Today’s homeschool lesson was: how to fill each other’s cups.
Also known as “Why mom has always lost her marbles by the end of the day.”
I put together a little practical demonstration for the boys. I placed a jar of marbles on the table. Surrounding it, some empty cupcake liners.
I explained that the glass jar of marbles represented me: both my physical and emotional energy throughout the day. I then gave them a run-through of what I do, and had the boys select marbles from the jar and place them in the corresponding cupcake liners each time a thing came up – laundry, meals, cleaning, breaking up sibling fights.
At the end of the exercise, the marbles had all been distributed to the cupcake liners. I asked the boys what they thought might happen if they needed something more, and my jar was empty. If, say, they wanted to play a game of hide-and-seek, or have me fix them dinner.
Then, I asked them how they thought they could help me keep more marbles.
We had to talk through it a bit, but we came up with some strategies of things they can do to help. Working through disagreements on their own, being kind and respectful, being helpful and proactive: getting dressed and making their beds in the morning, clearing their dishes, picking up their toys, etc. And each time we discussed one of these things, they took a marble out of the cupcake liner and placed it back in my cup.
Now, I’m sure we will have many more sibling fights and meltdowns and nagging and forgotten chores in our future. Let’s be real, they’re just small humans and even full-grown humans (including myself) struggle with these things. But I think they’re catching on.
No one wants mom losing all her marbles, after all.
