Raising children is a lot like being a manager: There are sensitive deadlines to deal with, mountains of paperwork to sort through, delicate egos to maintain, and all the while you are trying to bring out the very best in the people you are supervising. And just like being a manager, where it sometimes feels like all you are doing is putting out small fires, you can sometimes forget to let your “employees” know how much you appreciate them.
With that in mind, I felt it was time to put together a workplace evaluation for the two busy bees in my family who keep our household running smoothly (for the most part). If there were a paycheck involved, I would definitely recommend them for a bump in compensation, but I think they might be just as happy with some extra hugs and a plate of cookies.
Anna and Regan Roberts,
Over the past year, you have proven yourselves to be valuable assets to this family. In addition to the expected chores – setting the table, feeding the dog and cleaning your rooms – you have gone above and beyond by helping your mom and dad (hereafter referred to as “supervisors”) maintain their sanity by humoring their terrible jokes and songs and tolerating their kitchen experiments. Your sense of adventure has made you great travel companions, even when it has meant sleeping overnight in an airport. Your supervisors also appreciate your sense of adventure when it comes to eating anything green (except for the bottom parts of broccoli), leading to a decrease in overall household waste, which is better for our bottom line and your health. You both continue to value quiet reading time, which has had a profoundly peaceful impact on the quality of life in our workplace/home, and your willingness to do your homework when you get off the bus and to go to bed at a reasonable time has been noted by your supervisors. Most of all, your supervisors appreciate your unique ability to make them simultaneously proud of you and motivated to help you be better people every day.
The following are goals for the coming year:
• Remember to turn lights out when leaving a room.
• Use soap every time you wash your hands.
• Get your coats and gear on and get out the door in under 15 minutes.
• Refrain from asking to use the computer simply because someone else is on it.
• Freely share magazines and books with each other.
• Avoid leaving mittens, glasses, shoes, boots etc. at school, at grandma’s, in the car, on the bus or anywhere else.
Overall, keep up the good work. We look forward to you enjoying a long and productive career here until you are ready to branch out and go into business on your own.
The writer is editor of Capital District Parent Pages and the mother of two.
