Include the Kids

One of the best things about kids is how much they want to please us. They tend to forget that when they turn into teenagers, but maybe if we reach them before that age, we can create a foundation of work and play that can carry us through the rougher patches. They can join us in more pleasure and play than we give them credit for. Time to bring 'em along in every sense!

Since kids love to help, they need structure and we need help, there's no reason not to combine the day-to-day work and take care of all of us at the same time. Washing the car can be fun, doing the laundry can be a race, making beds can mean an extra five minutes of play before bedtime. You know your kids the best, so we're sure you can come up with some fun things for them that turn the to-do list into fun. And don't forget the family fun that can be had as well — vacations, museums, gardening, farmer's markets and community projects.

The other aspect of parenting that we don't always do with our kids is accounting. Let them know how much it costs to leave the lights on, waste the water or keep the heat up high in the winter. They absorb much more than we think they do, so if we can bring them into the consequences of our day to day behavior, they get to own it with us. And kids thrive on responsibility. They want to be "big," like us. The more we help them help us, the more everyone wins.

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