It’s hard to get my kids to help with chores around the house. Isn’t that the same for everyone? There’s lots of grumbling, requests for cash in return for the work, and asking how many minutes they’ve been tidying for now.

Show them some chores outdoors, however, and they’re all over it. We baked some Halloween cookies yesterday, and the kitchen was a disaster. I needed to clean up, and I knew I’d spend most of my time nagging the boys if I asked them for help. So I sent them outside with a bucket of soapy water and all the cookie cutters to clean. And they proceeded to clean those cutters, and everything else in sight (look at Smalls working hard on that chair!) for a good twenty minutes. Which gave me time to turn the kitchen from a flour bomb site back to it’s normal, only slightly messy, state and the quiet to do it peacefully. Winning all around!