Dictionary.com tells me that responsible meansanswerable or accountable, as for something within one's power, control, or management.
Nathan was able
to learn that when you break a window you are
accountable. Actually, it wasn't his first broken window - he actually broke a neighbors window in Augusta on accident years ago before the Hitchcock's lived behind us. This time, Nathan was kicking his soccer ball and thought it a good idea to aim for the little plastic chairs you see in the photo. Only problem was he forgot to calculate a miss on his target. Oops! What seemed like fun turned into a not so good idea when the window was smashed. Thankfully, he came in and told us immediately, taking full responsibility. Often our kids, and their parents alike, want to explain away our mistakes or blame someone else for their part in our demise. We are in the process of teaching all three to see their weaknesses more clearly and own them. It is tough going as we are so easily deceived, forever making excuses and shifting blame. Nathan only had to pay £6 to fix this problem as his dad happens to be very handy and didn't charge for labor which could have drained his savings.
On a different side of the responsibility coin, Julieanne has been answerable to paint the fence that separates the main house we live in from the two flats. She has been earning a little extra money doing the Tom Sawyer thing. It is not a fun job as there are no friends to share the load nor is it entertaining but completing the task regardless of the fun factor is a valuable lesson.
The summer has been full of fun: army camp, Spain, Cumbria Christian Youth Camp, Summerfest, family outings, people over for meals, youth group outings, etc. Often the kids have a hard time transitioning from the fun to the mundane of life. Actually, most of life is made of the mundane. It requires 'plodding' as my father in law calls it - just being faithful to the little tasks. I feel like we give our kids plenty of chores to keep them grounded in reality but even still they can think that life has to be all entertainment which is very dangerous.
