Keeping a house clean every day can be extremely depressing. It is often monotonous work and becomes even more so when you have a family who does not appreciate or notice what you do each day. With a house full of many cherubs there is always a lot of work that needs to be done and even though my kids help me out, they still don't realise just how much work around the house I actually do.
A lot of the work I do happens when they are asleep so I really can't expect them to be thankful when they have no idea what I have been up to! But Hey! They are kids...they simply don't notice everything that is going on around our house when they spend so much time playing and having fun. I want them to have fun, I want them to play but I also want them to appreciate what I do.
Lucky for me, we had a little lesson is appreciating Mum recently and I don't think it is a lesson that will be forgotten! A couple of weeks ago as we came home from school, walked in the front door, a certain child walked up to me and asked...
"Mum, so what did YOU do today?"
Before I could answer, the said child proceeded to look around the house and announce...
"Looks like nothing!'
I smiled to myself and decided this was the perfect moment to explain exactly what I did do during the day.
We went off to the bedroom to have a little chat and I informed the said child that tomorrow Mum would be taking the day off from doing all of her jobs. Then I explained that waiting for the said child would be a list of jobs on their pillow of all the things that I did not get to do during the day.
The timing all worked out wonderfully for me as I had a Mother's Day event at the school and then went off to watch another child run in the District Cross Country Race. By the time I went to pick my cherubs up from school I had been out all day and had done none of my normal jobs around the house.
When we arrived home my cherubs asked where the afternoon snack was. I simply informed them I was taking the day off and they had to find one themselves. Insert stunned silence! Then I took the said child into the bedroom and shared with them the list waiting for them.
Job items on my list included: the dishes, sweeping, washing and putting away clothes, vacuuming, cooking dinner, tidying each room, mop the floors, clean the toilets and food shopping to name a few.
I then asked the said child to take over doing my list as I was taking the day off. Insert more stunned silence! Unfortunately for me, the said child is a little too young to take over doing all of these jobs on my list but I did let them sit in silence for a while pondering over the magnitude of taking over Mum's list before I informed them that I would be helping out.
I had a delightful day taking time off from doing my normal jobs around the house and after this little adventure I am thinking it needs to happen more often! Needless to say, I don't think the said child will be asking me what I did during my day and then pronouncing nothing anymore. Since this time I have been receiving a little more appreciation and love and the lesson was totally worth it.
LOL - I often wonder how we would all go if I took the day off - for real.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, it is true, the children really have no idea what we do to keep the house running. They get a bit of an idea, but they don't see it all.
I need to leave that list on my husbands pillow I think ;)
ReplyDeleteHaha. I might try that on my husband!
ReplyDeleteHi Naomi, I have been reading your blog for a while, and thought it was about time to leave a comment and want you to know that you inspire me to be a better mum(c:
ReplyDeleteI have 2 boys 31/2 and 5 months. I picked up my 31/2 from early learning and i asked him what he did today once he told me he then asked me what i did today, I told him everything which was quite alot (amazing what you can achieve in 3 hours without a toddler) and he then said then you sat down and cup of tea...I thought that was very sweet.
Love this. I need to leave the list on hubby's pillow and he's plenty old enough to do the jobs! This is a great lesson to teach.
ReplyDeleteIts so easy to see only the things that have not been done', and kids certainly do take for granted the things that are "automatically" done. Well done in your lesson and giving yourself a well earned pat on the back at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI had the same happen to me when my girl was young.I always did everything while she was at school so when she came home all was done and dinner was basically prepared.I was then able to be there for her and we could sit,chat about her day and her friends,have afternoon tea,have a play outside,help with homework etc.
ReplyDeleteLittle did I realise that by doing so she thought that I did nothing all day.So when she pointed out to me that fact I made a huge list of all the things I did.She never said it again.
I think it is very important we let our children know just how much is involved in the running of a home.Good on you for the lesson you taught your cherubs that day xx
Way to go,haha!
ReplyDeleteI just took a week off, and now my little darlings have a new appreciation for how much I do. But, they forget so quickly, hehe.
hahaha! I love this! I can imagine how shocked your cherub was haha! xo
ReplyDeletegood for you!! after all, they need to know!! i would really appreciate if you had the time to blog a list of what your afternoon snacks are? i refuse to buy packet stuff anymore and totally going back to basics and cooking snacks from scratch but my list is very short. the kids have simples tastes really, but they're getting a bit bored of the same cupcakes and choc chip oatmeal biscuits.
ReplyDeleteI would love some suggestions as i really need to get my grocery bill down and dont want to go back to packet stuff.
thanks, Amanda
ps love yr blog :)
Love it! I will have to remember this for when my kids get older. Lucky for my husband, unlike some of my friend's hubby's, he never once asked what I did all day when I wasn't working. I'm now back at work full time and still manage to do more around the house than he does - perhaps I need to take a day off and give him the list... might work just as well. ;)
ReplyDeleteHa,ha... Well done,Naomi!Enough with Moter's Day gifts...Do show us, Mums,some appreciation right here and now, kids!
ReplyDeleteGreat work! I think I should leave a list on my Hubby's pillow :) He loves to rattle off all the things he does, but doesn't always appreciates the work I do.
ReplyDeleteI love this. We are finally moving out of the caravan at my parents place next month to a house of our own and I hope I NEVER have to do something like with my family. But I most likely will.
ReplyDeleteHousework can be a massive job at time, but it is always worth it because you have a house to clean. Many people don't have the luxury of cleaning their own house.
ReplyDeleteah at least it's not your husband like it is in this house.
ReplyDelete