Confession: I HATE cleaning!

I really don't like cleaning, there is not a bone in my body that even slightly enjoys it. I do enjoy the finished product, and I could never not do it, but it's no fun for me. I know people that LOVE cleaning, it's just something they enjoy doing...and that's cool... for them! Now, even though I don't like cleaning, I do it often, daily... I can't function in clutter, and I like to have a clean house.

I also ask that my kids clean up their messes, and help clear their dishes from the table... Now this is a battle, and I can get so frustrated, thinking "why do I have to go through this almost every time I ask them to clean???" They just don't want to do it, they want nothing to do with it... sound familiar? Why yes, yes it does... I just said the same thing about myself!

Why has it taken me so long to realize that I shouldn't expect them to enjoy doing something that I don't want to do either.... If I don't want to clean, why would I think they would want to.  So I give them something for helping me clean, or pick up their toys... some people will disagree, saying I should just ask them to do it and they should listen. Well, I came to the realization that when I'm cleaning, my focus is what I get to do afterwards... have a cookie, a cup of hot tea, snuggle the kids, read, dance... There is always a reward, so if a 30 year old woman needs an incentive for cleaning why wouldn't a 4 and 5 year old??

Then I think some more and realize how many other things I could apply this thought process to. When my kids get angry, they may cry, yell, throw a fit... and I may explain, that this is unacceptable. Really??? Because I'm pretty sure I do the same thing when I'm angry, it may not look exactly the same but that's to be expected, I am 25 years older than they are!! I could keep going, using a lot of different scenarios, but I think you get the point.

Before I ask my babies to do something, or expect something of them, I need to put myself in their shoes... Am I asking too much, am I expecting too much, and how can I make this smoother for them?

So my confession is, sometimes (or a lot of times) I expect/ask too much from my children... forgetting how hard it is as an adult to live life, and expecting them (as children) to manage it better than I do as an adult.

Are there any children, teenagers, or even adults in your life that you are asking/expecting too much of?