A Hard Day's Work

Owen has always been a helper around the house, doing small things as we ask them of him. But we have never concretely defined specific things that O would be responsible for each and every day on his own. I felt that it was about time we made a list of O's jobs. I came up with a short list to hang on Owie's bedroom door so he can mentally check off each task as he completes it.

We reviewed our memory verse from so long ago, Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Owen is expected to complete his jobs cheerfully and with excellence, just as if he were serving the Lord Himself, and we keep him accountable to these standards. When he is done with a job, he excitedly runs to show us how well he has done it. Sometimes he needs a few corrections, but he knows in his heart when he has done a terrific job, and we praise him thoroughly!

We consider this short list of jobs as O's contribution to the household, his reasonable acts of service for the family. We do not want to instill an attitude of expecting payment for being a good steward of his time and things. Eventually, there will be chores that he earns an allowance for, in order to teach him how to manage his money, but for now praise for a job well done is a sufficient reward.

It wasn't long before I had a little tap, tap, tapping on my leg. "I need gobs too, Mommy. Gobs like Owen." Thus was created Nosy's list of "gobs." And he takes them extremely seriously, reading through the list many times a day.

Such wonderful Boys I have!