Every now and then I go on a parenting kick. The first week of April was one of those times. I don't remember what else I did, but I know there was a lot more than the story I'm about to share. My kids used to lose a lot of toys to the Gunny Sack. After a while, he got full and forgotten in my closet. I have a really hard time actually giving my kids things away, so this was convenient for me too. However, it all came to a head when Warren rationally pointed out, "Mom, it's a good thing we have the gunny sack so we can have more toys since you store some for us, too." Ouch. Solution? Sam was having a yard sale to raise money for Relay for Life. So, since the stuff was mine now, I donated all "my" stuff in the Gunny and arranged for a special "night before preview" at which my kids could go and purchase anything they wanted with their own money. And I made sure I paid them the 6 weeks backpay of allowance. And I made sure Sam charged them high prices. (Avery had saved several coins and was the exception: we just had her pay a few coins each time she bought something, but most of it wasn't hers anyway) They bought a lot of it back and chose not to purchase some of it, and nice reminder to me of how little "stuff" is really valued by kids, and adults. The "stuff" they did buy back is now played with very frequently, e.g.: Warren has rollerbladed at least a dozen times since then, more than he ever did in the previous 2 years of owning his rollerblades. I was able to donate over $20 to my brother's Relay for Life funds--through my children :)
I remembered something else about Responsibility Week: my kids missed breakfast once or twice on a school day and Warren had to take his clothes in a bag on the ride to school. Somehow he managed to get dressed before the carpool kids got in the car. And I promise he had his seatbelt on whenever the car was moving. One day when Warren disobeyed and ran back in the house to get dressed when we were supposed to be leaving, he forgot his lunch and I let him. And I didn't take it to school. And he was fine.
This last picture has nothing to do with responsibility week; it is just so funny I had to share. I was walking out of church and saw this in the back of someone's golf cart parked in the lot. Bishop's golf cart, actually. Upon closer examination, I realized it was 2 filtering masks leftover from our ward's alley clean-up the previous day, but really, can you see why I did a double take and still laugh when I look at it?
5 comments:
That last pic is really funny, I get what you thought.
Nice work on the responsability thing. It's so true, the kids really do not care or value their toys. I just have a hard time throwing them out or give them to DI because "what IF" they want to play with them someday. haha
Bekah! I love that you teach your kids everyday through simple acts of amazingness! :) Like for instance having them pay for their own toys if they want to keep them. You are such an amazing mother and I love learning from you and your precious kids!
Am I supposed to be seeing a huge bra? Or am I losing it?
I haven't been on any blogs for WELL over a year, and just got on today and decided to do some catching up. I was shocked to see this last picture, and did a double take myself! I thought "Why is our golf cart on her blog, and WHY is there a bra in the back?" (A huge one at that...!) Thanks for a literal laugh out loud moment.
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