Recipes for a Sweet Child Amid Challengesናሙና

I’m not sure how it happened, but suddenly, every day, my kids fought with me over schoolwork. They would complain, saying things like, “It’s too hard,” “I don’t want to do this today,” and “I hate math!”

Somewhere along the way, we had fallen into a rut of complaining and resisting. It was exhausting and frustrating for all of us. We needed a reset. So, one day, we paused. I talked with each child, separately, about what they were struggling with. We discussed ways to adjust our schedule to create a routine we all enjoyed more. I’d love to tell you that one conversation solved all our problems, but it didn’t. However, I no longer found myself daily preparing for a battle. This in itself was a win!

Fast forward to today. My kids not only complete their schoolwork without complaining (at least most of the time), but they also do their daily chores like dishes, trash, and laundry without a fight. Bedrooms are still a fight, but I’ve learned to choose my battles wisely and not sweat the small stuff.

Teachable Moment

If you could do anything in life, what would you want to do? What are some skills you need in order to accomplish your goal? The schoolwork you do today helps prepare you to fulfill your dreams tomorrow. Skills and responsibility you learn today will help you succeed in the future.

Together, we’re going to write a new daily plan to create realistic goals for your child’s schoolwork and household tasks. Discuss the benefits of following through, such as internal rewards like how it feels good to complete tasks, and external rewards like screen time afterward and playing with friends. Explore and evaluate what you’re currently doing and seek feedback from your child. What do they enjoy or not enjoy—and why? How would they like to do it differently? Also lay out the consequences for not completing the tasks. Then be sure to follow through. It takes consistency and commitment to build better habits.

Parents’ Prayer

Father, forgive me for times when I’ve resisted things You asked of me. Help me be patient with my kids and model responsibility for them. Give me creative strategies for structuring our homeschool or home life and reveal areas that need adjustment in order for my kids to thrive. In Jesus’s name. Amen.