Kids who live with intention!
Kids who live with intention get into less trouble. I think it’s obvious why! If you teach your child about the power of responsibility, then you will more likely end up with a child who is successful as an adult. Growing up, I remember that the Zerling kids were consumed with chores (vacuuming, mowing the lawn, washing the dishes-you know, the annoying stuff!), reading books by school deadlines, doing homework, being on sporting leagues, being submerged in clubs (one club that I was in was called VAASA-Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse). I also babysat to make cash. My little brother used to knock on all the neighbor’s doors after a big snowstorm to shovel their driveways for cash. I was a camp counselor during the summer time and even bagged groceries at Shop Rite after camp all so I can purchase my own Ford Probe (remember those?) My sister used to make quiche for a woman (even though we know that quiche is fattening junk food).
And so, I have a huge appreciation for money, but also responsibility. Growing up, you would never find me glued to a television playing Atari or Nintendo, even though we had these devices as kids. (By the way, I think that Atari is back on the market-saw it at Walmart 2 days ago-wowsers, right?) Our parents always kept us mentally and physically active. This was simply our way of life.
Nowadays, the internet boom is keeping us all glued toa computer screen, and guess what? Your children are replicating these learned behaviors by watching YOU. Have you ever considered not exhibiting these behaviors in front of your children? Impossible? Think again! Get your child active ladies and gentlemen! Teach them about balance! Get your kids into managing their time by being effective human beings. An effective human being is one who does effective things. Sitting in front of the TV-what a waste of a human being!
Quick story. I was in Kansas this weekend and Dr Ashley Cleveland and I met up. She told me that every Monday morning, she serves breakfast to the less fortunate in Kansas. She does this every week, and has been doing this for years. She said that her best friend’s son, who is 10 years old, joins her. What a great idea! Get your kids into performing humanitarian tasks as such. This is so important. It’s also such a blessing to do this. Dr Cleveland is an amazing human being!
Today, my girl Sexxi B brought her 11 year old son to work to do just this! He is helping us all around the office. His responsibilities? Filing, feeding the fish, getting the mail, photo copying documents, and doing the tasks that usually occupy Sexxi B’s time. Instead, she is attending to patient’s needs today. With that said, I have decided to blog on the subject of giving your children the lesson of living with true intentions so that they are enabled to grow up learning about the power of responsibility. You’ve gotta start them young so that this is all they know!
Check out the video below of our little helper today. But, first, here are some ideas of how to get your child involved:
- Bring them to work for the day
- Have them volunteer each week in your community
- Have them raise money for a sporting team
- Have them start their own mini business(raking leaves, washing a car, or skimming the pool for $10 or something reasonable)
- Have them do household chores-instead of getting a maid all the time. Teach your kids about the essence of a clean home by having them do the chores so that they don’t grow up to be pigs. Ugh! I see this all the time.
I love my boy Julius! I am so proud of him and especially his mother for teaching him at such a young age. As a result, Julius is a great kid!
