Life is Beautiful

Motherhood, Sewing, Family

No one else could look so adorable when they're driving me crazy

~ Etc.

Thanks to Pledge for sponsoring this post. Try Pledge Multi Surface and Pledge Lemon Clean to breathe life into seemingly ordinary surfaces to uncover their unexpected yet inherent beauty.

So I taught and spoke at Confetti Night yesterday and while I was in Ogden for the event, my husband and the kids got in a car accident. They’re not seriously hurt, but as they were driving home from swimming, they were rear ended while they were at a complete stop. The back of the car is dented pretty bad and everyone got a pretty bad whip lash. The paramedics arrived and they went to the ER. When I got the phone call, my heart dropped as the first thing my husband said to me was, “We got rear ended.” I am just so grateful they are okay. So this post will take a little turn from what I had normally intended to write, my normal post that I had saved to be published a few days ago will be in black, and what I am adding on after the accident and with a different perspective will be in purple. Purple because that’s my husband’s favorite color.:)

If you have read my blog since 2011, you might remember this post with these pictures.

Oh my gosh, they drove me crazy sometimes with their endless messes! But you can’t really get that mad at them because they don’t know any better and for them, it’s just a form of play. And look at their little faces with their round cheeks! Oh  my. They’re still so adorable even when they are driving me crazy! 
I would take them making crazy, insane messes every single day over ever losing them or never getting to clean up after them. What a privilege it is that my kids are healthy and happy and creative to make messes around the house! That they’re safe in their home and they feel safe enough to think they can make messes and they have a mommy who won’t get too mad at them and will still love them no matter what.
Well, 4 years has passed and my girls are old enough where they don’t make ridiculous messes like they used to(which I kind of miss, surprisingly! Which reminds me to be easier on my boy when he makes messes…), and they’re at the age where they could actually help me clean! I am a big fan of making my kids work and help around the house without any form of reward except for my praise and thank you. They shouldn’t get rewarded with money or special privileges for chores that they should do anyway such as cleaning their room or helping me clean around the house, that’s just the price they pay for living in my house, for being a part of this family. If they do extra chores outside of their designated chores, then I reward them with special privileges or give them allowances.
As they’ve gotten older, I have been giving them more responsibilities and one chore I’ve added to their list is wiping our refrigerator! They kids actually like wiping and spraying, they think it’s fun. Only if I was like them, and oh, how I wish my husband wished I liked cleaning more. 😀 I handed my oldest the Pledge Lemon Clean and they went to work. Even my boy wanted to join in because he wants to do EVERYTHING his older sisters do.

My boy smelling the fridge after his sister said, “Ooh, it smells nice!”

Shake, spray and wipe!

Didn’t they do a great job? I am very, very picky with scents and don’t find many scents appealing but the Pledge Lemon Clean passes the test! I liked how it didn’t smell super strong and it contains no harsh chemical smells that need to be neutralized or masked. I felt it cleaned my refrigerator gently, leaving our stainless steel surface shiny and smooth. 
Now, I need to think of other things to add to their chores… 😉 What chores do you give to your kids? I am trying to think of things they can help that is age appropriate for 6 and 7 year olds.

P.S. Now, I am getting off the computer and spending the whole day with my kids and making endless messes with them. I hope you all have a great weekend and remember that life is short and the childhood years go by so fast. They’ll be too old to make innocent messes and depend on you to clean up after them. They’ll stop depending on you less and less until they need you no more. And how I will miss the day when I have no one’s mess to clean up after.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Comments

  1. Sierra Oblad says

    I'm so glad your family was okay! How scary! I always get really frustrated that my house is never perfectly clean but this is a good reminder that that really isn't what's important. I've been trying to involve my two-year-old in simple chores like switching the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, wiping things down, and sweeping the floor. I like that you don't give your kids an allowance for things that they should be doing because they're a part of the family. I plan on doing the same with my kids 🙂

    Sierra
    Sierra Elizabeth

  2. Michelle says

    I need your help, can you spread Finn's story for me.

    A 5 month old boy born with a heart condition had open heart surgery in April, he had complications and has been in the hospital ever since. Read more on facebook at Prayers for Finn

    He really is the happiest baby & has won my heart.

    I have put together an instagram auction to help raise money for his medical bills. @prayersforfinnauction #prayersforfinn

    please post a photo of Finn and tag @prayersforfinnauction so that your readers can check it out. It will be June 25

    AMAZING shops have come together in donations and now as bloggers its our responsibility to spread his awareness.

    Thank you so much
    xo, Michelle
    http://rosetolife.com

  4. Li-Sha says

    AMEN about not paying kids to do chores! I think around 6 or 7, I remember taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher, setting the table, and sorting and folding laundry. I also remember 20 years ago my sister telling me my special chore was to 'pledge the chairs.' Wiping things down really is fun at that age! I'm so glad your family is okay!

  6. Carly says

    I'm so glad to hear your kids and husband are alright. Even the tiniest car accident when you are talking about kids can be terrifying. Beautiful new perspective and I love that the kids now help with their messes
    Dresses & Denim

  8. Tamara says

    Thank goodness everyone is okay! How scary for everyone.

    I love the pictures of your girls covered in baby powder. Priceless!
    My kids also have jobs they do just for the pleasure of being a part of our family.
    They take out the garbage. Each kid is assigned a certain garbage can they take care of. They're only small cans, so it's easy for little ones to grab and put in another bag.
    My kids clean the windows and bathroom mirrors as far as they can reach.
    They clean off the kitchen table and bring all their dishes to the sink
    and they help bring in all the bags from the grocery store.

  11. Sarah says

    I think those chores you did are great! Your parents did the right thing raising you well. 🙂 And thank you so much!

  14. Sarah says

    You sound like a wonderful mom! My son is almost 2 and his help makes it "less clean and worse than before" haha but it's the work ethic we are teaching our kids that's more important, right? 😉

  15. Amber S says

    I'm so glad you all are okay!

    My Mom was a chore-freak and we had a pretty hefty chore list from the moment we understood what chores were. My Mom made a sticker chart and we were rewarded a little star sticker for each chore completed. If we didn't complete our chore we were in deep kimchee and were put on "restriction". Ughh…just typing that word gave me the hibby jibbies.

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