Regardless of the age gaps between your kids if you have more than one, you will have an older and younger. You will have at least one child who can do something better than another.
One of the challenges I have faced, and still do face, is the challenge to train the younger ones, when it would be simpler to just get the older ones to do it! Regardless of the age gaps between your kids if you have more than one, you will have an older and younger. You will have at least one child who can do something better than another. It is easy to always call on that person to do a task.
In my family it is easy to call on Joshua to do the heavy lifting, he’s the oldest, the strongest and I’m used to calling on him. But, Daniel is the same age as Josh was when I started calling on him for these man-tasks – it is time for me to call on Daniel. Daniel needs the opportunity to solve problems, to be helpful and to take responsibility. It would be easy for me to continue to rely on Josh – he has proven himself whereas with Daniel I may need to follow up or even give instruction. For Daniel’s well-being though I need to make this shift.
Two questions I ask myself when I’m getting ready to ask something of one of my kids:
- Who is the youngest child who can do this task? or
- Who will learn the most by being asked to do this?
