Chores

Motivating Your Kids
One of the frequent questions we get asked is how to get kids motivated. How do you get them out of bed, off the couch, and taking care of their responsibilities? The negative answer is obvious, and most of us have probably said something like this, one time or another: “You can't get on the…
Faithful At Work
Does your Sunday morning faith go to work with you on Monday? Maybe in our quiet moments we plan how we'll respond if we end up like the apostles in Acts 5:29 - “We ought to obey God rather than man.” But most days, the question is simpler – and sometimes more challenging: Am I working like…
Teaching Diligence to Boys
Hal often says that boys seem especially tempted by anger, lust, and laziness. And if you think about it, it makes sense--those sins are connected to some of the most important roles men have as protectors, husbands, and providers. So, how can you overcome their natural laziness? How can you help your son become diligent? Sometimes…
“I Can’t Find It, Mom.”
We were setting up for a book fair last weekend and needed the lid to a plastic bin which is part of our display set up. I sent one of the boys to fetch it from the trailer. “It’s on the top shelf,” I said. Understand: Our trailer only has three shelves, there was only…
Ten Ways to Get Boys to Do Chores
Folks, let me tell you this: It is a lot better to have pink underwear than no clean underwear at all. Get your guys doing chores! Here are some things that have helped us (and no, we don't do this perfectly - not remotely so!) Use manly marketing. If you say, "Sweetheart, could you make…
“I Can’t Do Everything I’m Supposed to Do!”
A sweet mama came up to us in tears at last weekend's conference. She wailed, "I can't do everything I'm supposed to!" The question we wanted to ask her is "Who told you that you were supposed to do all that?" Yeah, it's true. There's a lot you really are supposed to be doing -…
If Mopping Floors Isn’t Manly, Why Do They Call Sailors Swabbies?
“I never ask my son to do housework! That’s a woman’s role, so the girls do that. He only does outside chores,” a friend once said. Uh oh! Melanie thought, I’m sunk. We didn’t have any girls back then, just a not-so-neat dad and a houseful of very active and thoroughly messy boys. Actually, though,…