"You're fired!"
I said that to my kids just this afternoon. You should have seen the shock on their faces upon hearing those words. (I'm still chuckling...lol) You would have thought I'd just signed them up for the "Survivor" tv show or told them that we were going technology free for a year. They both just looked at me as if I had just lost my mind.
Their dad had, minutes before, handed me a $20 bill to split between the two of them for their allowances. I always have to make change. You'd think he'd have enough sense to ask for 2 tens when he cashes his check each week...
Along with the magic $20, I also got a monologue, free of charge, on how the kids should help out around the house more, etc, etc, etcetera......ad nauseum, when, out of the blue, it just dawned on me! I knew exactly what to say to get my point across.
Now mind you, I do agree with my husband. The kids do need to help out around the house more. I shouldn't have to ask either of them to do something 200 times! It irks me, seriously. But this was a good idea I felt. So, I asked my hubby to call the kids into the living room for a family meeting. Once everyone was present, I said I wanted to make an announcement. I stood up, looked both teenagers in the eyes and said sternly, "You're fired."
"What??" my son said. "Fired? what do you mean we're fired?" my daughter said looking at me and then her brother. Both looked at their dad, to which he replied, "Don't look at me. I don't have anything to do with this. I just do what she says..."
They looked back at me, waiting for an explanation. I told then again that they were fired and this was why. I told them that they would each get their customary $10/wk allowance for this past week and that I would pay them each the $10 that their dad owed them from the week before. That would be their last paychecks and the extra was severance pay. I explained that this was how it was done in the 'real world'. If your boss didn't like your work performance, he had the right to fire you and hire someone else. They were, for lack of a better word, shocked!
"What are we going to do for money?" they both asked. "Work for it" I said. "That's what everyone else does." Then I listened to a multitude of excuses why they couldn't do more to help out around the house. I wasn't buying it. I was ready. I told them that this was their last paycheck from me & their dad for doing next to nothing. I (we) would no longer pay them to watch tv, play video games, and play outside. If they wanted to make some extra money they could clean out litter boxes and clean kennels. This was supposed to be what they were getting paid for before, but I spent most of my time getting so upset that I ended up hollering at them after reminding them 6 or 7 times to get these things done. That wasn't fair to me. I did my chores. I washed, dried, folded, hung, and mended clothes. I cooked meals. I entertained their guests. I cleaned houses, mine and my father's. I also cooked for him almost daily. I worked outside the home, taking the kids with me, so that they would have an example of what it was like to work. They saw me work sick, well, tired, bored, and worried. They saw me struggle to get to work ontime battling the weather, unexpected guests, sickness, and car troubles. They had their examples of what it was like to work. You'd have thought they would know that things need to be done around here.
They were informed that I would no longer be paying them for things they should do as part of our family. "You eat, you wash dishes. You take a bath, you take a turn cleaning the bathroom. If you weren't here, there would not be extra work, so you do your share. I'll wash clothes, but you can help fold and hang them. You will take care of your own things. If you want money, you can work for it, just like your dad & I do."
It took a few minutes for this to sink in, but when they realized I was not joking and that this was real, they began to negotiate their pay rates. We all agreed upon $5/wk for them to clean the kennels and litter boxes daily. They would be paid on Fridays. If I had to remind them to do their jobs 3 or more times, I would subtract $1 from their paycheck. If I had to pay someone to do their job, that amount would be subtracted from their paycheck as well. It was only fair. If they didn't do their job, someone had to do it if I couldn't, for whatever reason, and the person doing it had to be paid. From my point of view I was paying someone to do the extra work either way so I was okay with it. Surprisingly, they understood as well. They were warned that temper tantrums would not be tolerated, so we'll see how it goes.
I think I might like this "firing" thing.....
who's next?........lol
