What?!?! Chores? Fun? Hardly seems possible, right? Well, that’s all in how we think of them. Just look at the word we use, “chores.” When we say the word, we do so with disdain, disgust, resentment. Chores. Bad things. Yucky things. Horrible things. Things to be avoided at all costs. Things we hate to do. Things that have to be done. Things that have to be done over and over and over and then they have to be done again. AAAAArrrrgh! When will we ever be done with chores?
Well, as we all know, the bad news is that we will never be done with chores. They are a part of life. However, it is totally up to you how you look at chores, how you think about chores, how you talk about chores, and how you DO chores. They CAN be fun. Yes, fun.
When a parent leads a chore activity, they set the stage for how that activity will be carried out. If they approach it as drudgery that must be tolerated, the children will do the same. If they approach it as an opportunity for the family to hang around together, tell jokes and stories, sing songs, and be silly, the kids will also follow suit.
The same works between spouses. Perhaps folding laundry together can be a time you each talk about the type of day you’ve had, or you can use it as a time to talk about things you’ve been wishing for or dreaming about. Certainly grocery shopping is more fun when done as a couple and washing the car can be downright hilarious if you clown around and have fun, splashing and spraying each other and hopefully getting the car clean in the process.
The chores have to be done. They do not have to be horrible. They can be fun. It’s entirely up to you HOW they get done.
