a mom sent a mail to learning center: thanks learning center, you teached my children a lot, thank you, but my children always like to play housework games or read articles in your site, not do it in real life, how can i deal with that?
do you know how to wash a dish?
I'll start by telling you that I have a dishwasher, and I love my dishwasher very much. I've had it for about two years, and it's freed up lots of time to spend with my kids, so I appreciate it every day. Even though I don't wash too many dishes these days, I still do wash a few, and I like to carefully wipe each dish with a tea towel when unpacking the dishwasher, before putting it away perfectly dry.
Here's how to wash a dish, mindfully:
1. Fill the sink with warm soapy water.
2. Roll up your sleeves and plunge your hands into the water.
3. Still your thoughts, and concentrate only on the feeling of the water.
4. Pick up a dish and the dishcloth. Give your full attention to the dish. Appreciate its function. Appreciate its beauty.
5. If you find yourself drifting off in thought, gently bring your attention back to the task in hand.
6. Bear in mind these words of wisdom from Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and the fact that I am here washing them are miracles!”
In my opinion, how to encourage children to do housework with their parents is also our purpose in this idea. Some people like doing housework, like us, for they enjoy working and share the time with each other but not only housework itself.
two key words: encourage parents
are you sure housework can encourage children self-management and responsibility?
did you have any experience to be a MOM or DAD? if not, did you do any research about current parents' opinion?
I think the idea is not to target kids but to target adults (like say, Game designers at Microsoft) who never learned this stuff at home but now are living on their own and have to do it. Right?
sure i have to pay, i often find "wild AYI" =), that's cheaper than companies,
anyway, will chinese one child generation like the learning center? i don't have enough evidence to confirm.
It's not the question about money, which is cheaper, but is the question about children self-management and responsibility. That's why encourage children to do housework with their parents but not find "wild AYI" . :)