Teaching Your Children About Good Stewardship
Good Stewardship in Kids
Personally, when I hear the word chores it reminds me of the mundane, tedious tasks that take up space on my endless to do lists. Depending on the specific chore my face tends to produce a rather impressive “ stank face.” The one for the toilets is extra special, to say the least. Words have connotations and emotions attached to them, and rightfully so. Case in point, I do not like the word chores.
However, my perspective on chores and housework shifted when conviction came after reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It should be noted that my husband’s love language is acts of service. My attitude and heart have changed. Because I now view those chores as a way to love my husband in a way that translates using his language in place of my own. Naturally, I wanted to teach this same concept to our children, even though they are presently very young.
Daily Service Acts:
My children are twenty months old and three years old, in all their cuteness they are the messiest little humans ever. Teaching acts of service isn’t just about getting the house clean, it’s about teaching the heart and spirit that goes into serving others. Hopefully, by intentionally incorporating these acts into our daily lives, they will become part of the backdrop of our home. In essence becoming a natural expectation that our children then put into practice in their current lives all the way through to adulthood. Here are twelve easy and doable acts of service you can teach your children.
Unload the Dishwasher:
This act may result in some broken dishes but it’s worth a few casualties to teach a valuable lesson in stewardship. It is easy to try to do everything yourself as a stay at home mama, but you can easily miss out on some powerful teachable moments.
Put Shoes Away :
Unquestionably,my kids are great at going outside but coming in is quite the spectacle often involving flying coats, shoes and mittens. Having a central place near the point of the entry is a great way to set up this act of service.
Vacuum after Each Meal:
I love this lightweight vacuum from Bissell, I mean I really do love it. When the kids finish their meal they enjoy helping, and vacuuming is a great help. While they are tending to the floors I am able to do some of the dishes and maintain the kitchen. The vacuum is lightweight and easy to maneuver.
Load the Dryer :
The kids especially like to throw the dryer sheets in, following pushing THE BUTTON!! It’s the simple things in life.
Straighten the Book Shelves:
Naturally, the teacher in me loves books and so do all my teaching friends. We have been blessed with many gifted books and I want my kids to be good stewards of those books. Knowledge is power and we are privileged to have books within our reach. Therefore they should be taken care of, and placed neatly on a shelf.
Put Away Folded Clothing:
I fold and they happily put their own clothes away. Everything has a place and in doing this I have noticed that my daughter Rose wants to choose her outfits more. She knows the placement of each item she needs for her daily outfits. Undoubtedly,a little independence is always healthy.
Match Socks from the Laundry:
Truthfully, my friend Car and I are some of the few people I know who do not match their socks. Somehow they get separated in the laundry and it is time consuming to match them all. I have found that the children like to play match games with our socks
Sorting Silverware:
Putting the silverware away is great tactile play and it teaches sequencing/ matching skills. The forks, spoons, and butter knives each have a designated cavity.
Help Make Dinner :
Undoubtedly, my children love food, but they especially adore baked goods. Even more so, they love to help me in the kitchen, measuring, mixing, tasting, they love it all. Not only does it an act of service but it is a great life skill. We have built many memories in our kitchen and I love that food establishes an environment for community and quality family time.
Make Their Beds Each Morning :
Of course, this one is still a work in progress, but the heart is there, amongst the piles of blankets and pillows.
Help Put Groceries Away :
Alastair and Rose both love to restock our pantry on grocery day. They happily grab items from the grocery bags and race to the pantry to put them away. When I offer to help Alastair often says “I do this.” I can’t argue with that, because he is doing it very well.
Pick Up Toys:
Lastly, checking the mail is one of the favorite acts of service the kids do. We have to walk to our mailboxes but one gets to unlock the box, while the other carries the mail home. It’s a breath of fresh air and a good exercise in teamwork and taking turns.
Implementing these things takes time and intentionality. I am not perfect at executing these things either. Importantly, I find that when I slow down, I make room for Jesus to invade my day. Letting my kids help me has made me a better teacher and mother. Just because I am a stay at home mom, doesn’t mean that I have to do it all by myself. Life is meant to be shared, and so are life’s lessons.
-Patience
2 Comments
Carrie
Such awesome ideas here, even for the littlest of helpers! We’ve just started working on taking our dish to the sink after meals, but I’d love to implement the vaccuming – goodness knows our floors need it after every meal! Thanks for the ideas!
Patience
That little vacuum is so easy to use especially for the children. Love taking the dishes to the sink that’s a great idea. The kids were dumping the plates in the trash for awhile but I had to keep rescuing the silverware each time.