Mar

26

Single Moms Go On Strike

Posted by singlemom

March 26, 2009 |

Do you have children who won’t do anything for themselves? For you? Are you always running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to keep up with everything?

If your children are old enough to make a sandwich, it may be time to go on strike.

Why go on strike? Because you can’t do everything all of the time. Your children have to learn to do some things on their own, depending on their ages.

Here are some tips to get you started. Again, you will use which ones will get you want you want, according to your children’s ages.

  • You want children to be able to get their own breakfast, at the very least. Lunch would be a plus.
  • You want them to be able to choose their own clothing.
  • You want them to be able to clean up after themselves.
  • You want them to be able to do their own laundry.

What you will do:

  • You will make your own meals and snacks, clean up only after yourself, washing your own dishes. You will ban the children from using thes items. This includes pots and pans. They must learn to make their own breakfast and lunch, but they must also learn to do the dishes and clean up. They must learn that they need to pull their own weight.
  • You will clean up after your bath time, wash your won towels, etc. If your children are old enough to do their own laundry, which is really quite simple, you will ban them from using the items that you wash.
  • You will clean your room, make your bed, pick up after yourself throughout the house. Not after the children. If they cannot find something: a shirt, homework, a permission slip or whatever, you will not look for it for them. You are on strike.
  • You will not grocery shop, at least not for them - if they are old enough to shop for themselves. You will give them what you know is enough to last them the week for groceries, cleaning aids and and personal hygeine items. When they run out because they chose to buy expensive items or junk food, you will not give them more money.
  • You will have a chore/task chart set up so that, when they realize that they can’t do everything, they will know that you are serious about their need to help you out, in a way in which you feel is necessary.
  • When they give in, you will teach them all of the skills necessary, for their age group, to do the tasks that you want them to do.

There you have it in a nut shell.

What ideas do you have for getting children to help?

Shannon


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