Kids Taking Charge

Kids Taking Charge ~ Episode 391

By nature kids are curious and you can get your kids excited about learning, their chores, and kids taking charge of their life. This podcast is for the kids, I hope you will listen in Moms and Dads!

Thanks to our sponsor – Media Angels, Inc. and the books Truth Seekers Mystery series and A Few Minutes with God !

Originally I was planning on recording this podcast for moms but instead, I decided to talk to the kids – because you know what? Kids are smart and they get it when someone cares about them, their ability and what God has in store for them! Moms and Dads I hope you listen in as well, because I’m sure your kids will have some great questions to ask.

Here is the planner to print out for you to use!

Kids Taking Charge – 1

So, what do I want to talk about? Well, kids what you are about to hear is going to be life-changing. And I bet that some of you already know the information I am going to share because you are way, way, way smarter than everyone knows – even the people around you. Sometimes you don’t want to let people know how smart you are because you know what? You think they will ask you to do more stuff if you are that smart. Even though you may know some of this stuff – I am sure there is something you can learn, and I pray it helps you!

I want to talk about you taking charge of your life and having responsibility. Did you know that your mom or dad won’t be around all of your life to tell you what to do –really. This is a truth. Someday you will be the adult and responsible for going to work, taking care of the house, buying and making food to eat, and taking out the trash. When I lived on my own, my mom didn’t call me and say, “Hi honey, how are you? Did you take out the trash? Did you eat today? Did you do your laundry, fold and put it away?” No–my mom said, well, now she is an adult and can take care of herself.

But wouldn’t it be nice if you could take care of yourself when it comes to your own responsibilities?

Let’s stop and make a list of the things most kids are responsible for:

Eating.
Sleeping.
Go to the bathroom.
Exercising – going outside or playing inside.

Other responsibilities:

Doing school work.
Helping with the dishes.
Cleaning up your room/ making your bed.
Individual chores.
Practicing a sport or hobby.

So, make a list of all the things that you are responsible for personally and this is a good place to start. Now, the next step is to answer the following question:

Are you a now or later person?

This means – do you do things immediately when you are assigned a job or you know what it is you are supposed to do – maybe your family uses a chore chart or some other method of keeping track. OR – are you a later person, in “I’ll do that later.”

Just think -if you do it now it is all done, right? Then you can go and do whatever the next thing is or take a break. If you are a do it later person one of two things will happen:

You will get reminded to do it now.
You will get in trouble for not doing it right away.

Does it make sense to wait? Why or why not?

Most people live their lives waiting for someone else to tell them what to do, to tell them what is right and what is wrong and in fact, they live their lives trying not to get caught doing the wrong thing. Maybe there is a reason for this but most of it is just that you don’t feel like it or you are too lazy to finish doing your schoolwork or chore.

If you get caught doing something you are not supposed to be doing or maybe not getting that chore or school work done, usually you have a ready answer.

I didn’t know I was supposed to do that now.
It was an accident.
I was going to do it.
I already know this.
Okay I will do it.

So, why not cut out the middle man! Cut out the getting in trouble and having to do it anyway. And… can you guess what I am going to say? Just. Do. It. Now.

Whatever that “it” is – is it fixing your bed, is it cleaning up your toys or doing your schoolwork.

There comes a time in everyone’s life – and maybe you have not gotten to that point yet, but there is a time when everyone realizes, “Oh. No. I was wrong!”

Maybe you are one of those kids who never gets in trouble. Congratulations and yay for you! You are way ahead of the others, but let me ask you a question. Are you making the most of your time? Are you doing something that is right or that is just okay.

I realized too that just okay was not enough. Some people call me an overachiever but I call me being productive. I like to accomplish and get things done, it makes me happy. Whether it is taking the time every morning to pray, to get some chores done around the house or to do my work – yes, a podcast is work, I feel good at the end of the day.

So, let’s think about this … what makes you feel good about your day. Make a list.

Getting your school work done and right.
Getting your chores done.
Getting approval from your parents instead of in trouble.
Getting along with our siblings or your friends.

The goal and the point I am trying to make is that as a family you were not put there by accident. Each person in a family is unique, special and a very, very, very important part of that family. I can say for certain that your family would not be the same without you. You can either be a welcome addition – like this, “Emma, Samantha, William, Alex, Benjamin, Olivia, Christopher, Michael, (or whatever your name is) I am so happy to see you and that you are here!” Or will they say… “Oh. No. They are here!”

Working together as a family to get things done is so wonderful and guess what? It gives you time to enjoy being together and getting along as a family. It makes your parents say, “Oh my goodness, my kids are so great! They listen to the direction so well I can take them on field trips and I can take them places and people stop us and say how well behaved and nice our family is.”

We don’t do things just to get compliments from other people – while that is all good it isn’t the only reason why we do what is right. We do it for ourselves and for our God. We want to live a life this is happy and free from regrets. Has there ever been something you did that you were not happy about or not proud about? This happens to everyone and yes – I know, no one is perfect but that does not mean we don’t try to be the best we can be.

God believes in you.

I believe in you.

Your parents believe in you.

Your grandparents believe in you.

You are special and wonderful and God has an amazing plan for your life.

But…

If you are always getting in trouble, always trying to get out of work, always working out a way to not be seen, or get caught or whatever that is that you do – then guess what? You do not have the time to be the best you can be because you are being the least you can be. Think about it.

You are so busy avoiding work that well, that is actually doing work! Working to not be found or working to get in trouble. You are so busy poking your brother or your sister, yelling and screaming that you are missing all the amazing and wonderful things happening all around you! There are amazing miraculous things that happen in our life – all around us every single day and you are missing it.

So the questions to think about are:

Are you ready to take charge of your life? Yes or No
Are you ready to be the best that you can be? Yes or No
Are you ready to be the best that God wants you to be? Yes or No
How are you going to do this?

The challenge is to take the next few days to think about this, talk to your parents about this or talk about it in a family meeting. Decide on one tiny thing you will do to improve. Let’s say you hate to wash dishes and every day it is your turn to do dishes you will not complain. If that works then add one more thing and one more thing and guess what? You will be happier. Your parents will be happier and you will have time to do the things you like to do best.

And…yes, there is more! I will be praying for your success. And, if there is something that worked great for your family please let me know. I can’t wait to hear from you.