At five, my boy’s gotten past the stage where he thinks pushing the vacuum and doing dishes is so much fun that mom was hogging the chores to herself. This is sad, mostly because he’s only just gotten to the stage where he actually cleans something.
In my house, the rule is “work then play.” At least, that’s the way it goes until I can trust him not to procrastinate something into next week. He knows the rule as well as I do. And yet, when he asks me if he can watch a Blue’s Clues, I can see the lower lip begin to eject into a pout the very second the word “After–” leaves my mouth.
He can’t even remember what he had for breakfast this morning. How come he never has selective amnesia about how much he dislikes putting silverware away? I cheer him on with my best Dad-ism from Calvin & Hobbes: “It builds character!”
He is not impressed. Clearly, he thinks his character is built well enough.