I like organizing things. Oh woe is me. The attribute that is the delight of my husband is sometimes more of a trial, since I won’t rest until I feel like our household is organized. And trust me, organization never comes.
I moved from my parents house into a home with my husband. He comes from a family where one key organizer did all of the household management tasks, and many of these tasks were done invisibly. I come from a family where two people did the management and integrated the kids into the management of the household. Yes, sometimes that meant roping the unwilling children into tasks that they’d rather not do, but my parents filed all of that time under skill building.
Really, that’s what it was. It’s essential for children to see the management of a household. From grocery shopping to doing the laundry to sweeping the floors, children will take note and can participate in many of these household management tasks. Those errands that you take your children on aren’t a waste of time. They’re teaching your children how your household runs. Granted, there is probably such a thing as too many errands, and I’m sure that I’ve reached it at one point or another. But a few errands here and there are things that will make your children more compentent adults.
There are also the even more invisible tasks like paying the bills, scheduling appointments, or drawing up a budget. Here, the kids can’t always participate directly. However, they can note what you are doing and realize that it is an important task. Over time, the kids can also write up their own budgets that might involve saving for a particular item or managing money from a job.
It’s important the children see the work that we do to manage a household. Although these tasks might seem to be boring and irritating sometimes, they’re what keeps the people of the house clean, fed, and warm. These are important tasks, and by doing them with our children and discussing them with our children we communicate the importance of a well-managed household.