When I went back to work after my third son, February 2014. I had two 2.5 year olds and a 1 year old at home and I was going back to a 9 hour work day, two different shifts, in a factory an hour and 15 minutes away. Not ideal. Although my Husband is amazing, daddy and husband, it was so hard to find a work/home balance. (still trying)

After months of busting my ass being a fulltime (and then some) working mom and pretending I had it all under control it finally hit me! My kids were quite capable of doing it themselves! I gave them life! Now I needed to give them the tools to be independent! Also in all reality I was about to lose my damn mind and if someone else didn’t start doing shit around the house I was going to check myself into a loonie bin!

So it started off with the little things; pick up your toys, bring your bowl into the kitchen. We taught them life skills so we didn’t have to wait on them hand and foot.

Once the older boys started school they had to unpack their backpack and empty their lunch bag. This isn’t rocket science. These are basic life skills. No child labour here.

Now that we are sitting at 6, 6 and 4 years old we have a full-blown chart! That’s right kids, Momma isn’t your maid or your servant anymore! I refuse to raise kids, boys especially, who cannot do anything for themselves. It is 2017 and men and women have equal spots in the household. Chores included. (end rant)

We have rotating jobs and the boys get paid 25 cents a day (when we remember and have quarters) They hate it some days but some days they are more than happy to help out. They are learning that you gotta give alittle to get alittle! Come home from school, unpack their bags, do a chore or two and complete one math work page and then they can have their TV time.

So call it what you want, but their future wives will thank me one day!