Training is defined by Webster as a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for art, profession or job. Athletes go through training to prepare them for a competition. Everyone goes through training whatever our background is. And the cool thing about it is that learning and training never stops. There is always something new to improve on and be better.
As moms, we also subject our kids to training. Whether you’re a homeschooling mom, a SAHM or a working mom we train our kids important skills they need in life. When they were toddlers, we potty train them. We teach them how to hold their spoons and forks to feed themselves.
We train them to color inside the lines and write their names legibly. We train them to say “thank you”, “I’m sorry” and “Excuse me”. These are life skills they needed to learn. We, as parents, have the responsibility teach these to them, not the nanny but mommy and daddy.
As they mature, their training gets a little more complicated. They are given more responsibilities depending on their age. They are given age-appropriate chores not to make life hard for them but to teach them responsibility. They will need the skills to prepare them for the big world. They have to learn to do things on their own. They add value to the home when they do simple house chores. They work together with all the members of the family and work as a team.
Even if most Filipino households have helpers, I still believe we have to equip our children with the basic house chores. What if the helpers leave and a replacement does not come as expected? Are we to do everything ourselves, Moms? Of course not! Especially, if we have older kids who are do nothing but play computer all day. We need to encourage them, more so, push them to help Mom get the job done.
Because we don’t have a helper in our home, Coby and Jianne have been helping with the chores. Here is a list of their usual chores:
- Fix their beds in the morning.
- Clean up after playing, after school and after a meal.
- Set the table.
- Refill water bottles after meals.
- Keep clean clothes in their cabinets after Mama has finished folding them.
- Wash the dishes. (sometimes)
Recently, I have been going out in the mornings and I usually get home around lunch time. So I have to quickly prepare lunch for the hungry kiddos. But since Coby has shown initiative in learning kitchen skills, I have appointed him as the “Rice Cooker”. Of course, he was too excited to be start.
I gave him instructions from counting the cups to be cooked to pressing that “cook” button on the rice cooker. At first try, it was very messy. Some of the grains were washed away so I showed him a way to avoid wastage.
The next few times, he did it by himself without my supervision. When I got home I checked the rice cooker and as expected, the rice was cooked correctly. But when I checked the sink, waaah, it was a disaster! Lots of wasted grains! I had to remind him again but he will get it eventually I’m sure of this. That’s why it’s called training, right?
That night, he bragged about his accomplishment to his Papa and of course Peewee congratulated him for a job well done. So we sat down and ate our meal with Coby’s steaming rice filling our plates.
He still needs more practice. I too need more patience to teach him. And not to get too distracted by the wastage but see his determination to learn a new skill and be independent.
How do your kids help around the house? What chores are you training them to do? Let’s share in the comments below!
If you’d like to read more about family, homeschooling and faith, do subscribe to my email list. Simply fill in your email address on the Subscribe to Blog via Email at the upper right sidebar and you will receive new posts directly to your email.
