
This is a typical week for me - and like I said, I am most certainly blessed!
The boys were at my house yesterday afternoon and early evening and I learned something important . . . or at least was reminded of something I was too distracted to think about. Caleb (four years old) wanted to do some work to earn money for something he wanted to buy, so I gave him some jobs to do. First of all, I have to say I'm so impressed with how hard he worked, what a great job he did following instructions and with how he stuck with it until he completed the work he was given to do!
One "job" I gave him was for him to wash the dining room window and the window in the dining room door. I handed him the window cleaner in the spray bottle (my first "mistake") some towels and pointed him in the right direction. Then I returned to preparing supper (my second "mistake")!
Caleb went to work. He moved a chair so he could reach the windows and happily sprayed, and sprayed, and sprayed . . . you get the idea . . . the windows with the cleaner. (Spray bottles do resemble squirt guns a lot!) Then he used the towels to wipe the cleaner away. He returned the cleaner with a dripping wet towel and a big smile on his sweet face.
I looked over to the windows and from across the room I could see cleaner dripping down the windows!!! Yes, I should have given significantly clearer instructions to the four-year-old about how to clean a window!!! I went over and cleaned up the cleaner - dried up a puddle of cleaner on the windowsill - after all, he worked hard to clean the window - I didn't give enough of the correct instructions!
I learned - or at least remembered - how important it is to give clear instructions to young children when they are "helping"! And, yes, he did help a lot! He worked hard and did everything I asked him to do!
Next time I want him to help with the windows, I will show him how to do it, first!
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