When my children were eight and under, as I would fold clothes from the dryer or the line, I would have them sit nearby. The young ones would match socks.

The other ones would fold [whispering] undies. (They thought this was so funny). Really they didn't fold them, the just sorted them into piles of whose were whose.

TOGETHER, we would take these things to the appropriate places.

Perhaps while putting the socks and undies away, we would see that a trash can needed emptied, so I would say, "Don't do a little; do a little extra."

And then we would empty the trash can together too.

It just means to have them there near us.

We don't have to bark orders at them and expect them to hop to it to carry out our household agenda. No, we just have to bring them alongside us—as we carry out our household agendas and parenting responsibilities—with joy!

And we need to expect that bringing our children alongside us will require more time to get the tasks done!

As we slow down to include our precious little ones, we will begin to enjoy the process of just being with them.

Slowing down benefits us moms as well, as we begin to discern what is truly needful and what is fluff in our lives.

Yes, we need to set goals for what should be accomplished each day—dishes washed, floors swept, beds made, laundry done, meals prepared (see sidebar)—but it's the process that we enjoy with our children.

Resolve to teach your children to enjoy the process of work because you yourself enjoy working with your children.

My older children still follow me around as I'm carrying out household chores, just because we like to be together. We talk deeply and chat, too, about all sorts of things through the process of cleaning up.