Yesterday, I was irritated. There was a big pile of laundry that needed to be folded (imagine that, laundry here?). This gigantic pile sat in my laundry room for days. No one touched it. Well, they'd dig through it. Or ask for clothes. Or add more clothes to the dirty side. But, no one folded it.
So I began to felt resentment. I remember thinking -
how come they don't help with the laundry? Don't they see all this work? Are they just assuming I'll take care of it?
And I got crabby.
But, while I was folding -- swim trunks, and tees, and towels, and bibs, and shorts, and more -- my mind started mulling over my "all about me" statement. Then I began to realize (again) that part of being a mom is not initially expecting them to see the work, but rather training them to learn how to do the work. Then, once the expectations are set, then I have a right to be frustrated if the work wasn't done.
I hadn't set the goals.
I simply assumed they'd see all the work the way I did. And then I assumed that because they didn't do it that they didn't really care about all the work that I had to do. Then I started to develop a grudge based on my own inaccurate assumptions.
Planning and training takes work. Hard, hard work. There are stewardship areas in our home where I've invested this time and energy. The kitchen, garbage and girls' bathroom. Those stewardship areas are maintained. Completed. I was convicted to do the same with the laundry. And that means letting go of the perfect folds that I like, and instead praising for the learning attempts that they make. And holding them accountable. It's all to easy to do it myself -- but then look where that leads.
So starting today, I'll be developing my goals and targets for laundry.
And then we'll see how many posts about laundry I do after this.
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