Good Parenting

The kids have been begging for a "fun day" for quite a while now. It's not that we don't usually have fun. In fact, we've had more fun and excitement in the past month than usual. What they are really saying is "we want a day in which you ask us to do nothing resembling work or responsibility." They are convinced that we've been doing chores FOREVER and the idea that they could remedy this problem by simply putting things away as they use them is wasted logic.

While sitting at the breakfast table sorting through the gazillion things we need to get done so we can list the house, the children articulately and respectfully expressed their disappointment with yet another work day. Yeah right. They whined their little tush's off. We were at an impasse. How could we as parents accomplish the many tasks which needed our attention and yet allow our children to have a special day at the same time? We decided to ask them and it was unanimous...a movie marathon.

We had these growing up. Saturday morning we'd head to the video store and stock up then stare at the TV screen for countless hours. I remember once when the neighborhood "gang" piled into our living room for a Rocky extravaganza. We watched at least three of the four (or were there five?) parts back to back. We would run outside between sequels to act out our favorite scenes -the race along the beach between Rocky and Apollo Creed, the blow that opens the face of Drago, the Russian. "He's cut! He's cut! The Russian is cut!" (still one of my all-time favorite scenes)

Back to our kids. Knowing that laying on the floor and using the bare minimum in brain power would lead to three hyper maniacs come bedtime, we decided to cut a deal. In between each movie they had to choose between playing outside or working in the house for 30 minutes. Didn't matter to us as long as they were burning fuel.

While I don't recommend this as a standard for good parenting and we will not employ such methods on a regular basis, I have to say that WE GOT SOOOO MUCH DONE! The kids rooms are spotless. No one was there to plead the cause of the 1/4 inch crayon, the lone Light Bright peg, or the headless army guy. Into the garbage they went. Two rooms down. The rest of the house to go. Score one for mom and dad!