just another joke

Even little kids can
be expected to help out, there are many tasks that can be delegated.

I so firmly believe this that I taught my two youngest daughters to do their
own laundry while they were still in elementary school. They used to complain
that I put their socks and undies in the wrong drawers (a sock 1/4" longer than
another sock is not easy to distinguish some days!), so I started by having
them separate that stuff, plus to put away their own clothing. Then when my
middle daughter was in first grade and wanted one thing washed for the next
day, but I was too busy to do it (must have been tax time), she said the magic
words "show me how to do it, Mom". Ha! And once she knew how, I let her do her
own from then on, and her little sister started doing hers at the same age.

Yes, they wore slightly wrinkled clothing a few times, and the one daughter had
the hardest time realizing that yellow was NOT a dark color ("but you told me
it was, Mom!"), but overall, they did just fine, and learned excellent life
skills. The middle one is now in college, and she says it's hilarious, some of
the things she sees in the dorm laundry room.

I just don't understand parents who do every last thing for their kids, and
then wonder why the kids never grow up. I'm with you, Penny; we need to teach
them to be responsible for their own lives, and it starts when they're very
small.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I just don't understand parents who do every last thing for their kids, and
then wonder why the kids never grow up. I'm with you, Penny; we need to teach
them to be responsible for their own lives, and it starts when they're very
small.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I was a full-time stay-at-home-mom (a precondition laid down by the adoption
agency in advance!!!) but I always figured it was part of my job to make sure
they were physically independent of me by the time they were 18. That meant
they had to know how to cook, clean house, shop for groceries and other
necessities, do laundry and sew on a button ( which as is far as DD got in the
stitching dept).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

you sound like a good mom, like others that have post here. I myself did
know how to cook some what, sew, knit, crochet, wash clothes, clean my room,
and pretty much be independent of my parents. I moved out when I was 19,
and glad that my mom showed me how to take care of myself thru the years. I
on the other hand wasn't lucky to have my own children, but would have done
the same that my mom did for me.
now my brother and his wife on the other hand, they have their oldest
daughter, with her husband of 3 1/2 years, and now a 6 month old back living
with them, because they were not taught the ways of my family, and I feel
sorry for them, but expect they will be living with mom and dad until all
their children, (that is if they have more) are graduated from high school.
But that is their problem, and not mine. But glad the 2 boys are on their
own.

"Olwynmary" wrote in message news

I was a full-time stay-at-home-mom (a precondition laid down by the
adoption
agency in advance!!!) but I always figured it was part of my job to make
sure
they were physically independent of me by the time they were 18. That
meant
they had to know how to cook, clean house, shop for groceries and other
necessities, do laundry and sew on a button ( which as is far as DD got in
the
stitching dept).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.