Kids and the Kitchen

Why is it so hard to get your kids to help out around the house? If you ask them to do anything, they act like you are the worst parents in the world.

Jennifer cooked dinner tonight, a wonderful chicken with Marsala glaze, roasted potatoes with onion and green beans. After riding herd on the kids all day, baking a plum cake tatan and then cooking dinner, she is tired.

I worked all day, getting to my office at 6:30 as usual. Work through lunch, fight traffic all the way home, eat Jennifer's wonderful dinner. I'm tired.

We asked Megan to clean the kitchen after dinner, while the cake finished cooking. She looked exasperated, and whined that she wanted to rest for 2 minutes before starting on the kitchen.

10 minutes later, the cake was ready and everyone enjoyed a piece. After we finished, we again asked Megan to clean the kitchen while Jennifer and I bathed Jacob and relaxed. Megan proceeded to whine about how tired she was (having worked very hard all day being 9 years old), too tired to clean the kitchen.

Jennifer and I were fed up, so we sent Megan to bed and took care of the kitchen ourselves.

I don't know what the right answer is in this situation, or how best to get Megan to accept responsibility. I do know that I sure hope Jennifer isn't too tired to cook Megan dinner tomorrow, or wash her clothes.

That would be horrible.