Kids and work

Do any of you have this problem, too? Your kids are all playing or watching TV or even not really doing anything and everyone is fine. Then you ask them to help with something or do their chores or homework and suddenly everyone is tired, hungry, hurt, sick, sad, on their death bed, permanently disabled, etc. You get the picture. I get so frustrated with this! Lanny and I are both hard workers and we are trying so hard to instill this in our kids, but most of the time I feel like we are failing miserably in this department. Even when we are trying to get ready to do something fun, they just don't like to work. But I'm not giving up! I think that teaching our kids to work is one of our greatest resposibilities and that being a good worker is one of the most vital life skills one can acquire. I know we're not alone in this dilema. But a few things have happened this week that have given me hope! Lanny and I were both at work on Monday and Emery was home tending everyone. (Why were they home? That's a whole other story which I will share sometime soon!) Everytime I called home to check on them, things were going GREAT! The kids were getting along and were happy. So I called to tell them that I was on my way home and Emery sounded so disappointed! She asked me if I could stay gone a little longer! So I ran a couple of errands and called again to say I was on my way and Emery said, "Really? Okay. But drive slow!" I heard the kids groaning in the background when they realized I was coming home. So I said I would do a couple more things before I came home. Well, when I finally got home, the kids had cleaned the whole family room! They were so excited to show me! It was so awesome to have the room clean, but what I loved the most about this surprise is that they worked together HAPPILY! Emery said that Kayden was one of the best workers which is close to a miracle! Kayden is a great worker when he makes up his mind to be, but that doesn't happen too often. Ashlyn and Emery are always great workers, and Noelle does pretty well, too. But Kayden has a much harder time. So after lots of praise and thank you's by me, I told them how proud I was that they worked together! Later, I pulled Kayden aside and thanked him again. Then on Tuesday, Ashlyn and Kayden brought home their homework for the week. Ashlyn loves to finish it all on the first day she brings it home, even though it's not due until Friday so it wasn't a surprise that she sat down and immediately started working. Kayden usually works for a while on the first day and then fights me every day until Friday morning when he has to hurry and finish before we leave for school. So I was so happy when he sat down and FINISHED all but the last page of his homework packet! Then he took a break for a couple of hours and then did the last page!! He was so happy and proud of himself for finishing it! So was I! So we talked about how if you just get in and do what needs to be done, then it doesn't take too long and you are done and free to do other things that you want to do! We have had this talk MANY times before, but it seemed to click better this time. Now I'm not saying that it is going to solve all our working issues, but it was enough encouragement that I'm willing to keep trying! If any of you have any great ideas that you do with your kids, or that your parents did when you were growing up, please let me know! I guess it's just like anything worthwhile, you don't usually get immediate results. It takes a LONG time! I read a story about that very thing not too long ago. I'll post it later because it really rang true to me! Well, I guess I'd better stop typing and get working! Example is the best teacher!
Have a good one!