I am so sorry, but of late my time has become filled with Dad duties, some added pressure on the Honey Do List and more work at work.. which might be considered job security.
Today was really a great day, where we, my daughter and I, spent the better part of the day, working in the garden and the backyard. While I laid brick in a courtyard, my eldest weeded, pruned and cleaned the garden... OK she did it for money, which I really don't like. I am not one for chores = money. Chores and chipping-in is part of the "teamwork" called family. Paying a kid to clean their room, pull weeds, do laundry and pick up after themselves would be akin to the government paying us all to shower, brush our teeth and get hair cuts. You do it cause it is the right thing to do, not cause your going to get paid. I think if kids learn teamwork early without getting paid or an allowance builds character and sets expectations. Once an adult, making money is the bonus and the need, but being a good team player without "I want my money"... is going to serve them well through life. Now, there are exceptions...
If your kid has their eye set on something, mine wants a Channel Island surfboard. It is $600+. I think, instead of having Dad drop the scratch for it, her working to either pay for it, or meet her half way is the right thing to do. Then, once purchased, there is a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and appreciation. Something I think many kids are sorely lacking today.
Last night as I struck the deal with her. You babysit, work hard in the yard, not "phone it in"... You can earn money. It is going to be judged a $5, $10 or $20 job - by me. WOW... she spent 4 hours in the garden. Shoveling, weeding, cleaning, pruning, raking and did a super job. Her hands and feet were filthy! Even better... and she had a true sense of accomplishment. We picked tomato's and eggplant, cleaned the chicken coop and then needed to fix the feeder. Since the chickens spazzed on it and broke it. We took a hanger, snipped the long section out of it and replaced one of the supports that was missing on the feeder so we re-hang it.
So, where does I Dream Of Jeannie play into this. After I struck the deal with her, we watched an old rerun of it. One where Tony and Roger wanted to buy a sailboat together. It was $3200. Jeannie figured she would "twinkle" one up and when she did, Tony explained he wanted to work for it not have it given to him. NICE!!! Jeannie could have snapped up a yacht, and Tony wanted a small little boat and have worked for it. Bernie Madoff obviously did not see this episode. The funny thing was; Tony and Jeannie went to the Coco Beach Bank to get a loan and since the banker was such a terd, Jeannie put $3M in his account so he could get a loan and not be hassled. Ha! Not much has changed. Mr. Bellows gets wind of his bonanza and wants to rat-him-out only to be the one who appears to be nuts. Really this was a great show; clean, funny, clever... nothing foul or gratuitous, just good clean fun.
All of this I owe to having chickens... I love this stuff.
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