Dishes

[Liahona]

Six of my 7 kids are sick. You can guess what my house looks like. This was a weekend difficult child 1 had with x. difficult child 1 is the only healthy one (he is also the only one that won't just pick up anyones cup to drink out of). When he came home from school today I was running out of dishes and could not stop holding Cherub, Buster, ect... To do some. I asked difficult child 1 to do them. A few days worth of dishes for lots of people with no dish washer. I didn't expect him to finish them. I just thought he'd do a few and then play around in the kitchen. Maybe he would meltdown from me just asking, but I was so needing just a bottle and a few sippys washed I risked it. He wasn't perfect. There was some playing, but he did get it done and he stuck with it until it was done! AND, this is huge, I did not remind him once.

I praised him tons over this. And he is playing a computer game he has been begging to play for months. I think he earned it.

We had an interesting conversation towards the end of the night. He asked me for some help with the dishes. I asked him what had been going on here all day. His response watching movies. I had to prompt him a few times before he put together that he was doing dishes without me so that I could care for sick kids. Then he wanted the sick kids to help him. I pointed out that if they did the dishes he would get sick. It also took a few times before that sank in. Before this he had been working for hours on the dishes without complaint or getting upset thinking that the rest of us were just watching movies without him.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Wow.

 

[buddy]

So interesting. Glad he did well without opposition though!

 

[StressedM0mma]

That is great! He definitely deserved his computer time.

 

[Bunny]

That's great!! Young of some much needed help and he earned a privilege out of it! A win win for both of you.

 

[AnnieO]

WOWOWOWOW! Yes, he earned that game. And you need some sleep I'd bet!

 

[Liahona]

Thanks for all the replies.
And, yes I do need sleep. I'm just barely functioning right now.

I'm not going to expect difficult child 1 to repeat this. I figure this was a one time miracle.

And we are back to normal this morning. He is trying to stuff dirty clothes anywhere but in the actual laundry basket and getting mad at me when he is caught.

 

[DDD]

Moments to remember. DDD

 

[susiestar]

Wonderful. He totally earned that game. His thought pattern was interesting though. I hope that you can both remember this.