The Beauty in Delegating
By Jenny Dendinger
Years ago, as I was drowning in laundry and other household chores, I realized that I’d reached my limit. I needed help. Our family had grown quite a bit over the years, and my responsibilities as a mother kept piling up. With no extra money in the budget for a maid, I prayed for an answer. That’s when I felt God encouraging me to adjust my pride and turn to my family.
Asking my kids for help felt very uncomfortable at first. Taking care of them was my responsibility, so the thought of them picking up some of my slack seemed like a sure sign of epic failure.
I was so wrong!
My instruction and delegation of chores shifted our family into a healthier team mindset which has been life-changing for all of us.
I started out small and increased their training as they grew and matured. Over time, I taught them to pick up their toys, fold laundry, wash dishes, mop floors, and even scrub toilets. They also learned the value of working together to accomplish a goal.
Instead of getting stuck in the fixed mindset that it was my job to do it all, God helped me realize that sharing these responsibilities with my kids was a gift. When I invited them to participate, it opened their eyes to everything that goes into taking care of a family. This fostered a whole new sense of gratitude.
Do my kids love cleaning? Not really. Would they rather be out riding bikes or playing video games? Absolutely. But when we work together to create order where there was once chaos, the job not only gets done faster, but we also finish with a reason to be proud.
Our life together is a beautiful gift from God and something that we should all know how to properly care for and cherish. I’m not sure how I ever let mom-guilt sneak in and convince me otherwise.
