Spreading the News!

My kids have a paper route.

This is because my children wanted to find a way to earn money and I heartily encourage an industrious spirit like that.  This is also because I got tired of paying these industrious children for their version of cleaning our car.  Their cleaning-version lasted about 5ish minutes and seemed to involve large amounts of spraying each other with the hose and little amounts of actual cleaning said car.

So, back to the paper route.

This is a once-a-week paper route.  I am thankful that the paper route is only once a week.  Once a week, we haul in the stacks of papers.  Once a week I encourage, cajole, strive-to-motivate and threaten the kids to put the papers together.  Bag them.  Put bagged papers into carry-out bags.
Once a week I listen to arguments that stem from someone bagging a paper and throwing it ACCIDENTALLY at someone else's head.  This accidental whacking with papers happens about 98 times each week.  It's great fun.  Yelling usually ensues.
I often end the yelling and paper-whacking with intelligent parenting skills that involve me raising my voice above the din to say:  "Stop hitting your sister with the papers or I will throw a paper at you!"  I'm a good parent like that.  I promise.  My intentions and motivations are through the roof, I tell ya.   But sometimes, I'm worn thin.

But the paper route seemed like such a good idea.

It will teach them responsibility, I keep telling myself.
It will teach them about earning and saving money.
It will teach them to work hard.  The experience will look great on a resume.
It will teach them about perseverance.
It's a great idea, I remind myself....each week as a paper sails through the air and smacks someone upside the head.  "Ooops," says the thrower, but I distinctly saw him aiming his projectile.

Yet today, one of my babies woke himself up at 6:30am to begin putting the papers together.  Because he knew we had a busy day ahead of us and he wanted to plan ahead.  Then the other three babies wandered downstairs, yawning and with the coolest bed-heads ever, and they set to work.  Only about 90 papers sailed through the air and smacked people this morning.  There was minimal yelling.  We even got most of the papers delivered with temperatures soaring at 33 degrees Celcius.

The kids worked hard even though it was hot and they were tired.  They worked together - Yeah for cooperation!

Tonight, I waded through the remaining papers that lay abandoned and spewed across our floor.  I cleared a narrow path through the room - kicking papers to each side - so that I could reach the computer desk and began to ruminate on this paper route of ours.  It IS a good idea, I thought.
 
It gives us more time together, I told myself.
It's fun and helps us get to know our neighbours more.
It's good for the kids.  We all get some exercise.

Even though sometimes it is so exhausting:

Listening to the senseless arguing.
Motivating them to get going.  Even though it is over 40 degrees with the humidity.  Or the snow is knee-high and it is nostril-freezing-cold out there.
Putting half the papers together myself because, frankly, I am seven thousand times more efficient than these crazy offsprings of mine.
Pretending I am totally cool with my house being overtaken by slippery bagged papers.

There's a learning moment in there, though.
I am sure of it.
Somewhere.

In the meantime, we will bravely face the blazing heat and blistering cold.
We will bravely toss our papers to the doorstep of our neighbours.  Our aim is tried and true.  That's what comes with practising on one another EVERY single week.
We WILL press on.

Have a great day!
BV