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Originally Posted by Dreaming  Thanks again for all the input!
Riversky- Perhaps you are right, but it's too late for regrets. I felt it was appropriate at the time for DD to get off of the computer and help me clean up the mess and watch the dog outside (to make sure puppy isn't sad being out alone but the yard is fenced in and she does fine). DH was working in his office and DS is just way too young (and somewhat delayed) to help.
It's interesting to me that there are such a wide variety of answers to my query. We are reading Little House on the Prairie right now and DD and I talk a lot about how well behaved those kids are and how much they help around the house. Granted, they were spanked and behaved somewhat out of fear, but they also seemed to WANT to help out and be a part of the whole. We are working toward this and I do give my kids jobs to do as often as possible. Mostly little stuff, but it works for now.
I was raised by a single mother who worked an insane amount of hours and was responsible for a great deal at 6 (like making my own breakfast and lunch and getting myself off to school). It's sometimes difficult for me to judge what exactly I can or should expect from my kids.
If I didn't have MDC to bounce thoughts and ideas back, life would be a lot more difficult for me. I really do appreciate all the various perspectives. It gives me a lot to think about and possibly see where I need to make adjustments.
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FWIW, I think what made this task challenging was that it didn't need her to do anything initially, just pay attention. I bet that she'd do a whole lot better watching a puppy who was awake. If this is something you'd like her to do regularly, you might work up to it, first by having her watch the puppy for 10 minutes, and then 20...
IME, kids do want to be productive members of the family, and won't spend all day watching TV and eating junk food. It doesn't feel good to live that way, KWIM?
