Are you a control freak? If you are anything like me, you like to do things yourself. I mean, it’s the only way you know that it is done properly, right?  

Just the idea of delegation gives me a pang of “Oh, no!”

You cringe because you just know that you will end up re-doing the job, cleaning up a mess...or both.  It is not that you don’t want the help- in fact you would love a hand, but to have someone take over and do a job their way can be a little unpalatable.  There is some truth in the fact though that by delegating you can actually help yourself and others.  With some preparation and organization, of course… still feels like tough idea.

Pick a job that your children could help with – for the first job choose something simple without breakable objects!  The first job I used with my kids was putting away laundry. Decide before you start what the most important factor is for success- maybe that the clothes end up in the correct drawers. I know. It drives me crazy when the boys fold the towels. Don’t get me wrong. I am proud of them for learning how to contribute to the household, but the jumble of towels staring me in the face will send an organized gal right over the edge. But, you are teaching them a lesson. And, YOU don’t have to fold the towels.

Take it stepwise.

Try not to worry too much that the socks aren’t paired or the drawers are left half open – one thing at a time! Then as they start to understand then you can add in other criteria – like the pairing socks thing or closing all the drawers afterwards.  Soon you will find they master the jobs to your standards.