Let’s talk about chores.
Or better yet—how trying to get my kids to do chores almost broke me.
At first, I thought I had it figured out. I wasn’t gonna pay them to clean the house they live in. Simple. Logical. Right?
Wrong.
Turns out, logic don’t mean much when entitlement is louder.
So I came up with a whole system: color-coded chore charts, reward points, routines. If they wanted money, they had to work for it. Not one job. Not one day. Consistency. That was the key.
But what they learned was… how to finesse me.
They’d do the bare minimum just long enough to get what they wanted. Two weeks of “acting right” to get that new game or whatever, then back to zero. They weren’t learning consistency. They were learning how to hustle their mama.
And the wild part? That’s on me.
I thought I was teaching them structure.
What I really taught was: “If you want something, just perform for a little while, and you’ll get it.” No deeper lesson. No pride in their space. No real appreciation.
When I was growing up, we did chores because they needed to be done. Nobody had to beg me. I wanted to help. I appreciated my mama. And I didn’t do it for money—I did it because I saw her. And I loved her.
I don’t feel that from my kids.
And no—I’m not saying they’re evil or anything wild. But the truth is, if I don’t ask or nag, it won’t happen. Not out of love. Not out of habit. Not out of gratitude.
Just… nothing.
Have you ever tried to teach your kids something and ended up feeling like they only learned how to play you instead? How did you fix it? Or are you still figuring it out like me? Drop a comment or message me—because I need help too.
