Summer Laborers

This is the first summer in like 10 years that I haven't made a summer chore chart for the kids. My summer has been almost completely engulfed in college classes thus far, and I'm behind on all my regular summer-y things (like chore charts, vacation planning, and relaxing). The weekly chores were always helpful in maintaining our house's cleanliness while everyone is home everyday, it gave the boys some organizational planning each day, and it also benefited them monetarily each week. 

But since the boys are growing older, they don't necessarily need the little bit of money from chores anymore. Ammon, who's now 15, works 2 jobs: he mows lawns (which he's done for years now), and he's also an employee of Josh's at the golf course. Sometimes he has additional work, too: helping Grandpa on the ranch by changing pipe and moving hay bales. So, he's not home a lot to even help with the house chores anymore (and his most-of-the-time messy room is evidence of that!).

Jonah and Micah have started changing pipe for Grandpa this summer, which is their new money-making job. They go every afternoon and work together. They also mow Grandma's big lawn using  a riding lawnmower (which is a paying job), and help me weed the garden (which is a mandatory job), and are willing to help me clean the house whenever it's needed (mostly we invite people over as the instigator to clean the house now that there's not a chore chart in place). They are good little workers!

Micah

Jonah

working together

waiting for the moved sprinkler pipe to pressurize

Kanyon is now 8, which is the age that I've taught each of the boys how to mow the lawn. Kanyon's new job this summer has been mowing our lawn, which I pay a measly $2 for every week (it's what I've always paid the boys to mow it--even when Ammon was 8, and I didn't feel like inflation would be fair). Kanyon doesn't love doing it, but he likes getting paid every week for it! He also helps me weed the pumpkin patch every week, and this year, he will be the only one to receive the extra income from the pumpkin sale day this fall.  

So, despite not having a chore chart, the boys all have their own summer jobs. I'm so thankful we live on a ranch that offers opportunities for my boys to learn the importance of hard work as well as ways for them to earn their own money!