Each day, laptop and children permitting, I’ll share a prompt that’s been on my mind, and a few of my thoughts.

You are welcome to share your own perspective in the comments, or just journal it out!

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Does the way I spend my time reflect the things that I value?

The other night, Joe and I were lamenting over the lost art of work ethic and self-reliance.

“How do we teach our kids those skills early on?”, I wondered.

In the end, we decided it was time to assign our 4-year-old some chores. Which was no surprise, because we’ve had this conversation before.

And, it sounds great when I’m talking to my husband in the car.

It’s less great in the morning when I’m cleaning up spilled milk, changing a soggy diaper (sometimes the sheets), trying to get dressed before the front door opens and the neighbors walk by, brushing matted hair while my daughter cries foul, checking on the dog, making time to write, and failing to console my 2-year-old who, at this very moment, is crying, “I’m so mad”, because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

You see, 4-year-old chores actually mean Mom chores, only with some extra, albeit enthusiastic, “help”.

But, as tired as I feel sometimes, I show what I value by the way that I invest my time.

The breaks in your schedule – whether you work from home, in an office, or you’re studying for a future career – they say a lot about you.

Do I usually spend that time eating cake and watching television? #confessionsession

Yesterday, though, we cleaned up the yard and surprised dad. It was special – hard work and all.

It reminded me, does the way that I spend my leisure time really reflect my values?

Because, sometimes, cake and television is exactly what I need.

Other times, I forget to ask the question.

Remember:

…whether it’s 10 minutes to help my daughter gather the garbages, or a 2-hour service project to show my kids that work can be fun.

So, what do you value? Does it show?

❤ Jenny