Books
No housework? Sounds good to me! But, wouldn't the house become a disaster area if we never did it at all? Maybe of we got a robot to help...
978-082-343-3018
Jake has dirty clothes on the floor, old candy wrappers in the couch cushions, and game pieces under the rug. He needs Robug to help clean up his mess!
"I am ready," says Robug. So Jake tells him, "Fix this mess!" But each time Robug "fixes" things, the mess is still there. Clothes, candy, and checkers fly from the living room to the bathroom to the roof, infuriating Jake. Finally, Robug comes up with the perfect solution: Jake can clean up his own mess.
Okay, maybe not. Robug sounds an awful lot like my kids - putting your toys away, Mr. Shane Michael, does NOT mean dropping them on the floor in the hallway.
9780618693955
When Dad loses his car keys, little Mary suggests they might be down the back of the chair. Join in the fun as Dad begins the search, finding everything from a hairy string to a diamond ring—and much, much more! Could the solution to all the family’s problems be down the back of the chair?
Okay, okay, cleaning up regularly does have its advantages. We can take one day off, though! So, what shall we do instead? How about...everything!
9780061152597
No matter how silly the request, there is one day a year when kids always receive a positive response: Can I have pizza for breakfast? YES! Can we have a food fight? YES! Can I stay up really late? YES!
Or, we could say "yes" to something more specific - take yourself completely away from that messy house, and just enjoy each other's company in a new place.
9781933718873
Let's get into the station wagon, roll those windows down,
Let's sing out loud and wave to cows as we drive out of town.
Let's park the car beneath the trees and trade our shoes for boots,
Let's set the timer, all say "Cheese!" then head into the woods.
My favorite person in this family is the teenage girl. She has very obvious attitude at the start, but ends up enjoying the day in spite of herself.
Math
I did this activity with my students (almost all girls) when I was in Ukraine, and the results were quite eye-opening. When I asked them why their brothers had so few chores compared to them, they said, "Because they need to study." My response was, "YOU need to study! I see your grades, remember?!"
Make a list of allllll the housework that needs to be done in your house, by anyone. Don't forget things you do occasionally, such as wipe down the shower doors or baseboards, or bag up the recycling to take to town. It may shock your kids to see a list of all the things they didn't realize need to be done at all!
Now estimate how much time per week needs to be spent on each one, let's say in half hour increments. Next, write the name of the person in your household who is normally responsible for that task.
Last, add up the time for each person and make a bar graph showing how much time each family member spends on housework. Interesting seeing it in black and white, isn't it? (Or in multi-color. You know what I mean.) Time for some changes perhaps?
Social Studies
Talk about the ways family/gender roles have changed over the years. Talk to older members of your family to find out how the housework was done when they were younger - not just by who, but how long it took. Laundry, for example, was a whole different animal for your grandmother (and has anyone reading this ever actually starched a collar?)
Art
Let's reassign some of those chores! Create a chart showing who will be responsible for which chores, and how often they will do them. Make it pretty! Cut out magazine pictures to illustrate, or draw some funny cartoon images of big brother being chased by the vacuum cleaner!
Other Web Sites to Explore
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/dirty-work-how-household-chores-push-families-to-the-brink/article12300024/
https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-07/domestic-work-deserves-salary-and-how-much-we-should-pay-moms
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