{"id":12188,"date":"2013-06-25T13:43:20","date_gmt":"2013-06-25T20:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/momservations.wordpress.com\/?p=12188"},"modified":"2013-06-25T13:43:20","modified_gmt":"2013-06-25T20:43:20","slug":"work-before-play-chore-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momservations.com\/index.php\/2013\/06\/25\/work-before-play-chore-of-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Work Before Play Chore of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Momservation: <\/b>Dishes left in the sink don\u2019t end up needing therapy to function as an adult.<\/p>\n

\u263a\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u263a\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u263a<\/p>\n

Blackhawk down!<\/p>\n

We are having so much fun wringing every last giggle out of summer that people are literally ending up in stitches. Okay, not stitches, but casts didn\u2019t work with my pun.<\/p>\n

Whitney \u201cPlay Hard or Go Home\u201d Wheeler had done it again \u2013 four casts in four year years:<\/p>\n

Year 1: Playground Death Drop (right wrist)<\/p>\n

Year 2: Indoor Soccer Skid Out (left wrist)<\/p>\n

Year 3: Long Board Ill-Advised Ramp Jump by Brother (left wrist)<\/p>\n

Year 4: Buzzardball Basketball Championship Headband at Stake (middle finger left hand)<\/p>\n

\"Whit<\/a>And in true Whitney fashion, it didn\u2019t keep her down. We still headed off to Auntie Cristi\u2019s houseboat where Whitney tubed, wake surfed, and jumped off the houseboat before we reassessed and decided a swollen, black and blue, hot, throbbing finger might need more than a Walgreen\u2019s splint, ice, and Advil.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t cry for her Argentina; one red cast and a waterproof cast protector and Whitney\u2019s back in summer-fun business!<\/p>\n

Last week we went bowling for Fun Wednesday<\/a>, made Cookie Brownie Surprises from our Pinterest Project Day<\/a> (yum!!), and offered to take care of vacationing friends\u2019 animals and plants for It\u2019s Not All About You Day<\/a>. This week we have miniature golf and packing tape postcards cued up among other fun activities.<\/p>\n

BUT\u2026as part of the deal for our take-no-prisoners summer the kids and I have an agreement.<\/p>\n

In exchange for all this summer fun the kids need to first do some work before they play\u2014getting responsibilities out of the way and earning sponsorship. No whining, no complaining, no hesitation in saying, \u201cSure, Mom, I\u2019m happy to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

I call it Chore of the Day<\/b>.<\/p>\n

I keep it simple\u2014mainly things that help free up my time so that I can play with them. And since they want me to play with them, they\u2019re eager to help. They learn the value of many hands make light work; the sharing of responsibility to benefit all. Work before play, but then play hard and play together.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a sampling of our Chore of the Day<\/b>:<\/p>\n