The Lundberg Company

As parents we seem to think that when we assign a child a task they will look at us with this big smile and say, “Oh, thank you, mother and father, for this wonderful opportunity to clean the bathroom. I am so excited to do this for you.” Of course, this is ridiculous and yet we have similar expectations. When you as an adult have a task to do, like cleaning the bathroom, are you excited and just can’t wait to do it? Or might you grumble and say things like, “How come my kids are so messy? Why can’t the boys hit the target? I’m so sick of towels all over the floor.” You may even grumble out loud, and yet you do the job. Why not allow your children the same privilege that you allow yourself. Nobody has to be excited about doing an unpleasant job. It’s normal.

So our suggestion is: let them grumble. It’s allowed as long as the job gets done. And when the job is finished, ignore the grumbling and simply acknowledge a job well done with a “Thank you. Good job.” It will save a lot of unpleasant encounters with the kids, and, best of all, they’ll learn how to work and like you at the same time.

Gary and Joy Lundberg