The Chore Jar

So my fifteen year old is sassy and privately, he cracks me up. He just told me last night that I had to pick from the chore jar because I had yelled. That meant, because he was back talking, that he had to pick from the chore jar. Which brought up a unique debate. My oldest could be an amazing lawyer if he did not want to be a youth pastor. Let's all take a moment and praise God that he wants to be a youth pastor.

He can argue six sides of an argument, all of them successfully and make you believe he believes in all six sides. Case in point. He wears many t-shirts regarding his faith to school. There was a boy who had to change a satanic t-shirt. Tyler argued that if that child believed in Satan the way he believed in Christ, what was the difference in their civil rights of wearing t-shirts promoting their individual "faith". The basic argument challenged his and my mind and I walked away worried that he might be falling from his faith. He laughed and said he didn't believe in what the kid's shirt said, just that the kid had the same rights as him. Amazing.

So, bring this child (at fifteen he is still a child) into the realm of chores and the chore jar. The debates could kill a lesser person. Now if he debates, he gets a chore. He is too smart for his britches, as my dear departed grandma would say. I love that he is so smart and using his brain for good and not evil, at least most of the time. I do have to watch it though, he has my memory, which is long and vast.

So the chore jar works, the house is cleaner and the kids are falling in line. Any questions? They learn to hate the chore jar, so they learn to get along and do what they are supposed to, so they can avoid the chore jar. Easy peasy. Mostly.

What quirky personality thing does your child do? Share the love.

God bless you and yours.