Who's The Maid?

Question: How many chores if any are appropriate for you children?

I often ask myself this question and I think I'm pretty clear now where I stand even though I still find myself struggling with the follow through. I can't do it all and I shouldn't have to! But I think for some reason in this day and time we don't expect our kids to help around the house or even pick up after themselves. Sometimes it's just easier to do it yourself. We also find that we limit so much of what our kids do and forget that they are more capable than we think. Kambry has been making her bed, cleaning her room, and clearing the table for awhile now and has recently been sorting all the kids' laundry. A few days ago I noticed that the girls were changing their clothes twice a day and the laundry was growing more and more ridiculous so I gave up...I provided the 6yr. old and the 5yr. old with a stool and showed them how to work the washer and dryer and let them have at it. THEY DID 3 Loads!! So I glady helped them fold and put it away. So why stop there I thought. They are now in charge of emptying the upstairs trash. I figure if they can help do these things at least once a week this will help me greatly and teach them to practice obedience.
Now I've still had my days were I've noticed every room in the house littered with toys and scattered with things that just shouldn't be....toothbrushes in the kitchen, a make shift tent set up in my closet, a donut on the floor. And I find steam coming out of my ears and my voice growing at least 3 octaves higher than God meant it to be. The destruction's seems to happen so fast.
I asked Jack to pick up his cars the other day. He said "I no want to Mommy. You do it!" I replied with "Jack I'm not the maid!" So he went and fetched me the broom and said "Here you go Mommy, now you the maid!". I didn't know whether to laugh or to swat him with it. ;-)
Everyday we come home and Olivia takes her shoes off and goes and places them in her cubby. (now this means that she also has to dig all the stuff out of everyone else's cubby!)but the point is that she's trying to be obedient and be helpful and she's only 18months. She also places all her dirty clothes in her hamper in her room without even being told.
Our children can help.. it's whether we take the time to teach them and encourage them to be good servants. I don't expect them to spend their days cleaning house or being "Cinderella" by any means. They have their days when they are all about helping and other days when it's like pulling teeth and I just want to cave and do it myself. I'm sure this is just a testament to my obedience. God has given me these children so that I may teach them....if I cave what do they learn?
A good household scripture:
"Do all things without murmurings and disputings." Phillipines 2:14