Chore Monster

Does anyone else out there ever pull their hair out?  Do you ever get frustrated with the fact that your children don't do what they are asked?  The current culprit of my frustration is chores.  My children all have chores to do.  I think it teaches them responsibility and work.  I think that it prepares them for later in their lives when you have to work if you want to eat!  I really like chores, I just don't like enforcing them. 
The problem I am having right now is all the excuses that go with the chore charts.  Some of my favorite excuses from my children are: “It’s not my fault.  Somebody else was supposed to do it.  Everybody should have helped me.  Anybody could have done it.  Nobody wanted to do it.  They made me do it.  And perhaps my all time favorite, I forgot.”
There are days that my children listen!  There are even days when the house is almost clean.  Today is not one of those days.  Today I would like to hire a maid just so the house could be a little quiet and not filled with three little girls having an all out war and stomping around because they are "mad" and living in the "nobody ever does anything except me!" world. 

I do have to laugh.  I think sometimes we all feel that way.  I know that I have.  When there is a big project at work, when I need to help with homework (especially science projects!)  When I need to go help clean someone else's mess.  When I need to sort through all the clothes in the girl's closet.  Or even when I need to give a talk in church.  Sometimes that chore monster creeps up on us no matter what our intentions are.  Then I have to ask myself, would I rather be like Laman and Lemuel?  Or Nephi?  Would I rather be like Ruth, or her sister?  It is really not that difficult of a decision.  So, my favorite attitude adjustment saying is simply, "If you are going to do it anyway, do it with class and a smile".  

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized Everybody wouldn't do it. So Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Anonymous (wouldn't you know!)

Some of my not so favorite expressions from adults that I know are: “It’s not my job. No one told me to do that.  It couldn’t be helped.  I don't think so.  I don't want to do it.  I don't like to teach primary.” 
 I guess you don't outgrow the chore monster! 

True freedom begins and ends with obedience and personal accountability. (And Class and a Smile!)