and give them opportunities to grow unselfishness.
*That’s* what delegating the chores is all about.
Now, how’s that for a little Biblical empowerment?
Chores equal training your kids
And, bearing that in mind, how are you going to approach your current kid-chore training differently this evening when you clean up from supper?
What about tomorrow, with the breakfast dishes? Or this Saturday for whole-house cleaning day?
Reframe your “kids do chores” family philosophy to add “so that they learn to model Christ-like behavior” and see how that renews your motivation to stick with it.
Because the chore hand-off process takes more upfront work than you just doing everything for them. For sure.
But your kids’ future character depends on having a share now.
So. Pep talk over.
How is this going to change how you talk about the chores today?
