When I was a kid I was convinced that the entire reason my parents had me was to empty their dishwasher. This seemed logical to me. They didn’t want to do the chore. I was free labor. Surely, the cost of my keep was significantly less than a cleaning lady.
I can hear you laughing from here, you know?
The hardest chore of all is actually being the chore enforcer. Here is a list of Piper’s chores, the time it takes her to complete the task, and how many times I have to remind her to do the task until its completion:
Chore:
Set the breakfast table, 18 minutes, 17 reminders
Empty trashes, 42 minutes, 5 reminders (one for each trash can)
Clean room, 2 1/2 hours, 133 reminders
Wash lunch box, 20 minutes, 1 reminder (she actually loves this one)
Put away laundry, 3 days, 406 reminders
I could finish Piper’s chores in about three minutes flat. It would be more efficient for me to just do them myself. It would save me a lot of frustration, too. But I believe in chores. One day Piper will empty the dishwasher all by herself. Without being asked or reminded. I dream big.
piperism 
I didn’t pick up after myself until I moved out of my parents’ house. This is probably the biggest slap in the face I could have given them. “Oh sure, I’ll pick up, but it’s gonna be my OWN HOME.”
It’s so true. That which we earn we value more. But I think I’m fighting the good fight. At least she’ll know how to pick up after herself, even if she chooses not to 🙂