Holiday Cheer and Chores

Halloween's approach marks the beginning of the holiday season for many families.  It brings the smell of smoky, crackling fireplaces and cinnamon and apple, along with the sight of red, gold, yellow, and orange leaves crowning dark limbed trees.  There is an expectation of fun-filled days to come.

"halloween decorations" by Maggie Not Margaret

Scarecrows made from straw-stuffed clothing with jack-o'-lantern heads sit atop haystacks, small wispy white ghosts tied among bare branches float in the breeze, and lighted pumpkins with carved faces laugh before the doorsteps of many homes.  After a night of trick-or-treating, there will be more to look forward to -- warm, welcoming Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas and Chanukah cheer, and the crisp coldness of a winter's day, marking the fresh start of a new year.

But what comes after each bustle of activity?  In many cases, clean-up!  Even if you have hired help, that help may not be on a daily basis.  There usually is something left for you to do.  But lucky for you, you probably have one or more little people in the house who have busy little hands, looking for something to delve into.   In fact, those munchkins may be at an age where anything the adults do is exactly what they want to do.  So, how about giving your eager kids a few chores, clean-up or otherwise?

Here are a few ideas for chores for children, by age (thanks to the Flanders Family for sharing).

  http://www.flandersfamily.info/web/age-appropriate-chores-for-children/

Now enjoy the holidays . . . and the clean-up, with a little help from the kids!

About the Author
Darlene W. Cancell is an attorney turned stay-at-home mom, and most recently, the blog coordinator for Parent Talk.

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