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Cleaning House

by angel almeyda

May 23, 2012

I agree wholeheartedly that America is filled with youth (and adults) who are overcome with entitlement. This book reminded me of 7 in the way it breaks up a year into tackling a different task each month as an "experiment" that involves the authors entire family.

The twelve aspects Kay Wyma chose to tackle: 1. how to make a bed and maintain an orderly room 2. how to cook and clean a kitchen 3. how to do yard work 4. how to clean a bathroom 5. how to get a job..outside the home 6. how to do laundry 7. how to do handyman jobs 8. how to host a party 9. how to work together 10. how to run errands 11. how to put others first through service 12. how to act mannerly

I agree that children should know how to do each of these important tasks! There were a few things I disagreed with through the book {as in almost any book}, but I think her message is one parents in American desperately need to understand.

It was a quick read for me {finished it the day I received it}.

Some quotes I want to share with you: "Raising independent kids is counter cultural these days. Instead of teaching children to view themselves as capable, we step in to do everything for them".

"What ever happened to teaching, directing and modeling rather than doing everything for our children?"

"My job as a mother is to teach, not to handle tasks for them. I need to help these kids tackle their tendency toward untidiness before it becomes a permanent fixture in their lives. " "If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well."

"I wish I had recognized earlier what sports, activities and busy schedules stole from me...Great and empowering lessons come from pitching in around the home, especially in the kitchen. Wonderful conversations can be had while stirring a custard or washing dishes."

"I am determined to be vigilant against the many ways a mediocre culture threatens to encroach on our home".

"Give them real work. Yes, give them real responsibilities, as much as possible, so they get the sense that they are important and that their good work is greatly valued by real people(and shoddy or incomplete work is a problem for real people). Give them things to do around the house every day around the house that are legitimately helpful to others."

"The tasks in and of themselves are nothing more than a means to an end. The end I crave is a young adult prepared for life and confident in the person he/she was created to be."

Our kids need to know how to persevere. They need to know that no job is beneath them. They need to know what it takes to operate a home. They need to know that sometimes you have to get dirty to get something clean. They need to know how to serve. They need to know that a family operates as a unit, everyone pitching in."

"Overindulgence resulted not from coddling but from avoiding. While we avoided teaching opportunities {because it was faster/easier to do it ourselves}, the kids received a big fat load of free time, reinforced expectations of being served, and confirmed that they belong on the sidelines of life. "

Disclosure: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.